Highlighting our first One Health/One Medicine Fellow: The Future of One Health Fellowship Education

Claire Tucker

Dr. Claire Tucker, the first One Health/One Medicine fellow for the CSU One Health Institute, has a joint fellowship position in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. As part of this position, Claire teaches graduate-level courses that implement the One Health approach in the local community and facilitates youth 4-H veterinary camps, as well as managing some of the most acute cases at CSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, from trauma to sepsis to toxicities.

Claire’s commitment to the One Health approach extends beyond individual patient care. Pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Sciences, her Ph.D. research focuses on understanding canine traumatic brain injury and the potential for translation for the treatment of human brain injury.

 

Dogs offer important insights into various conditions, traumatic injuries being one example. Through her research, passion for One Health education, and clinical work in an Emergency and Critical Care residency, she provides comprehensive care to her animal patients by exploring the interconnection between their health, environmental health, and the health of their human companions.

Claire’s work has been instrumental in the development and future of One Health education programs and curricula at CSU. Heavily involved in Interprofessional Education (IPE), she works with five partnering institutions to identify areas for the inclusion of One Health concepts and practices into veterinary and human medical curricula. These institutions, collaborating through the Clinical and Translational Science Award One Health Alliance (COHA), are working to create a framework that will strengthen medical and veterinary education nationwide. Bringing her strong perspective of translational veterinary research and passion for One Health, Claire will also be teaching a graduate-level course, One Health in Communities, at CSU this Spring Semester. The course brings together graduate and professional students to explore and understand a local One Health Issue to find solutions through a One Health lens. The 2024 course will focus on West Nile Virus in Fort Collins and will require students to assess risk, mitigate impact, and work with city leadership to find solutions to reduce transmission of the virus to animals and people. Claire also engages with youth in 4-H programs during the summer months to introduce One Health to young students at the CSU SPUR campus in Denver.

While being a One Health/One Medicine Fellow was not something Claire envisioned doing upon graduating from veterinary school at CSU in 2019, she hopes to inspire veterinary students starting their careers to consider a similar path with a focus on One Health.

“The most exciting part of my position is witnessing my animal patients from a three-foot-view in the hospital while also perceiving health challenges from a 30,000-foot-view,” she remarked. “Mentoring emerging veterinarians and researchers to see beyond just the animal’s viewpoint has had a considerable impact on my own vision.”

Reflecting on her experiences with her primary mentor, Dr. Kelly Hall, Claire is passionate about supporting young veterinary and One Health professionals, nurturing their growth, and exposing them to implementing the One Health approach in their work.

Claire’s journey highlights the value of taking a multidisciplinary One Health approach to her work, intertwining clinical work, research, and One Health initiatives. Her experience demonstrates the diverse perspective gained through a post-graduate fellowship and opportunity to work on diverse teams.

Looking ahead, CSU’s One Health Institute hopes to continue to have a shared One Health/One Medicine Fellowship with CVMBS, focused on improving our understanding of the connection between animal, human, and environmental health.