Kansas City One Health Day

Vectors are living organisms, such as parasites, viruses and bacteria that transmit infectious pathogens between humans or from animals to humans. According to the World Health Organization, vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases causing over 700,000 deaths annually.

Many of these vectors are bloodsucking insects, such as mosquitos, ticks and fleas. These ingest disease-producing microorganisms from an infected host and later transmit them to a new host. While the burden of these diseases is highest in tropical and subtropical areas, all regions of the world are affected by these illnesses and disproportionately its poorest populations.

One Health Day is an international event every fall. It highlights and celebrates the complex interrelationships between human, animal and environmental health — called One Health.

Kansas City One Health Day is our local celebration. The annual event is a collaboration by K-State, BioNexus KC, the KU Edwards Campus and University of Kansas Medical Center.

2-3 p.m. | Registration and Students' Poster Viewing

3-5 p.m. | One Health Day Program

• Welcome
  Ben Wolfe, Ph.D., Dean and CEO — K-State Olathe
  Dennis Ridenour, CEO — BioNexus KC
  
  
• Overview of Vector Borne Diseases and Animal Health
  Brian Herrin, D.V.M., Ph.D. — K-State College of Veterinary Medicine
  
  
• Vector Borne Disease and Environmental Health
  Christopher Rogers, Ph.D. — KU, Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research
  
  
• Vector Borne Disease and Human Health
  Dr. Kellie Wark, M.D., M.P.H. — University of Kansas Medical Center
  
  
• Panel discussion | Questions and Answers with the Speaker
  Moderator: Dennis Ridenour, CEO — BioNexus KC
  
  
• Student Poster Awards and Closing Remarks
  Daniel Kennedy, Vice President — BioNexus KC
  Terri Woodburn, Ph.D., Program Director for Environmental Assessment PSM — KU Edwards
  

5-6 p.m. | Networking Reception and Students' Poster Viewing

Brian Herrin, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Brian Herrin is an associate professor at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He graduated from Oklahoma State University for both his D.V.M. and Ph.D. His current research focus is on the surveillance of vectorborne/emerging parasitic infections and the control of ticks and fleas on companion animals. Some of his recent interests are on early effects of isoxazolines on ticks and pathogen transmission, surveillance of wildlife for Echinococcus multilocularis and the surveillance flea-borne pathogens in home infestations. Although his research focus is mainly on ectoparasites, Herrin enjoys working with all parasites of veterinary importance through the diagnostic service at the KSVDL and teaching/outreach opportunities.

D. Christopher Rogers, Ph.D.

D. Christopher Rogers is an Associate Research Professor at the Kansas Biological Survey and The Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas. He completed his Ph.D (cum laude) at the University of New England, Australia. Rogers conducts the mosquito and tick borne disease surveillance for the State of Kansas and for the NEON program. Recently, he has been tracking the invasive mosquito Aedes japonicus as it expands its distribution into Kansas. He has discovered and described (to date) 50+ new species, genera and families of invertebrates from around the world. He has more than 200 peer reviewed publications on invertebrate zoology and he is editor for two scientific journals. He published a popular field guide to freshwater invertebrates, plus several technical manuals and is coediting a book series on the freshwater invertebrates of the world. Rogers has studied wetland invertebrates throughout the Americas and Caribbean, Australia, Asia, Europe and the Pacific Islands.

Dr. Kellie A. Wark, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Kellie Wark is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Wark completed her undergraduate, medical school, internal medicine residency and infectious fellowship education all at the University of Kansas. In addition to general infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance, Dr. Wark has interest in antibiotic stewardship and serves on KUMC's Antibiotic Stewardship committee, the ambulatory stewardship task force and is the chair of the antibiotic stewardship's vaccine task force.

Post-fellowship she pursued additional training in public health acquiring an MPH from George Washington University and has worked at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) in the Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Section. Dr. Wark is the Antibiotic Stewardship Lead at KDHE. Dr. Wark serves on the Kansas State Healthcare Associated Infections and Resistance Advisory Board as the antibiotic stewardship subcommittee leader, and is a member of the multi-drug resistant organism subcommittee.

She has developed many public health initiatives including co-chairing #KSFightsFlu — a collegiate flu campaign amongst Kansas colleges and universities in conjunction with Immunize Kansas Coalition and the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care. She has been the curriculum developer for statewide educational series targeting antibiotic stewardship and infection control in collaboration with the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative and the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, as well as an ECHO series targeting clinician awareness and diagnosis of local tick-borne diseases.