Dr. Craig Stephen and Dr. Marcela Uhart, leading experts in wildlife health and the One Health paradigm - the interconnectedness of human, animal and ecosystem health and well-being - have been selected as the inaugural Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Distinguished Speakers.
The event will be held March 28, noon to 2 p.m., at the College of Veterinary Medicine's Yarnell Hall, Lecture Hall 4. Stephen, an internationally recognized leader in the field of One Health, will present "Lessons from the Field for Future Readiness in an Era of Polycrisis." Uhart, a world-renowned wildlife veterinarian, will discuss "Why H5N1 Avian Influenza is a Daring Experiment in Global Health."
This event is open to the Cornell community; visit the event page to register.
A veterinarian and epidemiologist, Stephen has played a pivotal role in advancing the One Health concept and modernizing approaches to wildlife health. Stephen consults on the strategic development of wildlife health and One Health programs, working closely with governments, nonprofit organizations, communities, universities and the private sector to address the complex health issues at the nexus of people, animals and ecosystems.
As the director of the McEachran Institute in Canada, Stephen's contributions to the field have been recognized through his election as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He has edited multiple textbooks in applied One Health.
Uhart, director of the Latin America Program at the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, will share lessons learned from her decades of experience in wildlife health research and conservation across Latin America, as well as in the international policy arena.
Among her many professional roles, Uhart serves on the steering committee for OFFLU (an international network of experts on avian influenza) and on the International Whaling Commission Expert Panel on Strandings. Based in Patagonia, Argentina, Uhart is well known for her expertise in marine mammals and seabirds, with her One Health research focusing on infectious diseases, toxins, and human-wildlife interactions.
"As the inaugural Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Distinguished Speakers, Drs. Uhart and Stephen exemplify the center's mission to transform science into impact through discovery, education, engagement and policy," said Steve Osofsky, DVM '89, the Jay Hyman Professor of Wildlife Health & Health Policy at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and director of the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health. "They are also just fantastic colleagues."
Launched in 2020 and endowed in 2024 through a transformational gift from philanthropist and Cornell trustee K. Lisa Yang '74, the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health emphasizes conservation impact and progress through partnerships in the U.S. and around the world. Partnerships between center conservation professionals and local communities, for example, have aimed to reduce human-wildlife conflict and to utilize conservation to improve economic opportunities and help alleviate poverty.
Uhart and Stephen will also deliver keynote addresses at the biannual Special Species Symposium, March 29-30, hosted by the student Zoo and Wildlife Society at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Melissa DeGroot is the grants and communications manager for the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health.
