Research Themes

A One Health approach to emerging infectious diseases recognizes that agents affecting humans also infect or arise from non-human animals and acknowledges the significant role that human activities, such as climate change, deforestation, and agriculture practices play in the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

Researchers have been on the front lines of detecting and monitoring infectious diseases such as COVID 19 and West Nile Virus. Additionally, researchers are integrating basic and translational research approaches to discover solutions to combat disease outbreaks, predict outbreak patterns, understand how viruses work and understand how environmental changes affect disease outbreak in humans and animals.

Numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders arise from dysfunction of the nervous system, including chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, and mental disorders such as substance use disorder/addiction, PTSD, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. There is a great need to advance knowledge about how these disorders work and to develop better diagnostic tools and treatments that reduce health disparities and improve the quality of life.

IOHI promotes innovative concepts and leads programs that recognize the important role of genetic, dietary, behavioral, social and environmental influences across species. Building on existing strengths in chronic pain, neurodegenerative diseases, substance/alcohol use disorder, studies of the gut-brain axis, and comorbid illnesses, IOHI programs provide the expertise and resources for mechanistic and translational studies from genes and molecules to systems and animal and human behavior.