Congratulations to the all students selected to be part of the OVC Global Vets experience.

From shelters, to sanctuaries around the world, this year 19 OVC student veterinarians will be volunteering at various placements in Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America! 

The teams are busy planning their fundraising initiatives to help raise funds for travel expenses and supplies stay tuned for more from the Global Vets 2016 Team!         

The pilot project took place in the summer of 1998, allowing two students from the Ontario Veterinary College to travel to India and volunteer with various animal health professionals. Upon their return, they shared their experience with the University of Guelph community and the animal health industry throughout Canada. (Read more about the 1998 trip to India )

In 2006, the International Veterinary Medicine Club was created. Since that time, the Global Vets program has been an activity of this Club for Phase 2 students.

Philosophy:
Global Vets was formed to promote international collaboration on animal health and welfare, agricultural development and ecosystem health. The program strives to enhance working relationships and the exchange of ideas between Canadian veterinarians and their colleagues in developing regions of the world.

Want to learn more about what OVC Global Vets do overseas?  Read the 2015 Blogor follow Global Vets on Intsagram. 

Message to all Chairs and Directors from Associate Vice-President (Academic)

On Thursday, December 3, between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the Project Management Team for the strategic renewal process will be hosting a consultation session with university faculty. This conversation will take place in the University Centre, Room 103.

The purpose of this session is to provide a diverse group of faculty with the opportunity to offer their ideas for the strategic direction of the university over the next five to 10 years. In an effort to ensure good representation of faculty from across campus, Chairs and Directors are asked to confirm the attendance of one faculty member from their unit. Thank you in advance for supporting the strategic renewal process in this way.

Please forward your nomination to the following address by November 23: e.lampert@exec.uoguelph.ca

Serge Desmarais
Associate Vice-President (Academic),
and member of the Strategic Renewal Management Team

Two OVC alumni were honoured for their exceptional contributions to veterinary epidemiology during the recent International Society of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE) on November 3.

The ISVEE recently launched three medals to honour people who have made exceptional contributions to veterinary epidemiology or economics. The first medals were presented at ISVEE’s recent meeting in Merida, Mexico.

Dr. John McDermott, OVC 1981, received the Peter Ellis Award for outstanding contribution to veterinary epidemiology in the developing world. Dr. Ian Dohoo, OVC 1976, and professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI, received the Roger Morris Award for achievement in veterinary epidemiology. The third award went to Dr. Charles Caraguel (co-supervised by Ian Dohoo and Larry Hammell, AVC) who received the emerging scientist award.

In accepting the award, Dohoo acknowledged the tremendous impact that Dr. Wayne Martin, OVC 1967, and founding chair of OVC’s Department of Population Medicine, had on all three recipients and the discipline in general. “I don’t think it is any coincidence that two of the three award winners (John and myself) were graduate students of Wayne’s and the third recipient, Charles, came up through a graduate program modelled very closely on the one Wayne set up at the UofGuelph.  Wayne has been a mentor and friend to me throughout my career and I am very grateful for all of the support he has provided,” said Dohoo.

Dr. Charles Caraguel, Dr. Ian Dohoo and Dr. John McDermott received awards at the recent International Society of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics conference.

OVC United Way Raffle is underway.  Get your tickets before the draw date on December 3rd!

Tickets are available the OVC Health Sciences Centre in Room 1450 as well as with Marni Struyk in Pathobiology, Linda Kraemer in Population Medicine, Linda Wing in Clinical Studies, Kim Best in Biomedical Sciences and Carole Ann Higgins or Sally Maclachlan in the Deans Office. 

Grand Prize this year is a year’s free parking, there are also a number of secondary prizes.

University of Guelph Event : Unbranded
Hosted by Canadian Wild Horses
November 24th from 6:30-9 PM
Ontario Veterinary College, Lifetime Learning Centre,
$10.00 at the door. 

Canadian Wild Horses is continuing it’s mission to bring together like minded people and groups together to bring awareness and education to the plight of the wild horses and Critical Breeds of Canada by hosting a screening of Unbranded, to benefit the wild horses of Alberta. “Four young Cowboys hatch an outrageous plot to adopt, train, and ride a string of wild mustangs 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada through the wildest terrain of the American West. The trip became an epic journey of self-discovery, tested friendships, and iconic landscapes that included runaway horses, a sassy donkey, perilous mountain passes, rodeos, sickness, injury, and death.

