Published 1/31/25 | Written by Audrey Baker

In May, Cornell Public Health (CPH) hosted an intensive workshop on Innovations in Improving Human Health for 12 delegates from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a large federal agency employing hundreds of the top medical researchers in India. Funded by the World Bank, Cornell’s ICMR visitors were interested in learning more about two of Cornell’s signature strengths—applying a One Health approach to advancing human health, and translating academic research to real-world impacts through partnerships and commercialization.

“The One Health approach underscores how human health depends on the health of the environment,” says Dr. Alexander Travis, Director of CPH and host of the ICMR workshop. “It recognizes that humans, plants, animals and microbial life, along with abiotic elements like air, water and climate, all affect each other.” The scope of One Health is often limited to disease transmission between species, but this workshop emphasized a holistic approach, including comparative applications of animal medicine for human health; human reliance on plants and animals for food and ecosystem services such as pollination, air and water purification, mental health, and economic opportunities; and shared vulnerabilities with animals to environmental toxins and climate change.

As part of the workshop, delegates toured Cornell’s world-class Veterinary BioBank and renowned Animal Health Diagnostic Center to learn more about biobanking standards and zoonotic disease diagnostic and response strategies. “These are massively important topics, not just in India, but around the world,” says Dr. Travis, pointing to the current spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza and tickborne diseases as pressing global issues requiring One Health strategies for effective prevention and response.

Participants also met with faculty who have created companies to translate their research into clinical products. Among the presenters were leaders from the Cornell Center for Technology Licensing, which helps researchers secure patents and connect with investors and entrepreneurs, and the Cornell Center for Life Science Ventures, which serves as an incubator space. After the workshop, ICMR’s Dr. Suchita Markan reflected, “We see this collaboration as an integral part of driving innovation in India and fostering an environment conducive to entrepreneurship.”