Committees

AB OSTERHAUS, Professor of Wildlife Virology and Virus Discovery, Hannover, Germany 

Professor Osterhaus has been Head of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus MC Rotterdam until 2014, is currently Director of the Center of Infection Medicine and Zoonosis Research and Guest-Professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. He has a long track record as a scientific researcher and Principal Investigator of numerous major scientific projects. At Erasmus MC, Professor Osterhaus has run a diagnostic virology lab with more than 40 staff and a research virology lab with over 150 personnel. His research programme follows a novel integrated “viroscience” concept, bringing together world- leading scientists in molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and intervention studies on human and animal virus infections. Among the major accomplishments are the discovery of more than 70 new viruses of humans and animals (e.g. human metapneumovirus, coronaviruses and influenza viruses), elucidation of the pathogenesis of major human and animal virus infections, and development of novel intervention strategies. This has enabled health authorities like the WHO to effectively combat disease outbreaks like SARS and avian influenza. The spin-offs, Viroclinics-DDL, Vironovative and CR2O, together employing more than 500 people, allow effective testing and refining of diagnostic tools and other intervention strategies and illustrate additional societally relevant successes. The international recognition of Professor Osterhaus is further highlighted by major prizes, guest lecture invitations, (co-)organiserships of international meetings and editorships of scientific journals. 

Professor Osterhaus has acted as mentor for more than 85 PhD students and holds several key patents. He is also the author of more than 1360 papers in peer-reviewed journals, together cited 90,000 times, with an H index 130. He is inventor on many patents and has been Chair of the European Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) for the past decades and is presently chair of the Global One Health Commission. He organised numerous international scientific conferences on influenza and other emerging infections, and received numerous prestigious awards. He holds several senior editorships and is Chief Editor of One Health Outlook, a newly established journal of the Springer-Nature group. He is member of the Dutch and German National Academies of Sciences, member of the Belgium Academia of Medicine, and Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

JOHN MACKENZIE, Emeritus Professor, Curtin University, Australia - formerly Professor of Tropical Infectious Diseases 

John Mackenzie has an outstanding international reputation in the field of virology and its impacts on public health. He was formerly Professor of Microbiology at The University of Queensland prior to his appointment to Curtin University. He has received a number of international awards for his research, including the inaugural Mahathir Science Award by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia for scientific excellence in recognition of his contributions and innovations towards solving problems in the tropics through science and technology, and the inaugural Premier’s Research Fellowship of the Science Council of Western Australia. He served as Secretary-General of the International Union of Microbiological Societies from 1999 to 2005, and as President of the Australian Society for Microbiology from 1992-1994. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and of the American Academy of Microbiology, and was awarded the decoration of Officer in the Order of Australia for service to microbiology research, particularly as a leading contributor to the understanding of the genetics, pathogenesis and public health implications of viruses, and to education. He led the World Health Organisation (WHO) mission into China seeking information on SARS in 2003 and in 2009-2010, he chaired the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Influenza H1N1, and is currently a member of the Emergency Committees on Polio and COVID-19. In 2021, he was appointed to membership of the quadripartite FAO-UNEP-WHO-WOAH One Health High Level Expert Panel. For many years Prof. Mackenzie was a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and the Asia-Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases. With regional colleagues, he co-founded the Asia Pacific Society for Medical Virology. He has published widely on various viruses, especially vector-borne viruses and emerging zoonotic viruses, and has a Google Scholar ’h’ index of 73 from 21,130 citations.

Dominique Charron is a Visiting Scholar in One Health at the University of Guelph where she contributes to developing research and education in One Health, with a focus on the science-to-policy interface. She is the Rapporteur of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel that advises the Quadripartite International organizations, and a director of the McEachran Institute, a think tank focused on veterinary education. Previously, she was Vice-President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and also led research programs in food security, climate adaptation, Global Health and Ecohealth. While at the Public Health Agency of Canada, she engaged in international cooperation with Caribbean developing countries. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Guelph.

Dr. Jomana Musmar is a distinguished global policy expert and result-oriented leader with decades of intimate government experience within the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Defense (DoD), and Agriculture (USDA). She excels in cross-functional coordination, strategic planning, operational design, and policy execution. Dr. Musmar is the Founder of Advisors of Global Health (AGH), a consulting firm specializing in government and external affairs, policy and product development, and coalition building. She also Co-Founded and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Antimicrobial Strategic Coalition (ASC), an independent organization that leads cross-sector coordination to establish a unified stance on US-based policy positions on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) across the One Health spectrum. Dr. Musmar concurrently serves as Leadership Council Member at The National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE), on several global AMR planning committees including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol in the UK. 

Renowned for simplifying complex topics with expertise and diplomacy, Dr. Musmar has spearheaded innovative solutions to global One Health challenges, shaped impactful policies, and advanced national and international missions. As the Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) for over a decade, she first established and led the PACCARB's operations liaising with over 600 experts in human, animal, and environmental domains across government, industry, and academia. Her efforts culminated in the development of critical recommendations addressing AMR and interrelated One Health issues, influencing both domestic and global health strategies. 

In her tenure as Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy within the Office of the Secretary at HHS, Dr. Musmar oversaw the formulation and implementation of national health strategies for vaccines and a range of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, and the regulatory policies that govern them. Her leadership and technical expertise facilitated the development of interagency and executive level task forces and streamlined implementation of operations during national emergencies, including responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and initiatives to combat congenital syphilis and childhood vaccination disruptions. 

Dr. Musmar holds a Ph.D. in Biodefense and International Security from George Mason University, a Master's degree in Biomedical Science policy and Advocacy from Georgetown University, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Fluent in English and Arabic, she is a sought-after speaker and advisor, having represented the United States at premier global health conferences. Her published works on AMR, pandemic preparedness, and national health security policy underscore her reputation as a thought leader and innovator in public health and biodefense.

