The EWDA Student Chapter – Promoting Shared Knowledge
The Second EWDA Student Workshop was held from April 26 th to 29 th, 2007 at the Athena Pallas Village, in Sithonia, Greece, and met with a great success!The Second EWDA Student Workshop was organized by the European Student Chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association on the theme of Wildlife Conservation and the Threat of Infectious Diseases.
Meant to offer advanced undergraduates and graduate students the opportunity to meet and interact with leaders in the field of wildlife disease research and wildlife conservation, twelve internationally renowned scientists were invited to present lectures, and lead working sessions and panel discussions within the frame of the One World – One Health approach. Sixty student participants from 17 countries from Europe and beyond shared with great enthusiasm the experience and knowledge of the invited speakers. Twenty-five posters gave an overview of the students’ current research projects, and a price offered by the Wildlife Trust was awarded to the best poster, presented by Amber Teacher on microsatellite genotyping of common frog populations affected by ranaviruses. A one-year student membership to the Wildlife Disease Association will be offered to all student participants for the year 2008, and we are pleased to welcome the first Greek members of the WDA!
The Second EWDA Student Workshop was supported by the Wildlife Disease Association and its European section and the Field Veterinary Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society. It was sponsored by the Piraeus Bank, Pfizer, EVL, Viroclinics, Novartis Animal Health Inc., Merial, Intervet International, Roche, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Utrecht, and the municipality of Neos Marmaras.
The following Patron Institutions graciously contributed to the program of the Second EWDA Student Workshop: the Erasmus Medical Centre, the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, IREC – Research Institute on Game Biology, Princeton University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Oxford, the University of Pretoria, the Veterinary School of Lyon, and the Wildlife Trust.
Speakers affiliations:
Dr. Alonso Aguirre |
Vice President for Conservation Medicine at Wildlife Trust, New York |
Prof. Dr. Marc Artois |
Department of Veterinary Public Health, National Veterinary School of Lyon, France |
Dr. Kenneth Cameron |
Field Veterinary Program (FVP) of the Wildlife Conservation Society, New-York City, USA |
Dr. Sarah Cleaveland |
Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK |
Prof. Dr. Andrew Dobson |
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, USA |
Dr. Christian Gortazar |
IREC - National Research Institute on Game Biology, Ciudad Real, Spain |
Prof. Dr. Jacques Godfroid |
Department of Tropical Veterinary Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa |
Dr. Spyros Kotomatas |
MOm, Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece |
Prof. Dr. Albert Osterhaus |
Department of Virology at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
Prof. Dr. Sarah Randolph |
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK |
Dr. Derek Smith |
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK; Department of Virology at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
Vrassidas Zavras |
Hellenic Society of the Study and the Protection of the Mediterranean Monk Seal & Environmental Issues Unit, Prieaus Bank, Athens, Greece |
Our board of trust:
Prof. Dr. Gerry Dorrestein |
Head of the Dutch Research Institute for birds and exotic animals, Veldhoven, The Netherlands |
Prof. Dr. Hans Heesterbeek |
Dept. Of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands |
Dr. William B. Karesh |
Co-chair of the IUCN Veterinary Specialist Group, Director of the Field Veterinary Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA |
Prof. Dr. Albert Osterhaus |
Head of Dept. of Virology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands |
Link to student sessions material
Link to dynamic slide show abstracts
Link to Insider’s Quizz who’s who
Objectives
The EWDA student workshop is organized for and by students to promote the scientific education of veterinary and non veterinary students for and by research, through oral communications, panel discussions and roundtables.
"The most important thing is not to stop questioning." ~ Albert Einstein
The EWDA student workshop aims at giving veterinary and non veterinary students undertaking or willing to undertake graduate studies on wildlife diseases, the opportunity to meet and share the experience of the best scientists involved in wildlife disease research worldwide, early in their career. A student deciding on a professional career in research must consolidate his/her scientific habits of mind early in his/her studies.
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." ~ Benjamin Franklin
The EWDA student workshop enables participants not only to gain up-to-date and most recent knowledge on wildlife disease research through outstanding oral communications, and panel discussions but also to explore the invisible part of the iceberg, that is the questions and state-of-the-art scientific reasoning that lead the scientist to the presented results, during student working sessions (roundtables). Speakers are therefore invited to involve themselves in the formation of their future colleagues by getting students involved in the heart of their scientific research and reasoning. The high professional researcher to student ratio ensures productive exchanges between the ca. 12 scientists and 50 participants.
________________________________________
Wildlife conservation and the Threat of Infectious Diseases
Global warming, habitat loss, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, and the increasing ecological footprint of the human global population on the planet threaten the critically needed biodiversity that provides the ecosystem services sustaining our very society. Anthropogenic activities also impact on the fragile equilibria between pathogens and their natural hosts. The rise of emerging diseases is believed to stem likewise from global warming, the encroachment of an ever-increasing human population on natural areas, and the increasing movement of people and animals in a shrinking world. These emerging diseases are either truly new diseases that emerge from their natural reservoirs into newly-encountered host species, or ghosts of the past that re-emerge because of renewed favourable conditions. They not only threaten humans and their domestic animals but are of serious concern for wildlife species as well and represent an additional threat to biodiversity. Endangered species are particularly vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks because of their reduced population size and often associated reduced genetic diversity that hinders their natural resistance to pathogens. Conservationists have become more and more aware of the threat of infectious diseases to endangered species. Scientists with a veterinary formation have a crucial role to play in the management of endangered populations. The second EWDA student workshop aimed at promoting the involvement of students, including veterinary students in wildlife conservation and wildlife disease research.