The Audience Award winner at Telluride Mountainfilm and Hot Docs Film Festival, Unbranded is a soaring tale of danger and resilience, an emotionally charged odyssey that shines a bright light on the complex plight of our country’s wild horses.”

This event will be held November 24th from 6:30-9 PM, at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Lifetime Learning Centre, $10.00 at the door. There are only 150 seats available and they will be first come, first serve.

All proceeds raised by this event will be donated to the Wild Horse Society of Alberta (WHOAS), to help further their work on behalf of Alberta’s wild horse population.    

WHOAS’s mission is “to ensure the provisions of all aspects of the conservation and humane treatment of wild free-roaming horses in Alberta. WHOAS  is committed to the preservation of these magnificent animals in their natural environment.”

Unbranded Movie Trailer:

Are you interested in graduate school at the University of Guelph and want to learn about the opportunities available in Animal Behaviour and Welfare? If you answered ‘yes’, then the Graduate Student Panel event is for you! Come out and learn about the coursework and thesis based graduate degree programs in animal behaviour and welfare!

Hosted by the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW) Student Chapter, this November 26 event features a graduate student panel made up of current and past graduate students that will discuss their degree program, supervisor, and experience in grad school. In addition, Dr. Tina Widowski, a current animal behaviour and welfare professor, will be present to give you an idea of what professors typically look for in applicants. This event will end with an open Q & A period, followed by a cupcake mingling session for those of you that would rather speak one on one with a graduate student.    

FREE pizza & beverages will be served!
Cupcakes will be available at the end during our mingling session!

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
Please RSVP Carly at cmoody@uoguelph.ca by Wednesday Nov. 25 @ 4p.m. so we can estimate how much pizza and cupcakes to order.

Monday, November 23
12:30pm - (Rm 1714) OVC Pathology Club: Common errors in Clinical Sampling Lunch Talk
Dr. Shauna Blois will be going over common submission/sampling errors made by practitioners when submitting tissues for diagnostics at AHL in order to increase the quality/reliability of diagnosis made by their pathologists. Pizza and drink courtesy of AHL.

Tuesday, November 24
12:30pm - (Rm 1800) Behaviour Club: Feline Handling
Dr. Shannon Gowland will be giving a talk on low stress feline handling, the different techniques involved and the benefits. Mandatory for club members to qualify for the feline handling lab.

12:30pm - (Rm 1714) Theriogenology Club - C-Sections and Neonatal care
Dr. Cathy Gartley will discuss C-Sections in small animals and neonatal care of puppies following a C-Section procedure. Pizza will be served.

Wednesday, November 25
12:30pm - (Rm 1714) WELLNESS WEDNESDAY: Sleeping for Success with Kathy Somers
Another pizza lunch talk installment courtesy of OVC peer helpers, the Dean’s office and Zoetis!

Thursday, November 26 - American Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 27
Dr. Linda Jacobson of the Toronto Humane Society will be coming in to discuss animal hoarding, the impact on animal health, and how veterinarians can work to better the welfare of animals in a hoarding situation.

12:30pm - (Rm 1434) International Veterinary Medicine Club: Volunteer Opportunities
The IVM Club presents volunteer opportunities and cookies will be served.

12:30pm - (Rm 1438) Behaviour Club: Sophia Yin Product Sales
Putting together a bulk order of Sophia Yin products from
California. Includes her textbooks (low stress handling and nerd book) as well as DVDs. This material is currently not for sale in Canada.

Good news OVC, the OVC Cafeteria, as well as the University Centre Food Court, is now accepting debit and credit cards (MasterCard or VISA)!

Please note that other cafeterias (and the Second Cup located in Pathobiology) are operating as normal - and continue to accept only cash or UG Hospitality Cards.

Seminars with the Poultry Health Research Network (PHRN) continue on December 1 with Dr. John Prescott, Professor Emeritus, Pathobiology, OVC, discussing Understanding Clostridium perfringens in necrotic enteritis of chickens: Prospects for non-¬antibiotic control?

