Faculty answered the call to provide valuable input and feedback to shape the direction of One Health Research at MSU. Grounded in the understanding that human, animal, plant, and environmental health are interconnected, One Health Research at MSU brings together diverse expertise to tackle complex, real-world challenges.
The synthesis team processed 309 submissions to the Request for Information (RFI) from faculty representing 18 colleges and more than 50 departments, developing a draft framework that served as a starting point for discussion and refinement.
The submissions revealed how MSU connects the spectrum of health research across human, animal, plant, and ecosystem domains.
MSU faculty actively participated in workshop activities, April 14 and 16, 2026, MSU Union.
Derived from 182 research themes and 127 enabling capability submissions, 5 initial pathways were identified as a preliminary structure for discussion: pathogens and resistance; environmental exposure; food production to nutritional health; biodiversity and ecological resilience; and social and institutional systems. However, nothing in the framework is fixed; pathways, organizing logic, and more are open to change based on input from MSU faculty.
Kicking off the workshops, Associate Vice President Kay Connelly provided additional context on the workshop goals and scope, noting the tremendous response to the RFI and the opportunity to build a shared, faculty-informed direction for One Health Research at MSU.
Leading the research sprint, Senior Advisor Patricia Soranno translated the RFI insights into an actionable starting point, encouraging participants to pressure-test the draft pathways and identify opportunities to strengthen connections across domains.
After the introduction of the framework and data, the workshops got underway, led by CIRCLE and the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative. The interactive format got participants on their feet, moving around the room through structured activities to meet one another and advance the objectives laid out by the facilitators. Through active engagement, participants worked towards a collective understanding of One Health Research at MSU, shared information about related research and practice, envisioned new interdisciplinary research, and made new connections.
These workshops, with over 175 participating faculty, further developed the framework in preparation for theme refining workshops in May. For more information about the May workshops, please visit the One Health Research Spring Sprint webpage.
The interactive format of the One Health Research workshops got participants on their feet, moving around the room through structured activities to meet one another and advance the objectives laid out by the facilitators.