One Health

How many grams of feces does the average human excrete each day? That question—part of Erica Fuhrmeister’s first college research project as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University—might have sent some budding scientists running for the nearest liberal arts course.

Read the full UW news release Changes in our environment are creating new challenges: new disease patterns, threats to mental health, malnutrition and unpredictable natural disasters.

Jose Carmona, first author of the study and a DEOHS MPH alum, takes an environmental sample at a dairy farm.

Greta Gunning BS, Environmental Health Hometown Seattle, WA Future plans A career as a public health scientist, likely at a public agency “It was great to see how prioritizing relationships could make a meaningful impact in public health.” - Greta Gunning

Learn more about NWCOHS funding for DEOHS graduate students in Occupational Hygiene, One Health and Occupational & Environmental Medicine At the marine mammal hospital Sealife Response, Rehab and Research (SR3) in Des Moines, Washington, this fall has been a busy one: the facility has

The University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) programs are ranked No. 7 in the world, according to newly released rankings from US News & World Report’s Best Global Universities.

Last spring, a cohort of students in the UW Brotherhood Initiative toured Boeing sites in Everett and Renton with faculty members in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS).

A new UW study is inviting pet owners who test positive for monkeypox to also have their animals screened for the virus. The Monkeypox and Pets Study is accepting enrollees in King County. Owners of dogs, cats, ferrets, rats, mice and hamsters may participate. The study will not include reptiles or birds.

Vickie Ramirez jokes with colleagues that her jack-of-all-trades resume ranges from “assembling IKEA chairs to managing a global research center.” In fact, “other duties as assigned” only begins to capture the breadth and depth of Ramirez’s life experiences and skills:

Katy Burr MPH, One Health Hometown Seattle, WA Future plans Joining the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service program “I'm hopeful that my work will help to illuminate ways to keep people who work with animals safer at work.” - Katy Burr

Two international research projects co-led by researchers in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) were recently awarded Tier I pilot grants from the UW Population Health Initiative (PHI). The grants support researchers in laying an interdisciplinary foundation for a future project to generate proof of concept.

Marilyn Roberts still remembers the advice her father gave her when she headed off to college: “Do something so you can get a career.”

Editor’s note: Lily Myers is a second-year DEOHS master's student in Occupational Hygiene and a trainee in the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (part of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences). We recently spoke with Myers about her research at a Seattle-area marine mammal hospital.

Tianai (Scyler) Li BS, Environmental Health Hometown Hefei, China Future plans Starting veterinary school at Washington State University this fall. “Community health is important in terms of protecting every individual in the population. It’s like medicine, but for a whole population.”

Renée Codsi MPH, One Health Hometown Beirut, Lebanon Future plans Starting a PhD in Environmental & Occupational Health at DEOHS in the fall.

In a year like no other, DEOHS faculty, students and staff quickly pivoted to tackle new threats posed by the pandemic. We contributed to Washington state's COVID-19 response, showed the effectiveness of self-sampling for the virus and assessed impacts on essential workers—not to mention our furry friends.

DEOHS Professor Elaine Faustman

Apply now for our grad programs in environmental and occupational health! Learn more   My advice for incoming grad students: Use your master’s program to create the experience you want. You only have two years—make them yours, and make them count!

“When I explain my thesis project to people, they are always excited to hear about me working with marine animals,” Alexandria Vingino said. “And then I explain to them that I'm not really working with marine animals, I'm working with what’s in their poop.”

Madeline Benoit MPH, One Health Hometown Portland, OR Future plans Getting a job that serves and helps other people. In the meantime, you can find her at the barn!

Are our pets at risk for COVID-19? Recent reports of animals testing positive for the novel coronavirus—including a cat in Belgium, a dog in Hong Kong and, famously, a tiger in the Bronx Zoo—have pet owners worrying about their furry companions. Many also wonder whether pets can pass COVID-19 on to people.

  Herders with their horses in Mongolia.

Monday, March 28 opening reception Join us Monday, March 28, for the opening reception of Shifting the Focus: Stories of Homelessness With Our Animals. 4 to 6 pm at the UW School of Social Work, 4101 15th Ave NE, Seattle.

“Anything potentially pathogenic in their bodies is of grave concern.” –Marilyn Roberts For 17 days last summer, the world was riveted by the sight of one of Puget Sound’s southern resident killer whales carrying her dead calf in what seemed like an act of mourning before finally letting the calf go.

Support the One Health Clinic The UW Center for One Health Research is seeking new funding sources to sustain and expand the clinic. Make a gift: https://deohs.washington.edu/cohr/donate

Erica Grant climbed the steep lava slopes of Rwanda’s volcanic park and trekked through its dense rain forest to see some of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. What surprised her most wasn’t so much the great apes themselves, but how difficult it was for tourists to keep a safe distance away.

A UW research study looking at interactions between humans and monkeys in Nepal is focusing new attention on how potentially deadly strains of MRSA infection can be transmitted between them. The research highlights the health risks that can arise when humans and animals of all kinds—wild and domestic—come into close contact with each other.

Brianna Willis Master of Public Health, One Health Hometown Landstuhl, Germany Future plans A policy-focused career at an international health organization At age 10, Brianna Willis knew with absolute conviction that she wanted to be a veterinarian.

Veterinary workers, farm animal handlers, aquaculture workers and others who work closely with animals are at high risk for on-the-job injuries and illnesses. But when those workers need treatment for bites, scratches, kicks, exposure to infectious diseases or other workplace exposures, they currently have nowhere to turn for specialized care.

Dr. Erica Fuhrmeister is Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. She received her BS in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University and her MS and PhD in environmental engineering from University of California, Berkeley.