The University of Guelph’s PHRN is a network of poultry researchers and poultry health specialists who address a wide range of issues - from basic biology, to environmental concerns, to poultry disease, production and welfare.

The monthly seminars bring people together in an informal forum to learn about poultry research activities and to discuss and expand poultry research endeavors. In addition to UofG researchers, the seminars will offer guest lectures by poultry scientists visiting Guelph.

Videos of the seminars are posted on the PHRN website. As well, work is underway to set up an Adobe-based webinar for those interested in joining the seminar through webinar.

For more information, please contact Dr. Ravi Kulkarni, PHRN-Coordinator (r.kulkarni@uoguelph.ca or ext.54759).

Graduate student research at the Ontario Veterinary College was showcased during a recent symposium at the College. The day-long Graduate Student Research Symposium on November 18 showcased graduate student research with poster and oral presentations.

Winners at this year’s event were:
Oral presentations:
PhD 1st prize Katie Clow, Pathobiology PhD; 2nd prize Kaitlin Patterson, Population Medicine;
MSc 1st prize, Saranya Nair, Population Medicine;
DVSc 1st prize Firdous Khan, Population Medicine; 2nd Prize Cyrielle Finck, Clinical Studies;

Posters:
PhD/DVSc 1st prize Amanda Perri, Population Medicine; 2nd prize Joelle Ingrao, Pathobiology;
MSc 1st prize Mikayla Ross, Pathobiology; 2nd prize Adam Andrade, Biomedical Sciences.

Award winners (front row left to right): Saranya Nair, Population Medicine: Cyrielle Finck, Clinical Studies; Kaitlin Patterson, Population Medicine; Dr. Gordon Kirby, Associate Dean, Research; (second row left to right) Firdous Khan, Population Medicine ; Adam Andrade, Biomedical Sciences; Joelle Ingrao, Pathobiology; Mikayla Ross, Pathobiology. (Absent from the photo: Katie Clow, Pathobiology; Amanda Perri, Population Medicine.)

The 2015 Schofield Memorial Lecture with Dr. Martin Sheldon, Swansea University Medical School, discussing his research into infertility and innate immunity, capped off the day.

Thank you to the OVC Graduate Student Research Symposium Organizing Committee:
Dr. Gordon Kirby, Associate Dean, Research and Innovation
Elizabeth Lowenger, Manager, Student Affairs
Barb Gaudette, Graduate Studies and Research Assistant
Neda Barjesteh , Pathobiology
Emma Louth, Biomedical Sciences
Katie Clow, Pathobiology
Seyedmehdi Emam, Pathobiology
Eamonn McGuinty, Population Medicine
Kaitlin Patterson, Population Medicine
May Kamleh, Population Medicine
Alisha Matte, Population Medicine
Emily Gilbert, Biomedical Sciences
Rashi Asthana, Clinical Studies
Carina Cooper, Clinical Studies

Representatives of the Dr. Schofield Memorial Foundation were guests of OVC during the Schofield Lecture on November 18.

Pictured here are Dr. John Prescott, Professor Emeritus, department of Pathobiology; David Daesuk Moon, General Affairs, Manager, Dr. Schofield Memorial Foundation; OVC Dean Jeffrey Wichtel; Jun Yong Suh, Co-Chair,  Dr. Schofield Memorial Foundation and publisher of The Christian World; Sue Suh, General Manager, The Christian World; Paul Allan; and Calvin White, Emeritus Director, Toronto Zoo, Schofield Gardens.

The Schofield lecture commemorates Dr. Francis Schofield, a renowned veterinary pathologist who taught at the College from 1921 to 1955. Internationally respected for his work in animal diseases, he is also revered in Korea for calling attention to the nation’s plight during its occupation by Japan and for his teaching and missionary work in Korea following his retirement from OVC. Dr. Schofield is buried in the patriot section of the National Cemetary in Korea, the only non-Korean to have been given such an honour.

The Memorial Foundation worked with Toronto Zoo staff to create the Dr. Schofield Memorial Garden at the Toronto Zoo. A statue commemorating Dr. Schofield was unveiled in 2010. The Foundation continues work to expand the Memorial Garden.