AB OSTERHAUS, Professor of Wildlife Virology and Virus Discovery, Hannover, Germany 

Professor Osterhaus has been Head of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus MC Rotterdam until 2014, is currently Director of the Center of Infection Medicine and Zoonosis Research and Guest-Professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. He has a long track record as a scientific researcher and Principal Investigator of numerous major scientific projects. At Erasmus MC, Professor Osterhaus has run a diagnostic virology lab with more than 40 staff and a research virology lab with over 150 personnel. His research programme follows a novel integrated “viroscience” concept, bringing together world- leading scientists in molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and intervention studies on human and animal virus infections. Among the major accomplishments are the discovery of more than 70 new viruses of humans and animals (e.g. human metapneumovirus, coronaviruses and influenza viruses), elucidation of the pathogenesis of major human and animal virus infections, and development of novel intervention strategies. This has enabled health authorities like the WHO to effectively combat disease outbreaks like SARS and avian influenza. The spin-offs, Viroclinics-DDL, Vironovative and CR2O, together employing more than 500 people, allow effective testing and refining of diagnostic tools and other intervention strategies and illustrate additional societally relevant successes. The international recognition of Professor Osterhaus is further highlighted by major prizes, guest lecture invitations, (co-)organiserships of international meetings and editorships of scientific journals. 

Professor Osterhaus has acted as mentor for more than 85 PhD students and holds several key patents. He is also the author of more than 1360 papers in peer-reviewed journals, together cited 90,000 times, with an H index 130. He is inventor on many patents and has been Chair of the European Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) for the past decades and is presently chair of the Global One Health Commission. He organised numerous international scientific conferences on influenza and other emerging infections, and received numerous prestigious awards. He holds several senior editorships and is Chief Editor of One Health Outlook, a newly established journal of the Springer-Nature group. He is member of the Dutch and German National Academies of Sciences, member of the Belgium Academia of Medicine, and Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

JOHN MACKENZIE, Emeritus Professor, Curtin University, Australia - formerly Professor of Tropical Infectious Diseases 

John Mackenzie has an outstanding international reputation in the field of virology and its impacts on public health. He was formerly Professor of Microbiology at The University of Queensland prior to his appointment to Curtin University. He has received a number of international awards for his research, including the inaugural Mahathir Science Award by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia for scientific excellence in recognition of his contributions and innovations towards solving problems in the tropics through science and technology, and the inaugural Premier’s Research Fellowship of the Science Council of Western Australia. He served as Secretary-General of the International Union of Microbiological Societies from 1999 to 2005, and as President of the Australian Society for Microbiology from 1992-1994. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and of the American Academy of Microbiology, and was awarded the decoration of Officer in the Order of Australia for service to microbiology research, particularly as a leading contributor to the understanding of the genetics, pathogenesis and public health implications of viruses, and to education. He led the World Health Organisation (WHO) mission into China seeking information on SARS in 2003 and in 2009-2010, he chaired the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Influenza H1N1, and is currently a member of the Emergency Committees on Polio and COVID-19. In 2021, he was appointed to membership of the quadripartite FAO-UNEP-WHO-WOAH One Health High Level Expert Panel. For many years Prof. Mackenzie was a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and the Asia-Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases. With regional colleagues, he co-founded the Asia Pacific Society for Medical Virology. He has published widely on various viruses, especially vector-borne viruses and emerging zoonotic viruses, and has a Google Scholar ’h’ index of 73 from 21,130 citations.

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Full professor with over 43years of experience dedicated to the surveillance, diagnosis, and mitigation of environmental health threatsin temperate and tropical environments. An advocate and practitioner of the One Health approach, integrating expertise in water quality, includingmicrobiology andpublic health,to understand and address the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health. Combines rigorous academic research with a strong commitment to community engagement and science communication.

CAREER HISTORY & ONE HEALTH LEADERSHIP

Present | Full Professor of Ecology, Microbial Ecology,Tropical Health | ICBAS, University of Porto, Portugal

• Leads the One Health Office, fostering collaboration betweenecologists, veterinarians, and medical doctors.
• Principal Investigator (PI) on projects assessing antibiotic resistance dissemination in aquatic environments at the human-animal-environment interfaceandon cholera dynamics in Africa.
• Population Studies Department Director | ICBAS, University of Porto, Portugal
• Advisor on EU Bathing Water Directive compliance, bridging regulatory science with public health outcomes.

KEY ONE HEALTH RESEARCH INTERESTS & EXPERTISE

• Integrated Pathogen Surveillance: Tracking fecal indicator bacteria, viruses, and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) genes in watersheds impacted by urban, agricultural, and wildlife inputs.
• Shellfish Safety & Zoonotic Risk: Investigating contamination in bivalve mollusks (a critical food chain link between environment and human health) and its implications for gastroenteritis.
• Climate Change & Waterborne Diseases: Studying how extreme weather events (floods, droughts) influence pathogen dynamics and human exposure risks.
• Diagnostic Tool Development: Creating rapid, culture-independent methods for pathogen detection in water, animals, and food matrices.
• Science-Policy Interface: Translating environmental microbiology data into actionable guidance for water safety management, protecting human and animal populations.

SELECTED ONE HEALTH-FOCUSED PUBLICATIONS (from >130 peer-reviewed articles)

1. Bordalo, A.A., et al. (2023). Antibiotic Resistance Genes in an Urban River: A One Health Perspective from Source to Estuary. Science of the Total Environment.
2. Bordalo, A.A., & Savva-Bordalo, J. (2021). The One Health Lens: A Missing Link in Coastal Recreational Water Quality Monitoring. Journal of Environmental Management.
3. Bordalo, A.A. (2018). Microbial Contamination of Shellfish: A Two-Decade Perspective from a One Health Viewpoint. Book Chapter in Shellfish Safety and Quality.
4. Bordalo, A.A., et al. (2015). Fecal Pollution in Waters: Linking Sources to Human Health Risks in a Multi-Use Coastal Environment. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

Alice Matos is a veterinarian and public health professional whose work focuses on veterinary workforce development, education, and One Health. She is currently a Veterinary Public Health Resident at The Ohio State University, where she is also completing a Master of Public Health with specializations in Veterinary Public Health and Global Health. Her career reflects a commitment to strengthening veterinary services, improving community health, and advancing collaborative, systemsoriented approaches to public health challenges. 

