One Health at Oklahoma State University: An all-around approach for health solutions
What is the One Health approach?
One Health refers to the recognition that the health of humans, animals and the environment is linked. It is a comprehensive framework that demands a collaborative approach to address health challenges that no single discipline can solve in isolation.
Three Interconnected Pillars
- Human Health: Addressing medical shortages, managing chronic diseases and pioneering therapies for emerging infections.
- Animal Health: Monitoring and treating diseases across the spectrum of livestock, small animals and wildlife populations.
- Environmental Health: Protecting the ecosystems, plants and natural resources that provide the essential foundation for all biological life — a critical component of addressing complex challenges, such as zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance and food safety.
Why One Health is better than an isolated approach
Traditional, isolated health strategies are no longer effective in a globalized world.
Contemporary threats — including pandemics and systemic environmental degradation — transcend national borders and disciplinary boundaries. An isolated approach fails to address the root causes of health crises that manifest at the intersection of these three pillars.
At Oklahoma State University, these traditional silos are dismantled through integrated research and clinical entities that unify the expertise of physicians, veterinarians and environmental scientists.
Historical Evolution
The concept has matured over two centuries, transitioning from "One Medicine" to "One World" before being codified as the "One Health" framework. Today, it serves as the global standard for managing the complex interplay between species and their shared habitats.
What makes One Health critical?
The following table synthesizes the primary global health challenges addressed by the One Health framework at OSU and beyond.
Global Challenge | Core One Health Intervention | Desired Outcome |
Zoonotic Disease Prevention | Proactive identification and mapping of disease hotspots by interdisciplinary teams (epidemiologists, veterinarians and ecologists) to monitor their spread (e.g., COVID-19, Ebola). | Early detection, rapid response and the curtailment of potential outbreaks before they achieve pandemic proportions. |
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) | Unified platform for health care professionals and researchers to advocate for the responsible use of antibiotics across clinical medicine and agriculture. | Preserving the long-term effectiveness of essential antibiotics and halting the dissemination of drug-resistant pathogens. |
Environmental Health | Integration of ecological considerations into public health policy to curb habitat destruction and pollution. | Creating resilient ecosystems and reducing the frequency of disease transmission triggered by environmental disruption. |
Food Safety and Security | Multisectoral "farm to fork" collaboration between agriculture and public health to monitor pathogens in livestock and water. | Ensuring universal access to a safe, nutritious and sustainable food supply chain. |
How does One Health look at OSU?
OSU operationalizes this framework through a powerful collaborative network that harnesses the specific competitive advantages of its core pillars:
- College of Veterinary Medicine: Focuses on animal wellness, equipping the state with experts in large livestock and small animal health to monitor disease at the animal source.
- Center for Health Sciences: Specializes in osteopathic medicine with a primary mission to serve rural, tribal and underserved populations.
- Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources: Manages food security and environmental resource management, ensuring that Oklahoma’s agricultural foundation remains sustainable.
- OSU Extension: Serves as the primary vehicle for community health, translating "farm to fork" research into actionable community practices across all 77 Oklahoma counties.
- Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute: Serves as a collaborative hub within OSU’s ecosystem, translating discoveries in nutrition, metabolism and human performance into practical strategies that improve health outcomes across Oklahoma. By connecting researchers, clinicians, agricultural scientists and community partners, HPNRI helps move One Health solutions from the laboratory to the field, the clinic and the community.
What research does OSU do with One Health?
OSU’s interdisciplinary projects utilize advanced laboratory capabilities to explore the molecular and ecological connections between species.
Toxicology: OSU researchers investigate how pollutants and chemical contaminants impact the biological health of plants, animals and humans simultaneously, providing a complete view of environmental toxicity.
Pathology: Scientific efforts are directed toward understanding of viruses and parasites at a molecular level, focusing specifically on the mechanisms of cross-species transmission to safeguard human and animal populations.
Nutrition: The Human Performance Nutrition and Research Institute harnesses cutting-edge nutrition science to develop therapies that mitigate health threats and optimize human performance statewide.
How does One Health impact Oklahoma?
OSU applies One Health principles to modernize health care delivery, specifically addressing the infrastructure needs of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable regions.
- Rural Health care Access: OSU is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report for the percentage of graduates practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas. This mission is bolstered by a $16 million HRSA grant dedicated to recruiting and training primary care physicians for rural, tribal and urban underserved communities.
- Tribal Sovereignty and Health: The landmark partnership between the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Cherokee Nation — honored by the Harvard Kennedy School — serves as a global model for delivering health care within sovereign tribal contexts.
- Establishing the OSU Academic Medical District: OSU Medicine is a key partner in establishing a new $550M district in downtown Tulsa for improved health care delivery to underserved populations. The district includes an expanded OSU Medical Center, new veterans and psychiatric hospitals and OSU Medicine clinics.
- Telehealth Platforms: OSU Medicine physicians utilize sophisticated telehealth technology to bridge distance gaps, delivering high-quality medical resources to remote areas where access is traditionally limited.
- Knowledge Sharing through Project ECHO: Oklahoma State University also utilizes the Project ECHO model to connect specialists with health professionals, educators and community practitioners across Oklahoma. Through virtual learning networks, OSU experts share evidence-based knowledge and best practices that strengthen local capacity to address health challenges in rural and underserved communities.
How does One Health impact the world?
OSU’s One Health model contributes significantly to global safety and international development goals.
Pandemic Preparedness: By integrating data from animal and human health sectors, OSU enhances the global ability to forecast and detect emerging threats. This proactive surveillance system identifies pathogens at the source, ensuring that Oklahoma — and the world — is prepared for rapid response.
Sustainable Development: OSU’s initiatives align with the United Nations goals for poverty reduction and environmental conservation. This is exemplified by DASNR’s commitment to sustainable agricultural practices, which protect natural resources while ensuring long-term food security and community resilience.
Knowledge Sharing and Innovation: The framework fosters a culture of innovation by pooling resources in genomics and molecular biology. OSU leverages this information to identify transmission pathways and develop interventions that are context-specific and globally applicable.
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11042131/
https://go.okstate.edu/campaigns/orange-is-the-answer/health.html