Watch the full lecture on line:

“I never envisioned when I started in practice that I would ever do anything different,” said Dr. Martin Sheldon, who outlined his progression from clinical practitioner to discovering the underlying molecular mechanisms of infertility, during this year’s Schofield Memorial Lecture at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.

After 14 years of clinical practice as a food animal veterinarian, Sheldon moved to the Royal Veterinary College, London, where he participated in clinical teaching and developed his research interests in the molecular mechanisms of infection and immunity. Following completion of his PhD, he moved to full-time research, establishing a laboratory at Swansea University Medical School, in Wales, focusing on reproductive immunology.  

Laura Omeljaniuk, OVC Class of 2017 and president of the Central Veterinary Students’ Association, presented the Schofield Medal to Dr. Martin Sheldon.

As clinicians and veterinarians, “you are trained to think about problems and challenges,” said Sheldon. The grand challenge facing mankind is how to feed the growing population and balance animal health.

Dairy cows convert plants to food, and better genetics and nutrition have helped increase dairy cow milk production over the years. However, dairy cows are highly susceptible to uterine infections, with 40 per cent of cows developing uterine disease after calving. Even after successful treatment many are less likely to conceive.

Sheldon’s research lab discovered that bacteria infecting a cow’s uterus after birth are not random, but bacterial strains specifically adapted to the uterus to cause disease. He also explored how the uterus defends against these bacteria. “Innate immunity is the key mechanism linking infection and infertility.”

Surprisingly, he also discovered that the infections after dairy cows give birth also impact ovarian function.  Cows are less likely to have normal ovarian cycles if they have a uterine infection and the health of the oocyte itself is compromised, which may have long-term effects on their ability to conceive, he added.

His lab’s research work has led to new therapeutic strategies, currently in clinical trials, to combat uterine disease in cattle.

“I was taught to think by wonderful clinicians when I was a student,” he added. “Clinical learning is a fantastic foundation.”

“Work on something you like that has a real impact on the world,” he advised. “Basic science is really essential to understanding disease and will rapidly lead to solutions.”

Watch Dr. Sheldon’s presentation here.

The Schofield lecture commemorates Dr. Francis Schofield, a renowned veterinary pathologist who taught at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) from 1921 to 1955. Internationally respected for his work in animal diseases, he is also revered in Korea for calling attention to the nation’s plight during its occupation by Japan and for his teaching and missionary work in Korea following his retirement from OVC.

Drs. Bruce McNab, Cate Dewey, Wayne Martin and OVC Dean Jeffrey Wichtel at the portrait unveiling.

A new portrait in the Ontario Veterinary College’s Department of Population Medicine celebrates the achievements of its founding chair, Dr. Wayne Martin.

Unveiled during a reception on November 19, the commissioned portrait was conceived and funded by epidemiology colleagues from around the world.

Dr. Ian Dohoo, OVC 1976, one of Martin’s first PhD students and professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI, is also being recognized for his contributions to epidemiology through a commissioned portrait to hang at the AVC.

In addition to their many scientific articles, Wayne and Ian are perhaps best known for their text books including: Veterinary Epidemiology Principles and Methods (1987) by Martin, Meek and Willeberg; Veterinary Epidemiologic Research (2009) by Dohoo, Martin and Stryhn; and Methods in Epidemiologic Research (2012) by Dohoo, Martin and Stryhn.  The latter was designed for use in public health research with all of the veterinary examples replaced with human medical examples.  

Initiated in August 2014 by Bruce McNab, OVC (DVM 1980, PhD Epidemiology 1990) and formerly an epidemiologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Martin-Dohoo Portrait Project drew donations from colleagues and former students in 12 countries.

McNab launched the project, with assistance of epidemiology colleagues, including current Department of Population Medicine chair Dr. Cate Dewey, by contacting the Executive Committee of the Canadian Association of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (CAVEPM), which includes a representative from each veterinary college in Canada.

“All responded very favourably to the idea,” says McNab, and shared information with their respective veterinary colleges in Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Accomplished Guelph portrait artist Grazyna Adamaska-Jarecka completed the paintings.  “Both Wayne and Ian wanted informal poses; Wayne in his home office in Guelph, Ontario, and Ian at his cottage at Flat River on Prince Edward Island,” says McNab.