Alice works across Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Thailand, where she contributes to initiatives focused on aligning veterinary curricula with the WOAH Day-1 Competencies and local needs and resources. Her roles have included co-organizing intersectoral workshops with representatives from academia, government, and the private sector; contributing to the Veterinary Education National Action Plan in Ethiopia; supporting the development of curriculum-related action plans in colleges of the Philippines and Thailand; and creating guidance documents for data management and stretegic planning. She has also supported training efforts by developing discussion guides and facilitators’ manuals, and by training data management teams, facilitators, and notetakers to improve the quality and efficiency of stakeholderdriven workshops, enabling them to apply the methodology independently. Beyond her academic work, Alice has been deeply involved with Veterinários Sem Fronteiras (VSF) Portugal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health by enhancing animal health. 

She served as President from 2023 to 2025 and remains an active member, supporting volunteer coordination, grant development, budgeting, and community education for one health. Earlier, Alice worked as a veterinary surgeon with CoVets in Cape Verde, performing neuter/spay surgeries, developing GIS-based surveys, and delivering educational programs for children. She also gained laboratory and research experience on antimicrobial resistance through her master’s project on ESBL-producing bacteria in dogs from Cape Verde. Later, she worked with PANAFTOSA/PAHO, compiling and analyzing regional echinococcosis data from ministries of agriculture and health in Latin America. Alice has presented her research at national and international conferences and authored peer-reviewed publications. 

Passionate about global health, Alice focuses on curriculum development, program evaluation, and capacity building, and is a strong advocate for clear, actionable, and well-organized technical documentation to ensure project efficiency and impact. She works effectively in cross-cultural settings and communicates across languages and sectors. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga and traveling, and takes on most challenges as long as they come with a large cup of coffee.

I am the coordinating investigator of the Medical Parasitology Unit at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon (IHMT/UNL). I hold a PhD in Biology from the University of Lisbon (1997) and a Habilitation in Biomedical Sciences – Parasitology from UNL (2011). From 2014 to 2017, I was an invited professor at the University of Lúrio in Mozambique.

I teach and coordinate Master’s courses in Medical Parasitology and Biomedical Sciences at IHMT/UNL and contribute to other postgraduate programs in Portuguese-speaking countries. I also participate in several PhD programs and help organize short specialized courses in Mozambique and Cape Verde. In recent years, I have supervised postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and numerous Master’s students.

My research focuses on parasite–vector interactions, using systems biology approaches—including proteomics, transcriptomics, functional genomics, and immunoinformatics—to identify vaccine candidates and drug targets for diseases such as malaria, babesiosis, and theileriosis. My team has characterized arthropod transcriptomes and proteomes and tested new antigens in vaccination trials.

Over the past decade, I have developed several funded projects and published 105 peer-reviewed scientific papers. I serve on editorial boards of journals such as Scientific Reports, Frontiers, and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Since 2021, I have been a member of the Scientific Commission of the In Vivo Arthropod Security Facility (VIASEF). I served on the scientific committee of the TTP11 congress and will organize the upcoming TTP-12. I am also a member of the IHMT Scientific Council and the General Council of NOVA University of Lisbon.

Carlos Gonçalo das Neves, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) 

Professor Carlos Gonçalo das Neves is a distinguished expert in veterinary sciences, public health, and One Health, with extensive experience in animal health, food safety, wildlife diseases, and emerging zoonotic threats. He currently serves as Chief Scientist at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), where he joined the senior management team in 2022, contributing to science-based policy and governance at the European level. 

Professor das Neves is deeply engaged in global One Health governance. He was appointed co-chair of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) in 2024 and serves as a commissioner of The Lancet One Health Commission. He is a member of the Global One Health Network and the One Sustainable Health Forum, and contributed as a lead author to the IPBES “Nexus” report addressing biodiversity, food, water, and health interlinkages. He is also active in wildlife health initiatives, including the IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group. 

A Portuguese and Norwegian citizen, Professor das Neves combines a strong academic background with high-level policy and advisory experience. He holds a Doctorate in Veterinary Sciences from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences, a DVM from the Technical University of Lisbon, and postgraduate qualifications in Public Health (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and Public Policy (London School of Economics). He is also a specialist of the European College of Zoological Medicine. 

Prior to EFSA, Professor das Neves held leadership roles at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, including Director of Research and Internationalisation, Head of Virology, and Head of Food Safety & Emerging Threats. He was a Full Professor at The Arctic University of Norway and chaired the Wildlife Population Health Specialty of the European College of Zoological Medicine. He also served as President of the Wildlife Disease Association and contributed as an animal welfare and health specialist to the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Additionally, he held a diplomatic role as Honorary Consul of Portugal in Norway. 

Throughout his career, Professor das Neves has led national and international research projects, published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and books, and is recognized for advancing knowledge at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health.

• Veterinary Surgeon
• Associate Professor of the Integrated Master's Degree in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Évora
• Member of the Professional and Deontological Council of the Portuguese Veterinary Association
• Member of Veterinarians Without Borders - Portugal
• One Health Lessons Ambassador 

2016-2023 – Vice-President of the Southern Regional Council of the Portuguese Veterinary Association 

2019/2021 - Animal Genetic Resources (DGAV – Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary) 

1997/98 – Technical Secretary at the Association of English Thoroughbred Breeders of Portugal 

1993/98 – Small animal private practice Areas of interest: Anesthesiology One Health Zoobiquity/Comparative medicine Citizen science. Civic and community participation. 

Married, three children and 1 dog. Email: [email protected]

I am both a human nurse and a veterinarian with a special interest in zoonoses and One Health integrative approaches. Since achieving a Master in Conservation Biology and a PhD in Veterinary Sciences (Virology) I have worked mainly in research and diagnostics, community projects, and lecturing Public Health, Preventive Medicine and themes related to One Health. Recently, I graduated as EUPHEM (ECDC epidemiology field training programme, focusing on Public Health Microbiology), and am a final year resident of the European College of Veterinary Public Health.

Currently, I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Évora, lecturing Epidemiological Surveillance and Public Health (MSc in Veterinary Medicine); and, as a committee member of the MSc in One Health, I lecture Zoonosis and Food Safety, and One Health (Concept and case-studies).

Since 2006, I have been a member of the Veterinarians without Borders-Portugal, collaborating in projects for animal health and public health empowerment mostly in African countries, fostering healthy environments and sustainable practices. As a NEOH member, I have participated in project proposals (for One Health-based funding calls), and contributed to a One Health manual for undergraduate audiences (Principles of One Health for a better planet | CABI Books).

