Confirmed Speakers
Dr. Craig Stephen
Dr. Craig Stephen has devoted his career to developing ideas, people, policies and evidence to concurrently promote the health of people and animals and their shared environments. Craig trained as a veterinarian and epidemiologist. He is Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a Clinical Professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. He currently leads the McEachran Institute, a Canadian charitable organization that believes that action is the key to a future where every species and generation can achieve their full health potential. He has worked extensively on issues we face in the current polycrisis including biodiversity loss, pandemic and emerging diseases prevention and climate change impacts on health.
Dr. Chelsea Himsworth (DVM, MVetSc, Dipl ACVP PhD)
Dr. Chelsea Himsworth (DVM, MVetSc, Dipl ACVP PhD) is a veterinary pathologist and epidemiologist who is the Deputy Chief Veterinarian for the Province of British Columbia, Canada, the British Columbia Regional Director for the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, and an Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. Her research and practice is centered around One Health-based transdisciplinary approaches to the surveillance and management of health issues at the human-animal interface.
Diego Nobrega
Diego Nobrega is an assistant professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where he also holds an NSERC Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health. Diego is a DVM with a MSc in Preventive Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Infectious Diseases. He also worked for the Public Health Agency of Canada in the Foodborne and Antimcirobial Resistance Surveillance Division for approximately 3 years. In Calgary, Diego oversees a research program focused on the One Health aspects of antimicrobial resistance, and his primary aim is to design effective evidence-based intervention and control strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine.
Tim McAllister
Tim McAllister was raised on a mixed cow-calf operation in Inniisfail Alberta. He obtained his M.Sc. in Animal Biochemistry at the University of Alberta and his Ph. D. in microbiology and nutrition from the University of Guelph in1991. He is presently a principal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Tim leads a diverse research team that has been studying antimicrobial resistance in beef cattle production systems since 1997. The team’s recent work has focused on studying AMR from a “One Health” perspective using enterococci, E. coli and metagenomics as AMR indicators in livestock production systens, human sewage and clinical settings. He is also investigating the role of integrative conjugative elements in the transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes within the bacterial bovine respiratory disease complex. Tim has authored over 900 scientific papers, the recipient of several national and international awards and holds adjunct professorship appointments at several universities in Canada and abroad.
Dr. Aruna Ambagala
Dr. Aruna Ambagala is the Section Head at the Mammalian Diseases Unit, and the WOAH (OIE) reference laboratory expert for African and classical swine fevers at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Canada. As the Section Head, he oversees testing services, technology development, research, training and scientific consultation to the national animal health program for high-consequence viral diseases such as classical and African swine fever, bluetongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, Schmallenberg, rabbit hemorrhagic disease, pseudorabies and other emerging viral diseases affecting farm animals. Dr. Ambagala received his Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Sri Lanka and his PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE, USA. He holds adjunct appointments at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-University of Calgary, the Department of Animal Sciences and the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases – University of Manitoba.
Dayna Goldsmith
Dayna Goldsmith – Graduated from UCVM in 2013 as part of the second graduating class of vet students. Completed a residency in Anatomic Pathology at the University of California Davis becoming a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2016. Works at UCVM as an instructor and diagnostic pathologist within the Diagnostic Services Unit with expertise in Wildlife Pathology. Also the director of the Alberta Node of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC).