One Health: New term, Ancient Concept

In September 2001, I was entering the Master’s degree program in public policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. I had already earned MD and MPH degrees but felt that a policy degree would enable me to rise higher in government and have a greater influence on public health policy.  I had been working in patient safety and hospital quality oversight at the New Jersey state health department. The work was important but hamstrung by politics.

My plans were turned upside down by the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the subsequent anthrax letter mailings in October of that year.  I decided to dedicate my career to bioterrorism, emerging diseases, and emergency preparedness instead.