Research Overview
Our research program addresses three overarching questions: How do individuals perceive and respond to disease threats? What influences the decision to implement disease prevention and control measures? How can we better facilitate the uptake of evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes? Through our research, we aim to generate knowledge and resources to improve the health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment.
To learn more about our past research projects, please visit our Publications page.
Current Research Areas
Uptake of best management practices in the horse industry
The Ontario horse industry is an important contributor to the rural agricultural economy. We have several ongoing projects that aim to support horse health and welfare by improving the uptake of best management practices in the industry. We use mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approaches to better understand how horse industry members make decisions about their management practices, including biosecurity and other preventative healthcare measures. Additionally, we focus on improving the mobilization of equine research into practice to support evidence-based decision-making.
Collaborators: Risha Gupta (MSc student), Dr. Terri O’Sullivan (University of Guelph), Dr. Amy Greer (Trent University), Dr. Alison Moore (OMAFA).
Funding: Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance
Biosecurity use within Ontario’s agricultural sectors
We have several projects relating to biosecurity implementation among Ontario’s agricultural sector. Our focus areas are currently Ontario’s sheep and goat sectors and urban (“backyard”) small flock producers. Biosecurity is an essential component of on-farm management and can help reduce the risk of pathogens spreading between and within farms. Additionally, many pathogens of concern are zoonotic (spread between humans and animals), meaning that biosecurity measures can reduce the risk of pathogen spread to producers. This research uses mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approaches to explore factors associated with biosecurity uptake among producers. We will also examine the effectiveness of current communication strategies regarding biosecurity, with the goal of identifying areas for improvement.
Collaborators: Juliet Germann (PhD Candidate), Breanne Murray (PhD Candidate), Dr. Charlotte Winder (University of Guelph), Delma Kennedy (OMAFA), Dr. Angie Wilson (OMAFA), Dr. Amy Greer (Trent University), Dr. Katherine Paphitis (Public Health Ontario), Dr. Lauren Grant (University of Guelph).
Funding: Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, Ontario Goat, Ontario Sheep Farmers, Saputo Inc., Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Livestock Innovation Research Council (LRIC).
Preventing tick bites and tick-borne diseases among pets
Tick bites and exposure to tick-borne diseases are a growing health concern for pets and pet caregivers. Using a One Health approach, we aim to explore the main motivators for, and barriers to, the use of tick prevention measures among caregivers. We use mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approaches to better understand pet caregivers’ decisions to use (or not use) tick prevention measures and how these choices influence the human-animal bond. We aim to collaborate with key decision-makers, including pet caregivers, veterinarians, and other healthcare providers to reduce the risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases for pets and humans.
Collaborators: Sarah Makepeace (MSc Student), Ivana Blagojevic (PhD Student), Dr. Katie Clow (University of Guelph), Dr. Lauren Grant (University of Guelph), Dr. Jason Coe (University of Guelph)
Funding: OVC Pet Trust
Mitigating pathogen risks during human-animal interactions
Animal-assisted activities provide wide-ranging benefits to human health and well-being. However, research on the use of animals in end-of-life care settings (e.g., residential hospices and palliative care units) is almost non-existent, as are evidence-based policies, best practices, and guidelines to mitigate the risks to humans and animals. This research focuses on the epidemiological considerations of animal visits in end-of-life care settings. We will investigate perceptions of risks associated with human-animal interactions and infection prevention and control practices in residential hospice contexts. Through this work, we hope to contribute to the development of evidence-based policies, guidelines, and best practices for mitigating risks to animals supporting human populations.
Collaborators: Peggy Pritchard (PhD Candidate), Dr. Scott Weese (University of Guelph), Dr. Jason Coe (University of Guelph), Dr. Lauren Van Patter (University of Guelph).
Funding: N/A