My working network is quite diverse and branches from African to Latin American colleagues, contacting with social sciences experts and ecologists, and gaining experience with fellow health colleagues from difference settings. And, within PREZODE initiative, as part of working groups, I contribute to awareness and prevention strategies actions.

I am driven to enhance literacy, building capacity and to promote harmonised practices, especially in the field of zoonotic diseases, via multisectoral and collaborative efforts, enabling sustainable, equitable and better health for all, forged by durable partnerships among diverse sectors toward common goals in a One Health paradigm.

Contact:

[email protected] 

linkedin.com/in/margsimoes

Ricardo Mexia is a Public Health Doctor and a Field Epidemiologist working mostly in infectious disease surveillance.

He is currently a Member of the ECDC Advisory Forum, the EU Health Task Force Advisory Group and of HERA Civil Society Forum (representing EUPHA).

He is based at the Epidemiology Department of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA). He works mostly in Surveillance systems and Preparedness. His experience ranges from International projects (EPHESUS, PANDEM2, EuroCigua2) to national surveillance systems (Gripenet, EVITA). He also has been involved in Mass Gathering Surveillance at national (BOOM Festival, Rock in Rio, Sónar, and others) and international events (Pope visit to Fátima 2017, Eurovision 2018, Websummit 2018, World Youth Day 2023).

Ricardo holds a Medical Degree (MD) from the New University of Lisboa, a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the National School of Public Health and a Healthcare Management Degree from the Catholic University of Portugal. For 2 years he worked in Oslo, at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, graduating from the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET).

He teaches at the Medical Faculty of University of Lisboa, Católica Medical School , and at Universidade Atlântica.

He was the President of the Portuguese Association of Public Health Doctors (ANMSP) 2016-2022, and President of the Infectious Disease Control Section of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA-IDC).He also served as president of ANEM (National Federation of Medical Students), Secretary General of PWG (European Federation of Junior Doctors) and as Vice President of EAN (EPIET Alumni Network). Was a member of the General Secretariat of SIM (Portuguese Medical Union) and was member of the Executive Board of the Ordem dos Médicos (Portuguese Medical Association).

Prof. Ricardo J. Soares Magalhaes LMV, MSc, PhD, DiplECVPH 

Ricardo Soares Magalhães is a global health expert specializing in the spatial epidemiology of zoonotic diseases. He is Professor of Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology and Biosecurity at the University of Queensland, and Director of the Queensland Alliance of One Health Sciences at the University of Queensland. His research work focuses on developing geospatial models to understand determinants of disease distribution, with a strong focus on uncovering the role of climate hazards on Biosecurity vulnerabilities to zoonoses. Internationally, he serves as Technical Advisor to the WHO Southeast Asia Regional Office and the World Bank on the development of protocols for integrated disease surveillance and prioritisation of climate-sensitive high-impact zoonotic pathogens. He is also the co-Chair and Oceania representative on the Scientific Steering Committee of the global initiative on Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE).

Dr Amina Benyahia is currently the Head a.i. of the WHO One Health Initiative where she leads, inter alia, the coordination and management of the Quadripartite secretariat, the development and implementation of the One Health Joint Plan of Action, the scientific advice of the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) and the provision of strategic and coordinated use of the One Health approach in the Organization’s work. She has been working in global health with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2002. Her twenty-two years of global health activities include extensive experience in communicable diseases preparedness and response under the international Regulation framework (IHR 2005), foodborne AMR, food safety, One Health, and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

I am the coordinating investigator of the Medical Parasitology Unit at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon (IHMT/UNL). I hold a PhD in Biology from the University of Lisbon (1997) and a Habilitation in Biomedical Sciences – Parasitology from UNL (2011). From 2014 to 2017, I was an invited professor at the University of Lúrio in Mozambique.

I teach and coordinate Master’s courses in Medical Parasitology and Biomedical Sciences at IHMT/UNL and contribute to other postgraduate programs in Portuguese-speaking countries. I also participate in several PhD programs and help organize short specialized courses in Mozambique and Cape Verde. In recent years, I have supervised postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and numerous Master’s students.

My research focuses on parasite–vector interactions, using systems biology approaches—including proteomics, transcriptomics, functional genomics, and immunoinformatics—to identify vaccine candidates and drug targets for diseases such as malaria, babesiosis, and theileriosis. My team has characterized arthropod transcriptomes and proteomes and tested new antigens in vaccination trials.

Over the past decade, I have developed several funded projects and published 105 peer-reviewed scientific papers. I serve on editorial boards of journals such as Scientific Reports, Frontiers, and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Since 2021, I have been a member of the Scientific Commission of the In Vivo Arthropod Security Facility (VIASEF). I served on the scientific committee of the TTP11 congress and will organize the upcoming TTP-12. I am also a member of the IHMT Scientific Council and the General Council of NOVA University of Lisbon.

Carlos Gonçalo das Neves, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) 

Professor Carlos Gonçalo das Neves is a distinguished expert in veterinary sciences, public health, and One Health, with extensive experience in animal health, food safety, wildlife diseases, and emerging zoonotic threats. He currently serves as Chief Scientist at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), where he joined the senior management team in 2022, contributing to science-based policy and governance at the European level. 

Professor das Neves is deeply engaged in global One Health governance. He was appointed co-chair of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) in 2024 and serves as a commissioner of The Lancet One Health Commission. He is a member of the Global One Health Network and the One Sustainable Health Forum, and contributed as a lead author to the IPBES “Nexus” report addressing biodiversity, food, water, and health interlinkages. He is also active in wildlife health initiatives, including the IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group. 

A Portuguese and Norwegian citizen, Professor das Neves combines a strong academic background with high-level policy and advisory experience. He holds a Doctorate in Veterinary Sciences from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences, a DVM from the Technical University of Lisbon, and postgraduate qualifications in Public Health (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and Public Policy (London School of Economics). He is also a specialist of the European College of Zoological Medicine. 

