Dr. Jan Sargeant, professor emerita in the Ontario Veterinary College, has been named president-elect of the Canadian Association of Health Sciences.
Sargeant will be only the second veterinarian to serve as president-elect on the CAHS executive since its founding in 2004.
“I am honored to serve as president-elect of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. The CAHS fellows represent a unique diversity of expertise across the health sciences, allowing for a truly One Health perspective,” said Sargeant, a retired professor of epidemiology in the Department of Population Medicine.
“I look forward to working with the CAHS executive and fellows to tackle the pressing health challenges of our time and work towards strategic solutions that benefit all.”
The CAHS brings together health science’s top minds along with scholars committed to making a positive impact on the urgent health concerns of Canadians. Its aim is to provide independently researched and evidence-based analyses to government and public groups, and to recommend strategic solutions.
“Dr. Sargeant’s appointment to the president-elect of CAHS is a source of great pride for our OVC community and the veterinary profession,” says OVC Dean Dr. Jeffrey Wichtel.
“As society grapples with serious challenges such as food insecurity, climate change, emerging diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, Dr. Sargeant will bring a rigorous, evidence-based One Health perspective to our efforts to safeguard the health of human and animal populations and our planet.”
Sargeant is the founding director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (CPHAZ) at U of G and held the role from 2007 to 2019.
In 2017, she became a fellow of the CAHS, considered one of the highest honours in the Canadian health sciences community. More recently, she has served on the CAHS executive committee.
Currently a director for the Association of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Sargeant’s research interests include zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals to people), microbial food safety, and evidence synthesis in veterinary medicine and public health.
The author or co-author of over 250 publications, Sargeant has been recognized as a global leader of systematic reviews and of research reporting guidelines in animal health, animal welfare and food safety.
Sargeant will take on the CAHS president-elect role for 2024 – 2025, followed by one year as president for 2025-2026.