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Campus Bulletin

February 13, 2007

Former OVC Prof to Lead New Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses

A former Ontario Veterinary College professor is returning to Guelph as director of the new Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. Jan Sargeant will begin her appointment June 1, says OVC dean Elizabeth Stone.

“Dr. Sargeant brings with her a great deal of experience in the public health realm in Canada and the United States, and I look forward to her leadership as director of the centre,” says Stone.

Sargeant holds a DVM, M.Sc. and PhD from Guelph and is currently an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University.

Established in late 2006, the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses embodies the expanding role of veterinary medicine in protecting and enhancing the health of animals, people and the environment, says Stone.

The centre will co-ordinate the activities of a consortium of researchers from several OVC and U of G departments, as well as various government agencies. It will promote new collaborative research to solve problems in public health at the human/animal interface. The centre will also play a key role in OVC’s undergraduate and graduate programs, expanding the numbers of highly trained public health personnel.

“This will be a new and exciting venture for all members of our community as we continue to expand our critical involvement in public health,” says Stone.