The project was not only completed within budget, left over funds have been transferred to the Grad Student Travel Fund of the Canadian Association of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.

“As chairperson of the project and on behalf of the organizing committee, I sincerely thank everyone for their donations to help recognize Wayne and Ian,” adds McNab.

Martin graduated from OVC in1967, returning in 1969 to complete an MSc, followed by the MPVM and PhD (Comparative Pathology-Epidemiology) programs at UC Davis, California. He returned to OVC in 1974 as Canada’s first PhD veterinary epidemiologist, joining the then VMI department, before becoming Population Medicine’s first chair in 1987.

Martin was appointed as a Fellow of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2005 and became a university professor emeritus in 2006. He continues to practice epidemiology and consult nationally and internationally.  He has worked extensively with University College Dublin (UDC) since 1990 to battle bovine and badger tuberculosis in Ireland. Martin received an Honorary Doctorate of Science Degree from UDC in June.

Dohoo completed his PhD at OVC in 1982, and joined AVC in 1985, the year before the College accepted its first class of students. He retired in 2012 as professor emeritus UPEI.

By Paula Simons, Student Veterinarian - OVC 2019

This weekend was American Thanksgiving. It is a bit somber for me as an international student, but I have spent some time reflecting on some of the things that I am truly thankful for. The typical things come to mind as far as family, friends, my pets, and how lucky I am to be a veterinary student. Then, I think of what it means to truly be grateful and I cannot help but fondly remember my experience at Straw Day last weekend. I’m smiling as I write this and remember one of the most meaningful days of my life. Before I jump ahead of myself I will explain the series of events that lead up to my participation in Straw Day.

In October we had received notification that Nestlé Purina was hosting a Dog House Challenge at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The event would include several teams of OVC students that would each design pre-fabricated doghouses (donated by Nestlé Purina!), and they would be judged based off of creativity, inspiration, and teamwork. What could be more fun than friendly competition and getting messy for a charitable cause? The completed houses were to be donated to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation to help improve the lives of their beloved pets.

I was one of the lucky few to be selected to join in on the fun. With a bit of inspiration from Pinterest, lots of paint, and thankfully no power tools, my group and I completed our dog house. Being an American I wanted to go with a Canadian-themed dog house as it would be representative of Canada as my new home, as well as a new home for a future Canadian Dog. We worked through some challenges and a time crunch but ultimately we were proud of our final product. It was amazing to see the diversity of the dog houses and to my surprise I realized we had some artists disguised as vet students!

Our dog house was not selected as a finalist but at the end of the night I believe we all felt like winners.

The final product! Team `Murican Meese

Last weekend several OVC students that are part of the OVC Community Outreach student club and I braved the cold and snow to make the two hour trip west to Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. I jumped at the opportunity to be able to volunteer at Straw Day and present our dog house to its respective family.

Straw Day is an annual event where the community comes together for the benefit of their pets. Alison Bressette first organized the event about seven years ago to promote animal health and welfare within the community. Straw is provided to help provide warmth to the outdoor pets during the winter months. Straw Day has morphed over the years from not only providing straw, but also food, bedding, and other necessities for the dogs and cats of the reserve. It is also used an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of spaying/neutering, vaccines, and heartworm prevention.

Upon arriving I was given the task of assisting with food distribution. I was shocked at the amount of food and treat donations. Cases of treats were stocked from floor to ceiling. We were able to hand each family several bags of food and a case of treats. I wish I could’ve captured the look of excitement on their faces as we handed them enough food to last their pets well into the new year! The most common statement was, “I can’t believe this is all for me!” Several of the community members were moved to tears upon receiving their donations. It was especially exciting watching the families pick out their dog houses. The children of one family were thrilled when they discovered a dog house covered in their favorite cartoon characters. With all the excitement you would’ve thought it was Christmas.

