One Health Focus at Kenneth A. Suarez Research Day on Downers Grove Campus
Invited Speakers Showcase Collaborative Science Linking Human, Animal, and Environmental Health
From antimicrobial resistance to ancient bones and cutting-edge 3D printing, this year’s Kenneth A. Suarez Research Day on the Downers Grove Campus showcased a wide spectrum of research. Yet beneath the diversity of topics ran a unifying message: human health is deeply interconnected with the health of animals, environments, and technologies and cannot be fully understood in isolation.
That’s the core of the One Health approach, and why this year’s featured speakers, Michelle Funk, D.V.M., of the Chicago Department of Public Health, and Gina Agostini-Walesch, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, College of Dental Medicine-Arizona (CDMA), focused on how human, animal, and environmental health intersect in real and measurable ways.
A “Silent Pandemic”: Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance Across Disciplines
Dr. Funk, a veterinary-trained public health expert and Medical Director of Healthcare and Congregate Settings for the city of Chicago, addressed the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which refers to the ability of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites to evolve and become resistant to the drugs used to treat them. Calling it a “silent pandemic,” she urged students and faculty to recognize antibiotic resistance as a critical situation that doesn’t adhere to clinical boundaries.
“In the public health setting, combating antimicrobial resistance requires surveillance, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship,” she told the audience. “Public health plays a role across three broad categories: assessment, through surveillance, to identify where the problem is and who’s being affected; policy development, using expertise to guide infection control and antimicrobial stewardship practices; and assurance, supporting healthcare systems and facilities in implementing these policies through hygiene, biosecurity, and stewardship efforts.”
Drawing on her work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Chicago’s interconnected healthcare network, Dr. Funk outlined the growing presence of resistant organisms in hospitals, nursing homes, and even veterinary clinics. She emphasized that combating AMR requires cross-disciplinary collaboration.
“I know you have a number of health professions represented here at Midwestern, and I want to highlight that all of you, as health professionals and as researchers, have a role in combating antimicrobial resistance. That’s really what One Health is about. People from different disciplines coming together, sharing expertise, and working toward a common goal.”
3D Innovation in Health and Dental Research
Earlier in the day, Dr. Agostini-Walesch traced her evolution from a bone-focused anthropologist to a dental research methodologist using high-resolution 3D scanning and printing to explore form and function in both humans and animals in her talk, “Research in Three Dimensions.”
Dr. Agostini-Walesch’s work on skeletal structures spans centuries and species, from prehistoric femurs in Europe to collaborative projects that use mouse models for Marfan syndrome. Now, she’s using micro-CT and structured light scanners to measure tooth wear and analyze bone strength, and light-based 3D-printing technology to help students develop and test biocompatible dental materials with antimicrobial properties.
“Part of the reason I chose to focus on three dimensions is because it’s been a consistent thread in my research since graduate school,” said Dr. Agostini-Walesch. “3D technology is especially popular right now because of its versatility, and many of the newer products being tested reflect that. Several student and faculty research projects are currently exploring 3D applications, and I also want to recognize the teams here at the Dental Institute and at the Arizona Dental Institute who are helping run a major clinical study where color, and specifically 3D color change, is a central component.”
With tools like light-based 3D printing and digital modeling, researchers can simulate real-world systems with remarkable precision. One of her students recently tested a 3D-printed nightguard material infused with bioactive glass to reduce Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria behind cavities. Another student project analyzed how lighted whitening trays enhances the tooth whitening abilities of some commercial products.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration and the One Health Approach
Both Dr. Funk and Dr. Agostini-Walesch emphasized the value of shared research forums like Suarez Research Day in bridging disciplines and connecting theory to practice. By welcoming outside experts and cross-campus faculty, Midwestern University affirms its commitment to a One Health by fostering collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health.