Prior to EFSA, Professor das Neves held leadership roles at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, including Director of Research and Internationalisation, Head of Virology, and Head of Food Safety & Emerging Threats. He was a Full Professor at The Arctic University of Norway and chaired the Wildlife Population Health Specialty of the European College of Zoological Medicine. He also served as President of the Wildlife Disease Association and contributed as an animal welfare and health specialist to the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Additionally, he held a diplomatic role as Honorary Consul of Portugal in Norway. 

Throughout his career, Professor das Neves has led national and international research projects, published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and books, and is recognized for advancing knowledge at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health.

Professor Daniel Bausch, MD, MPH&TM, FASTMH, is an internationally recognized leader in global health research, outbreak response, education, and programme implementation. He is trained in internal medicine, infectious diseases, tropical medicine, and public health. Professor Bausch specializes in the control of emerging tropical diseases, with over 25 years’ experience in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia combating viruses such as Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, hantavirus, and SARS coronaviruses. 

He currently holds appointments as a Visiting Professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute, National University of Singapore, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Previously he held leadership positions as the Senior Advisor for Global Health Security at FIND (Geneva, Switzerland), Director of the United Kingdom Public Health Rapid Support Team (London, UK), Technical Lead of the Epidemic Clinical Management Team at the World Health Organisation (Geneva, Switzerland), Chief of the Virology and Emerging Infections Department at U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (Lima, Peru), Professor at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (New Orleans, USA), and Medical Officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, USA). 

He is a past President and Scientific Program Chair of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Professor Bausch places a strong emphasis on capacity development in all his projects and has a keen interest in the role of the scientist in promoting health and human rights, striving to ensure that biomedical advances reach and translate to better health for those most in need. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Dominique Charron is a Visiting Scholar in One Health at the University of Guelph where she contributes to developing research and education in One Health, with a focus on the science-to-policy interface. She is the Rapporteur of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel that advises the Quadripartite International organizations, and a director of the McEachran Institute, a think tank focused on veterinary education. Previously, she was Vice-President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and also led research programs in food security, climate adaptation, Global Health and Ecohealth. While at the Public Health Agency of Canada, she engaged in international cooperation with Caribbean developing countries. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Guelph.

Dr. Lipkin has over 30 years of experience in diagnostics, microbial discovery and outbreak response. He has mentored and trained over 30 students and post-doctoral fellows and leads a workforce of over 65 principal investigators, post-doctoral fellows and research and support staff with expertise in sample and database management, bioinformatics, neurology_biostatistics, diagnostics, molecular biology, experimental pathology, serology, culture, animal models, and staged strategies for efficient pathogen discovery and proof of causation.

In the 1980s, Dr. Lipkin identified AIDS-associated immunological abnormalities and inflammatory neuropathy, which he showed could be treated with plasmapheresis, and demonstrated that early life exposure to viral infections affects neurotransmitter function. Dr. Lipkin was the first to use purely molecular methods to identify infectious agents. In 1999, he identified West Nile virus as the cause of encephalitis in North America. He developed MassTag PCR and Greenechip technology, two multiplex assays that have been used to identify and characterize more than 400 viruses, and was the first to use high throughput sequencing for pathogen discovery. In 2003, Dr. Lipkin established the Norwegian Autism Birth Cohort (ABC), the largest prospective birth cohort devoted to investigating gene-environment-timing interactions and biomarker discovery.

Dr. Lipkin serves as co-chair of the Steering Committee of the National neurology_biosurveillance Advisory Subcommittee and as Director of the Northeast Biodefense Center and the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Diagnostics, Surveillance and Immunotherapeutics for Emerging Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases, the only academic WHO Center focused on diagnostics and discovery. He has ongoing collaborations and projects with the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, USAID PREDICT, US Department of Agriculture, US Food and Drug Administration, Agilent Technologies, Pfizer, Roche 454 Life Sciences, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google.org, Institut Pasteur, and OneHealth Alliance.

His honors include the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Young Investigator Award, Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences, Distinguished Lecturer of the Nation Center for Infectious Diseases, Honorary and Founding Director of the Beijing Center for Infectious Diseases, Fellow of the American Society for Microbiology, Fellow of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Member of the Association of American Physicians. He has been featured by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Discover Magazine, Nature Medicine, the History Channel, National Geographic, National Public Radio, Wired, the Huffington Post, This Week in Virology, WNYC, and Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film Contagion.

Dr. Jomana Musmar is a distinguished global policy expert and result-oriented leader with decades of intimate government experience within the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Defense (DoD), and Agriculture (USDA). She excels in cross-functional coordination, strategic planning, operational design, and policy execution. Dr. Musmar is the Founder of Advisors of Global Health (AGH), a consulting firm specializing in government and external affairs, policy and product development, and coalition building. She also Co-Founded and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Antimicrobial Strategic Coalition (ASC), an independent organization that leads cross-sector coordination to establish a unified stance on US-based policy positions on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) across the One Health spectrum. Dr. Musmar concurrently serves as Leadership Council Member at The National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE), on several global AMR planning committees including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol in the UK. 

Renowned for simplifying complex topics with expertise and diplomacy, Dr. Musmar has spearheaded innovative solutions to global One Health challenges, shaped impactful policies, and advanced national and international missions. As the Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) for over a decade, she first established and led the PACCARB's operations liaising with over 600 experts in human, animal, and environmental domains across government, industry, and academia. Her efforts culminated in the development of critical recommendations addressing AMR and interrelated One Health issues, influencing both domestic and global health strategies. 

In her tenure as Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy within the Office of the Secretary at HHS, Dr. Musmar oversaw the formulation and implementation of national health strategies for vaccines and a range of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, and the regulatory policies that govern them. Her leadership and technical expertise facilitated the development of interagency and executive level task forces and streamlined implementation of operations during national emergencies, including responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and initiatives to combat congenital syphilis and childhood vaccination disruptions. 

Dr. Musmar holds a Ph.D. in Biodefense and International Security from George Mason University, a Master's degree in Biomedical Science policy and Advocacy from Georgetown University, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Fluent in English and Arabic, she is a sought-after speaker and advisor, having represented the United States at premier global health conferences. Her published works on AMR, pandemic preparedness, and national health security policy underscore her reputation as a thought leader and innovator in public health and biodefense.