Group photo:  First Nations Committee of Community Outreach ClubBack Row L-R: Shauna Thomas, Brittany Jones, Shannon Finn (COC President) Front Row L-R: Sophia Marin, Anujah Mariampillai, Shannon Shum,  Elfeda Chik, Kayla Sangster, Paula Simons, Rebecca Chant, Amy Weber (First Nations Committee President), Kelia Bascom

The day finished with a heartfelt thank you and recognition from the First Nation Council members. They shared with us the story of how Straw Day came to be and how it has evolved over the years. The council members attribute our involvement for the dramatic increase in animal welfare and overall health improvement of the pets living within the reserve. I left that day knowing that we made a difference and with a feeling of gratification that I had never known before.

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest thanks to Nestlé Purina, who provided us not only with the dog houses but also many bags of food for donation. To Alison, her love for animals and her community is the driving force for Straw Day. To Amy Weber and the Community Outreach Club, for organizing the event and facilitating the involvement of OVC students. Finally, to the OVC volunteers who dedicated their time and artistic abilities to benefit the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation.

About OVC Community Outreach Club and Kettle and Stony Point First Nation’s five-years of working together:

• Alison Bressette founded the Aboriginal Community and Animal Advocacy Connection, a not-for-profit volunteer driven group, to promote animal health and welfare in the community. She connected with the OVC Community Outreach Club in 2011 and they now hold regular wellness clinics at the Reserve providing basic care, including core vaccinations and physical exams.
  
  
• The doghouses were displayed around the University of Guelph campus, as well as Pawsway in Toronto, before travelling to Kettle and Stony Point in time for Straw Day, along with a pet food donation from Nestlé Purina.
  

Over the next four to six weeks we will begin the process of implementing Phase 2 of the Workforce Software system (OSCAR) a program that will replace the current method of paper timesheet submission.

OSCAR has been used effectively over the last 12 months by the OVC Health Sciences Centre. We will share information with the community related to the implementation and training process very shortly but wanted to share with you the link to the OSCAR webpage which highlights key aspects of the program.

Join the OVC Alumni Association (OVCAA) Board and work with an exciting group of professionals to promote the Ontario Veterinary College, its graduates and its programs.  The OVC AA is looking for volunteers to fill the following positions on the board:

• Treasurer:  The role of the treasurer is to oversee and present budgets, accounts and financial statements to the board of directors.  The treasurer is expected to be present at all meetings (two hours once every two months), prepare financial statements and updates to present to the Board of Directors at each meeting (one hour/ bi-monthly) and prepare the yearly budget (two hours/ year).  The treasurer must have familiarity and understanding of financial statements and be capable of communicating financial situation to the BOD and answering any questions regarding finances.
• Communications director:  The role of the communications director is expected to be present at all meetings (two hours once every two months), monitor the email and update and manage the OVCAA webpage and blog with content from the team (one to two hours/month).  Requirements include familiarity with social networking platforms and a willingness to learn basics of Adobe Contribute and Tumblr to update OVCAA website.
  

All interested candidates are asked to contact Stefanie Sharp, Alumni Advancement Manager, at ssharp03@uoguelph.ca, 519-824-4120 ext. 56679.

The Fall 2015 issue of the University of Guelph’s Portico magazine features Dr. Mike Cranfield, DVM 1977, and his work with Gorilla Doctors.

The baby mountain gorilla cradled in his mother’s arms is very sick: he’s lethargic and not nursing, and has a yellow discharge from his eyes and nose. Veterinarian Mike Cranfield, DVM ’77, suspects a respiratory virus complicated with a secondary bacterial pneumonia. Without medical intervention, the baby will die.

Cranfield, along with Congolese veterinarian Eddy Kambale and several park rangers, have walked an hour through community farmlands to the Virunga Massif park boundary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then endured another hour of steep climbing through thick rainforest vegetation to reach this troop of mountain gorillas. Now they move cautiously: the troop of eight includes three mature silverback males weighing up to 400 pounds each and one younger blackback male. The gorillas watch warily as the veterinarians approach.

“Gorillas are vegetarians, so silverbacks and blackbacks won’t attack you as food, but they’ll do what they have to do to protect their troop,” says Cranfield, co-director of Gorilla Doctors, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing gorillas back from the brink of extinction through life-saving veterinary medicine.

Read the entire story by Teresa Pitman on the Portico website.

A career in public health provides a wonderful opportunity to change the world.

