LEADING THE WAY IN GLOBAL ONE HEALTH

The Texas A&M Global One Health Program aims to make the world safe and secure from emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential by emphasizing a One Health approach—the synergy of animal, human, and environmental sciences—to global health and security. Through Global One Health's national and international reach, collaborative advancements in zoonotic One Health research, and building of interdisciplinary learning environments, the program continues to make advancements in policy, research, education, and service. In fiscal year 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak continues to bring operational challenges to the university, state, nation, and global community, demonstrating the relevance of One Health to global health security, to bringing an end to COVID-19, and to initiating sustained pandemic and public health preparedness planning to prevent this from happening again.

Leadership

The program acts as Texas A&M University’s focal point and university ambassador for key state, national, and international organizations, including the Coalition of Universities for Global Health, the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium steering group, the One Health Commission, the Bipartisan Commission for Biodefense, the Texas Task Force for Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response, the Texas Department of State Health Services Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, and the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity.

The Associate Dean of Global One Health, Dr. Gerald W. Parker, Jr., holds a joint appointment as Director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs within the Bush School of Government & Public Service that links the education, research, and service missions of the two colleges together. The Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program brings together global thought leaders on pandemic and biosecurity policies providing strategic direction and policy options to government, non-governmental organization, university, and industry leaders. Major emphasis is placed on the promotion and application of One Health as a national and global security imperative and seeks to elevate One Health into the lexicon of national policy leaders.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Wuhan in the fall of 2019 and Dr. Gerald W. Parker, Jr. threatened regional and eventual global spread, Parker assumed an active response role on campus and at local, state, and national levels that continues today. He catalyzed the establishment of the Texas A&M University Emergency Management Advisory Group and serves as the co-chair with the Senior Associate Vice President for Research. Parker served on the Texas A&M COVID Contingency Council and has provided strategic advice to Brazos County and Texas public health and emergency management authorities. Parker was also asked to assist with the U.S. federal response to COVID-19 and was detailed to Washington, D.C., to serve as the senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the Department of Health and Human Services. In that role, Parker supported Operation Warp Speed and COVID vaccine distribution and allocation planning; the deployment of federal medical teams and material; the updating and promulgating altered standards of care policies for hospitals; and organizational leadership within ASPR during a tremendous surge of medical and public health requirements that were needed to augment state and local communities. While still at ASPR, Parker was tapped to serve, and he continues to serve, on the Texas Experts Vaccine Allocation Panel responsible for making

recommendations to the Texas Health Commissioner for COVID vaccine allocation priorities. The COVID vaccine distribution campaign is the largest and most complex of its kind in public health history and the strategy adopted in Texas had a significant early impact on reducing hospitalizations and deaths in the most vulnerable Texans. Parker was also appointed by the Director of the National Institutes of Health to serve on and chair the National Sciences Advisory Board for Biosecurity that provides recommendations to the federal government on oversight of risky research with human and animal pathogens, including gain of function research of concern, dual use research of concern, and biosafety/biosecurity laboratory policies and practices. Additionally, the Global One Health program hosts regular virtual situational reports and discussions with the university community answering concerns of colleagues and students alike. Local and national media coverage of the pandemic sought insight and guidance resulting in numerous media spots from local to national sources, from KBTX to The Wall Street Journal.

Collaborations

The Global One Health team continues to galvanize the university's dedication to One Health by growing the institution's stakeholder network and establishing itself as an emerging leader in global health security. The program provides strategic inputs for global health-related projects and proposals, collaborating closely with the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, the CVMBS' International Programs office, the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases, the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, the Global Health Research Complex, the Center for Global Health and Innovation, and with other universities and non-profit institutions that work in global health security, science diplomacy, and security assurance.

Learning Opportunities

The Global One Health program also advocates for experiential learning and provides mentorship and guidance for students interested in careers in global health, global health security, biodefense, and related opportunities at the intersection of animal health, public health, science, and policy.

Through the Global Health Next Generation Seminar series, the program seeks to highlight the varied and rich global health expertise of scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and public servants both within and outside the university.

The program actively supports the MSC SCONA annual collegiate conference bringing public health and global health into the national affairs scholarly research and education discussions, giving delegates and other invited national premier academic scholars and industry leaders the opportunity to recognize the importance of One Health and Global Health Security on the national security stage.

The Global One Health Program is also a champion and supports the development of One Health-related undergraduate, graduate, and professional coursework at the CVMBS, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, and across campus providing a graduate course on bioterrorism preparedness at the Bush School and guest lectures in several colleges that highlights for students the many and varied opportunities for careers in public service at local, state, national, and international levels.