Jonathan Rushton is an agricultural economist who specialises in the economics of animal health and food systems. He has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas over the last 35 years.

His principal research interests are the: Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) where he directs a global programme co-led in phase II with WOAH (founded as OIE) (https://animalhealthmetrics.org); economics of antimicrobial use and resistance in livestock; and assessment of the multidimensionality of food quality and public health. He is involved in the EU funded projects: ROADMAP (https://www.roadmap-h2020.eu) on the economics and social sciences of antimicrobial use in livestock; DECIDE (https://decideproject.eu) on data-driven approached for the prioritisation and control of non-regulated diseases and VIVACE (https://vivace.hub.inrae.fr/) a project that will train a new generation of scientists to assess the biological, social and economic impacts of HPAI vaccination. Jonathan embraces One Health approaches in the search for solutions to society’s health problems.

Between 2006 and 2008 Jonathan worked as an economist on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations driving the need for a food systems approach to animal disease mitigation measures. He returned to the UK determined to increase the cadre of professionals working on the economics of animal and One Health. During his initial work at the Royal Veterinary College he won EU funding for NEAT a network (NEAT https://neat-network.eu/) on the economics of animal health and founded the International Society for Economics and Social Sciences of Animal Health (http://www.isessah.com). Between 2012 and 2014 Jonathan was a non-executive member of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, DEFRA. In 2016, he worked with OIE on the economics of animal health presenting their technical paper at the 84 th General Session. This led to a resolution on the need for the assessment of animal disease burdens (Resolution 2016 No 35 https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2021/03/a-reso-2016- public.pdf).

Jonathan joined the University of Liverpool in October 2016 where he won monies to initiate the transdisciplinary Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme and establish a WOAH Collaborating Centre for Europe on the Economics of Animal Health. In 2020 he became a Senior IIAD Fellow in Epidemiology at Texas A&M. In May 2025 Jonathan joined the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh as professor of economics of animal health strengthening his links with world leading animal health research at the University's Easter Bush campus.

Julian is the One Health Coordinator and senior programme officer at UNEP’s Ecosystems Division. He joined the Ecosystems Division in early 2017, where he has helped develop and implement UNEP’s role in the One Health Quadripartite, the Nature4Health Fund and the Wild Biodiversity Economy, as well as initiatives to improve human-wildlife coexistence using participatory and systemic approaches. He previously worked on elephant conservation, running the CITES programme for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants and managing IUCN’s African Elephant Database. Early in his career, he conducted research in molecular neurobiology. He has degrees in neuroscience and ecological management and monitoring.

Dr Junxia Song (holds PhD in Veterinary Medicine from China Agricultural University), is a Senior Animal Health Officer at FAO Headquarters and Head of the One Health Coordination and AMR Cluster. She oversees the implementation of FAO’s Action Plan on AMR and coordinates One Health activities in agrifood systems with both internal and external partners.

She led the development and execution of the FAO Action Plan on AMR (2021–2025) and the formulation and implementation of RENOFARM, FAO’s 10-year initiative to reduce the need for antimicrobials on farms and promote sustainable agrifood system transformation. Under her leadership, FAO launched INFARM, an international AMR surveillance and monitoring system that collects critical data in agrifood systems to guide policy decisions. She is currently leading the development of a One Health Framework in Agrifood System.

Dr Song also serves as FAO’s senior liaison officer in the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR (FAO, UNEP, WHO, WOAH), coordinating FAO’s contributions to AMR governance, including the MSPP, GLG, IPEA, and joint initiatives such as the MPTF. She is a member of the Senior Management Team of the Quadripartite One Health Secretariat, focusing on the coordination and implementation of the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH-JPA).

Dr. Larry Madoff is an infectious disease physician specializing in the epidemiology of emerging pathogens, bacterial pathogenesis, and international health. He is Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts-Chan Medical School and Lecturer on Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Madoff serves as Medical Director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.  He is an attending on the inpatient infectious disease service at UMass Memorial Medical Center. 

Dr. Madoff directed the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED), from 2002 to 2021 and is Editor Emeritus. He is a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, past President of the U.S. Lancefield Streptococcal Research Society, a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. A graduate of Yale College and Tufts Medical School, he performed his Internal Medicine Residency at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and his Infectious Disease Fellowship at the Harvard Medical School-Longwood program.  Dr. Madoff is the recipient of the 2021 D.A. Henderson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Health from the Infectious Disease Society of America.

Prof Wang is a Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School and the inaugural Executive Director of the Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE), Singapore. He is one of the world’s leading experts in zoonotic diseases, bat immunology and pathogen discovery.

His early research was at the Monash Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine. In 1990, he joined the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) where he played a leading role in identifying bats as the natural host of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus. His research then extended from bat-borne viruses to better understand virus-bat interaction and how bats co-exist with a large number of viruses without developing clinical diseases. His recent research contributions include developing antibody based serological tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak, and the early and successful culture of the virus from an infected patents sample. His team is currently focusing on research into the origin of SARS-CoV-2, developing assays which can better assess vaccine efficacy in the context of a potential immunity passport strategy and novel vaccination strategy to broaden protective immunity against future variants and emerging SARS-related coronaviruses.

Prof Wang is a member of multiple World Health Organization committees on COVID-19. His work has been recognised internationally through various international awards, numerous invited speeches at major international conferences and more than 500 scientific papers including many top scientific publications in Science, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, along with nice patents and many invited book chapters. He holds a number of honorary positions and memberships and has received numerous awards. Prof Wang was elected to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2010 and the American Academy of Microbiology in 2021 in recognition of his expertise in new and emerging diseases. He received the Singapore’s President Science Award in 2021. He is also active internationally by serving on various editorial boards for publication in the areas of virology, microbiology and infectious diseases. He is currently the Editor-in- Chief of the Virology Journal.

Prof Wang holds a PhD degree from the University of California, Davis USA and a Bachelor's degree from the East China Normal University, Shanghai China.

Marietjie Venter (PhD (Medical Virology) (WITS) (2003)) is an expert in zoonotic arbo and respiratory viruses and One Health. 