This message from Dr. Peter Donnelly, keynote speaker at this year’s Master of Public Health (HPH) Public Health Forum was reiterated several times during his presentation as he discussed violence as a public health issue.

The forum on November 27 at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, was the seventh annual event that showcases the work done by MPH students in their summer practicum placements.

Donnelly, President and CEO, Public Health Ontario (PHO), brought examples of his experience in public health through his career in Scotland, previously as Professor of Public Health Medicine at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he established and led public health medicine research and teaching, and as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer to the Scottish government from 2004 to 2008.

“The worse the childhood, the more impact on adult health,” he said. He outlined a violence reduction strategy started in Scotland in 2005 by Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan and his fellow co-director Karyn McCluskey.

Both were dealing with families who had lost a son –one dead and the other going to prison for causing his death, said Donnelly. Carnochan and McCluskey began a strategy to treat violence as a public health issue and bring about a sustainable reduction in violence in the area.

Once someone has a criminal record, there are a whole lot of things they can’t do, said Donnelly. “As a society, we have to get smarter in how we deal with this.”

Dr. Andrew Papadopoulos, coordinator of the MPH program; Dr. Peter Donnelly, President and CEO, Public Health Ontario; Irene Chhay,  winner of the Dr. Robert Clarke Public Health Prize for the best MPH poster; Dr. Robert Clarke, DVM 1976; and Dr. Maureen Anderson, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and OVCAA representative.

The forum included posters and presentations by MPH students. A highlight was the presentation of the Dr. Robert Clarke Public Health Prize for best poster. This year’s winner was Irene Chhay for her poster presentation, “How should we target health promotion efforts? Mapping private well water samples in Waterloo Region, 2012-2014.” Chhay completed her summer 2015 practicum placement at the Region of Waterloo Public Health. Posters are assessed for context, objective and creativity, appearance and presentation, as well as contribution to the public health field.

The poster prize, which is sponsored by the OVC Alumni Association, is named in honour of Dr. Robert Clarke in 2012. Clarke, an OVC DVM 1976 graduate and 1985 PhD alumni in veterinary microbiology, is former deputy chief public health officer with Public Health Agency of Canada. He also held senior executive and research positions at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.

Before joining the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), I was familiar with the college’s extensive contributions to public health, including research into food safety, zoonotic pathogens and the diseases they cause, as well as its collaborations with local, provincial and federal agencies across the public health community. This past week allowed me the opportunity to find out more about OVC’s unique Master of Public Health (MPH) program.

The MPH program, coordinated by Dr. Andrew Papadopoulos, Associate Professor, and assisted by Dr. Scott McEwan and several other faculty and staff, annually attracts more than 10 applicants for every place offered. When I heard this statistic, I was intrigued, and thus I was very pleased when Andy invited me to open the 7th Annual Public Health Forum Day, this past Friday. I was so impressed with the quality and diversity of the work presented by students who completed their practicums this past summer.

Where does a Master in Public Health take you? Judging by the research on display at the forum, it takes you to a wide range of placements where students engage in solving real-world health issues relevant to many Canadians today as well as populations from around the world. This is a highly applied and pertinent qualification that consistently garners graduates meaningful and satisfying jobs in the preventive health sector.

The titles of the student presentations illustrated to me the diversity of public health challenges we encounter and the number of groups and agencies engaged in solving them. The topics ranged from topics familiar to veterinarians, such as rabies transmission, emerging vector borne diseases, and antibiotic resistance, as well as the important topics not usually dealt with at a veterinary college: long-term care and improving healthcare access for underserved populations. By choosing to pursue an MPH at the University of Guelph, these students have made a decision to be part of the solution for many of society’s most pressing health issues.

Special thanks go to the agencies that have welcomed our students for their placements. Thanks also to Dr. Peter Donnelly, President and CEO, Public Health Ontario (PHO), who gave a sobering but inspiring keynote address “Violence as a Public Health Issue”. His career is illustrative of the breadth and depth of contributions one can make to improve health with the type of training on display.

I have no doubt the MPH degree will open many exciting doors for these students, as they take their new skills and knowledge out into the community and act as strong ambassadors for the OVC University of Guelph program in public health.