EcoHealthNet 2.0 is global research coordination network led by EcoHealth Alliance and a strong array of scientists and institutional partners from the US and abroad. The global health community is facing increasingly complex challenges related to infectious disease. The majority of emerging diseases, such as Ebola virus, Zika virus, SARS and pandemic influenza originate in animal populations. Many disease outbreaks occur when people alter their environment (e.g., agricultural expansion, deforestation) such that contact between wildlife, livestock, and human communities is increased. Currently, scientists, public health practitioners, and policy makers are not adequately prepared to address complex global health challenges due to limited opportunities for interdisciplinary training at undergraduate, graduate or professional stages. The EcoHealth Net 2.0 project is designed to change the current science education landscape and develop a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists who will be better prepared to study, prevent and respond to environmental changes and infectious disease. This project will develop and deliver content to thousands of students and educators on a global scale, mentor ecohealth research scientists, and create lasting connectivity among scientists and policy makers from different disciplines as they advance in their careers and face complex challenges in global health.
EcoHealthNet 2.0 will connect world-class research scientists from fields of medicine, ecology, veterinary medicine, epidemiology, microbiology, anthropology, climate science, data science, and economics with undergraduate and graduate STEM students from around the world to advance One Health research and education. The program has three core activities: (1) Didactic training: Selected lectures will be hosted at partner universities coupled with three 1-week workshops that will provide multidisciplinary educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from the US and abroad. Workshops will teach applied skills in fields of disease ecology, science communication, and policy, providing in-person contact time with working professionals and research scientists. Lectures will be publicly webcast, reaching thousands of students and educators globally. (2) Experiential learning: Undergraduate and graduate students will be competitively selected to participate in mentored research projects that teach One Health principles and research methods. (3) Professional networking: Participants will be connected to scientific agencies and professional science and policy associations such as the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the US Agency for International Development, the Institute of Medicine, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Association for Ecology and Health, and the One Health Alliance of South Asia.