She launched the Zoonotic arbo & respiratory virus research program, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria in 2006. She had joint appointments as co-director, Centre for Respiratory diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa(2009-2014) and One Health Program director, Global Disease Detection Centre, (US-CDC), South Africa (2014-2016). She joined University of Pretoria full time in 2016 as full Professor and co-founder of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses where she continued a One Health surveillance program on zoonotic arbo and respiratory viruses. She launched the Centre of Emerging arbo and respiratory virus research (CEARV) in October 2023 where she serves as the director and currently as extraordinary Professor. 

In April 2024 she joined the Infectious disease and oncology research institute (IDORI) as a distinguished Professor and NRF SARCHi chair in emerging viral threats, One Health surveillance and vaccines (EViTOH). 

She has >170 publications in this field with an H index of 48 (Scopus) and > 9500 scientific citations and is a member of the Academy of Science, South Africa (ASSAf) (2021-). She is international One Health day contact for Africa, Vice President, (Africa) of the World Society for Virology(2020-) and President(elect)(2024-). She is an advisor to the World Health Organization on Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus surveillance, on the Technical Advisory group for arboviruses and chairs the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens including COVID19 (SAGO). She co-chairs the newly established Virology group for the Federation of infectious Diseases Societies of South Africa (FIDSSA). She is on the Global One Health Community Scientific Advisory Board and chaired the organising committee for the 8th World One Health Conference (WOHC) that was held in South Africa in September 2024.

Veterinarian, MSc Public Health (Colombian National University), PhD Veterinary Sciences (Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy), with seventeen years of experience working in multi-disciplinary health teams and intercultural workplaces.

Currently, she is associate professor and researcher at Universidad de La Salle, Colombia. She works as public health consultant regarding the integrated approach to zoonoses with the Colombian Ministry of Health (2016), mapping the One Health initiatives in Latin America (2022), mapping the legislative frameworks and governance structures to implement One Health approach in Colombia (2023) together with CIRAD and The Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health Unit at PAHO.

She serves as member of international panels and networks:

1. the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) for the Quadripartite WHO/WOAH/FAO/UNEP (first term 2021-2023)
2. One Sustainable Health Forum (2022-up to date)
3. NEOH gender working group since 2020, iv. South American Network of One Health SANO (USAID-USDA).

Currently, she is advisor and mentor for the Colombian National Health Institute for the Frontline course of the field epidemiology training program (FETP) on One health, co-editor of the CABI One Health journal on the special topic on One Health, Gender and Feminism, founder of the Biodiversity and One Health community of practice, a multidisciplinary group created to advocate for the inclusion of One health approach in the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) for Latin American countries. Finally she co-creator of the LinkedIn page called Comunidad de Aprendizaje y práctica de Una Salud together with the Latin American OHHLEP members

Dr. Peter Daszak is President of Nature.Health.Global, a US-based organization that conducts research and outreach programs on global health, conservation and international development. Dr. Daszak’s research has been instrumental in identifying and predicting the origins and impact of emerging diseases across the globe. This includes identifying the bat origin of SARS, the drivers of Nipah virus emergence, publishing the first global emerging disease ‘hotspots’ map, discovering SADS coronavirus, designing a strategy to identify the number of unknown viruses in wildlife, launching the Global Virome Project, identifying the first case of a species extinction due to disease, and discovering the disease chytridiomycosis as the cause global amphibian declines. He is one of the founders of the field of Conservation Medicine and has been instrumental in the growth of EcoHealth, One Health, and now Planetary Health.

A fundamental part of the Dr. Daszak’s work on disease ecology is directed by the conviction that disease outbreaks are not just predictable, but preventable. This approach is informed by a perspective on emerging infectious disease research that sees problems of human and animal disease as intimately linked – exacerbated by ecological change. With this in mind, he led the researcher that produced the first ever global emerging disease ‘hotspots’ map to determine where in the world viruses with pandemic potential are most likely to emerge, and developed a strategy to identify just how many of those viruses currently exist.

Dr. Daszak is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and Chair of the NASEM’s Forum on Microbial Threats. He is a member of the NRC Advisory Committee to the US Global Change Research Program, the Supervisory Board of the One Health Platform, the One Health Commission Council of Advisors, the CEEZAD External Advisory Board, the Cosmos Club, and the Advisory Council of the Bridge Collaborative. He has served on the IOM Committee on global surveillance for emerging zoonoses, the NRC committee on the future of veterinary research, the International Standing Advisory Board of the Australian Biosecurity CRC; and has advised the Director for Medical Preparedness Policy on the White House National Security Staff on global health issues. Dr. Daszak is a regular advisor to WHO on pathogen prioritization for R&D. Dr. Daszak won the 2000 CSIRO medal for collaborative research on the discovery of amphibian chytridiomycosis, is the EHA institutional lead for USAID-EPT-PREDICT, is on the Editorial Board of Conservation Biology, One Health, GeoHealth, One Health Outlook, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, and is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Ecohealth. He has authored over 300 scientific papers and was listed as a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher in 2018. His work has been the focus of extensive media coverage, ranging from press articles in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Washington Post, US News & World Report, and broadcast appearances on 60 Minutes, CNN, ABC, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, Science Friday, and Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Dr. Rebecca Katz is a Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, and holds joint appointments in Georgetown University Medical Center and the School of Foreign Service. She teaches courses on global health diplomacy, global health security, and emerging infectious diseases in the Science, Technology and International Affairs, Security Studies, and Global Infectious Disease Programs. Prior to coming to Georgetown in 2016, she spent ten years at The George Washington University as faculty in the Milken Institute School of Public Health. Since 2007, much of her work has been on the domestic and global implementation of the International Health Regulations as well as global governance of public health emergencies. She has authored over 100 peer reviewed manuscripts, and five books in addition to numerous op eds, blogs, white papers and book chapters.

From 2004 to 2019, Dr. Katz was a consultant to the Department of State, working on issues related to the Biological Weapons Convention, pandemic influenza and disease surveillance. She returned to the Department of State in January 2021 as a senior advisor on the global COVID-19 response and global health security.

In 2019, Dr. Katz co-convened the first international scientific conference on global health security, bringing together over 900 participants from around the world to form a community of practice.

Dr. Katz received her undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, an M.P.H. from Yale University, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ricardo Mexia is a Public Health Doctor and a Field Epidemiologist working mostly in infectious disease surveillance.

He is currently a Member of the ECDC Advisory Forum, the EU Health Task Force Advisory Group and of HERA Civil Society Forum (representing EUPHA).

He is based at the Epidemiology Department of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA). He works mostly in Surveillance systems and Preparedness. His experience ranges from International projects (EPHESUS, PANDEM2, EuroCigua2) to national surveillance systems (Gripenet, EVITA). He also has been involved in Mass Gathering Surveillance at national (BOOM Festival, Rock in Rio, Sónar, and others) and international events (Pope visit to Fátima 2017, Eurovision 2018, Websummit 2018, World Youth Day 2023).

Ricardo holds a Medical Degree (MD) from the New University of Lisboa, a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the National School of Public Health and a Healthcare Management Degree from the Catholic University of Portugal. For 2 years he worked in Oslo, at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, graduating from the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET).

He teaches at the Medical Faculty of University of Lisboa, Católica Medical School , and at Universidade Atlântica.

He was the President of the Portuguese Association of Public Health Doctors (ANMSP) 2016-2022, and President of the Infectious Disease Control Section of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA-IDC).He also served as president of ANEM (National Federation of Medical Students), Secretary General of PWG (European Federation of Junior Doctors) and as Vice President of EAN (EPIET Alumni Network). Was a member of the General Secretariat of SIM (Portuguese Medical Union) and was member of the Executive Board of the Ordem dos Médicos (Portuguese Medical Association).

Prof. Ricardo J. Soares Magalhaes LMV, MSc, PhD, DiplECVPH 

Ricardo Soares Magalhães is a global health expert specializing in the spatial epidemiology of zoonotic diseases. He is Professor of Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology and Biosecurity at the University of Queensland, and Director of the Queensland Alliance of One Health Sciences at the University of Queensland. His research work focuses on developing geospatial models to understand determinants of disease distribution, with a strong focus on uncovering the role of climate hazards on Biosecurity vulnerabilities to zoonoses. Internationally, he serves as Technical Advisor to the WHO Southeast Asia Regional Office and the World Bank on the development of protocols for integrated disease surveillance and prioritisation of climate-sensitive high-impact zoonotic pathogens. He is also the co-Chair and Oceania representative on the Scientific Steering Committee of the global initiative on Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE).

Ron Fouchier (1966) is professor in Molecular Virology at Erasmus MC Rotterdam and deputy head of the Viroscience department. He obtained a PhD in 1995 for HIV/AIDS research at the University of Amsterdam and then continued HIV work at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In 1998 he started a Molecular Virology research line on respiratory viruses, in particular influenza, at Erasmus MC. His team contributed substantially to the identification and characterization of various “new” viruses, such as human metapneumovirus, human coronavirus NL63, SARS coronavirus, MERS coronavirus, and influenza A virus subtype H16. Currently, his research is focused on respiratory viruses of humans and animals, antigenic drift, and influenza virus zoonoses, transmission and pandemics. He studies influenza viruses in humans, domestic animals and wildlife. Ron is elected member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (KNAW), the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW) and Academia Europeae. In 2006 he received the Heine-Medin award of the European Society for Clinical Virology, in 2013 the Huibregtsen award for top innovative science with societal impact and in 2023 the Beijerinck Virology Prize of the KNAW. Fouchier is a web-of-science Highly Cited author.

Professor Salome Bukachi is a Professor of Research (Anthropology) in the University of Nairobi’s Department of Anthropology, Gender, and African Studies, and a honorary Fellow at Durham University. She holds a PhD in Anthropology, specializing in Medical Anthropology. Author of over 70 publications and supervisor of over 50 graduate students. Her research areas of focus include community participation, gender, health systems and the socio-economic and cultural/behavioural aspects of infectious diseases and other development issues including water security, food security and agriculture.  She works with various stakeholders both local and international in undertaking research and development on anthropological issues. She is a member of several regional and global initiatives including the Africa One Health Network, One Health High Level Expert Panel, LANCET- PPATS Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover at Source, among others.  Salome has mentored many African Anthropologists and has created a niche for herself in the emerging field of Anthropology of infectious diseases and nutritional anthropology.

Thomas C. Mettenleiter studied biology from 1977 to 1982 and earned his doctoral degree in genetics in 1985 at the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen for his research work on pseudorabies virus conducted at the Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals (BFAV) in Tübingen. With a research fellowship granted by the German Research Foundation (DFG) he went for a research stay with Tamar Ben-Porat and Albert Kaplan at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, from 1986 to 1987. After returning to BFAV, he obtained his post-doctoral habilitation in virology at the University of Tübingen in 1990. 

From 1994 to 2019 he chaired the Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI), on the island of Riems. He has been leading the FLI since 1996, in 1997 he was appointed President of the FLI. His main field of research is virus infections of farm animals, in particular herpesviruses. In addition to studies on the basic processes of virus-host interactions, he is involved in the development of novel vaccines based on molecular biological techniques. He is a member of several international committees and working groups including the founding co-chair of the „One Health High Level Expert Panel” jointly initiated by WHO, OIE, FAO, and UNEP. 

He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Academy of Sciences in Hamburg, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and from the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, an associate professorship from the University of Greifswald and an honorary professorship from the University of Rostock. He is also a recipient of the Robert von Ostertag Medal of the German Federal Chamber of Veterinarians. He is senior editor of the scientific journal „Advances in Virus Research“.

Dr Tiggy Grillo is a veterinarian and the National Coordinator and Chief Operating Officer at Wildlife Health Australia, where she has worked since 2009. She serves as Australia’s Focal Point for Wildlife Health to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and is Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Wildlife Health Specialist Group. Tiggy is passionate about fostering positive, collaborative partnerships that support wildlife health, One Health, and biodiversity conservation.

Dr. Tracey Goldstein is the director of the Colorado State University One Health Institute and Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology. Tracey has over 25 years of experience leading One Health, marine mammal, infectious disease and conservation work and global programs. Before joining CSU, she was the Division Chief for the Emerging Threats Division, Bureau for Global Health at USAID since 2020, where she led the Global Health Security Program. In her previous position, she was a Professor in the Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology and Associate Director of the One Health Institute at the University of California, Davis, since 2008.