The recent outbreaks caused by emerging pathogens that crossed the species barrier from an animal reservoir to the human population (e.g. HIV, SARS coronavirus, monkeypox virus) demonstrate the intimate link between animal and human health. Recent surveys indicated that most human pathogens are zoonotic, i.e. spreading from animals to humans, and that wild animals are thought to be the sources of most emerging diseases. Surveillance and research programs on wildlife diseases have fundamental applications in the prevention of emerging diseases and zoonoses in human populations, in the prevention of diseases of medical or economic importance in domestic animal populations, as well as in wildlife conservation. Bridging the gap between the biomedical and bioecological sciences is urgently needed for a broad understanding and efficient control of infectious diseases in human and animal populations. It results in a call for forging inter- and multi-disciplinary communities of researchers working at the interface of the ecological, animal health and human health sciences – the so-called ‘One World – One Health’ approach. By inviting renowned scientists actively involved in the promotion of collaborative interdisciplinary research in the field of wildlife diseases with fundamental and integrated implications for public heath and well-being, domestic animal welfare, and wildlife conservation, the second EWDA student workshop also aimed at contributing to the formation of the next generation of scientists within the frame of the One World – One Health approach.
Venue
The workshop was held in Sithonia, Greece. Sithonia is a Greek peninsula located south of the central part of Halkidiki, in the Northern part of Greece, within 90 km from Thessaloniki International Airport. The landscape is covered with forests, grasslands, and mountains Amongst the many places in Sithonia is the ancient city, the castle and the church of Agios Athanasios in Toroni, the windmills in Sikia and the 16th century church in Nikiti. Porto Koufo, is the largest and safest natural harbour in Greece, which is mentioned by Thoukididis as "hollow harbour".
The Acrotel Athena Pallas Village***** offered both accommodation and logistical facilities to ensure an optimal and productive seminar. The hotel is situated on the beautiful beach of Elia, just 8 km from the village of Neos Marmaras. It is built in traditional Greek-Macedonian style and besides conference accommodation it offers all kinds of extra facilities. For more information, please visit this site
Oral presentations
Twelve internationally renowned scientists were invited to present outstanding 45-min lectures to an eager audience. You will find below links to their individual power point presentations:
Friday, April 27 th 2007:
Keynote lecturer:Kenneth Cameron One World - One Health, Why It Matters
Marc Artois The spread of HP Avian influenza H5N1 in Europe, winter 2006: was it an epizootic?
Alonso Aguirre Conservation Medicine : the theory and practice of ecological health Part 1. Part 2.
Sarah Randolph Climate change and vector-borne diseases
Christian Gortazar Diseases and Iberian lynx
Saturday, April 28 th 2007:
Keynote Lecturer: Sarah Cleaveland Investigation and Management of Wildlife Disease Outbreaks
Jacques Godfroid Tuberculosis in the Kruger Park
Albert Osterhaus Emerging zoonoses, potential threats to wildlife
Spyros Kotomatas Formulating and implementing a conservation strategy for a critically endangered species: The case of the Mediterranean monk seal in Greece
Derek Smith Tracking antigenically variable pathogens
Andrew Dobson Sacred Cows and Sympathetic Squirrels: Understanding the dynamics of pathogens with multiple host species
Student Working Sessions
These were roundtable sessions and gathered one speaker and ten to twelve students to discuss a (non-)fictive situation related to the topic introduced during the speaker’s presentation, helped by two scientific publications proposed in advance. Please, click here (link to PDF file “Student Session”) for a document containing all fictive situations and recommended publications.
Student Presentations and Dynamic Slide Show
Graduate students were invited to present posters describing their current research projects. A Dynamic Slide Show was scheduled on Friday, April 27 th, during which each presenting student had two minutes and one power point slide to introduce their posters and sell their results to the audience. A prolonged coffee break followed during which all participants could take a poster walk to learn more about the graduate students research projects. Click here (link to the PDF file “Slide show”) for the Dynamic Slide Show.
Insider’s Quiz: Grill the Speakers
A new formula was offered during the Second EWDA Student Workshop. The Insider’s Quiz offered the opportunity to students to ask career-related questions to all speakers. Topics from decision making to philosophy of science and to the current need for multi- and inter-disciplinary communities of researchers were discussed and resulted in a fantastic sharing between invited speakers and student participants. Click here for the Insider’s Quiz who’s who (link to the PDF file “insider’s quiz).
Panel discussions
Two panel discussions were scheduled on the last day of the workshop (Sunday, April 29 th). Let’s talk about research, led by Albert Osterhaus and Vrassidas Zavras, gave insights into the logistics and funding requirements of research. The All-in discussion, led by keynote lecturers Sarah Cleaveland and Kenneth Cameron, revolved around controversial issues in the field of wildlife disease management and wildlife conservation.
Banquet
A traditional Greek night was offered to all participants on Saturday night by Novartis Animal Health Inc. Invited speakers and student participants shared in a relaxed atmosphere delicious Greek dishes, delightful music and dancing, as well as work anecdotes and career-planning advices!
Boat trip
A boat excursion between the peninsulas of Sithonia and Kassandra was offered by the municipality of Neos Marmaras, Sithonia on Thursday, April 26 th. The beautiful coasts of Sithonia were discovered by all participants, who could enjoy some bird-watching of gulls, cormorants, terns and petrels and learn to know more about each other to develop international connections and friendships.
Patron Institutions of the Second EWDA Student Workshop
Sponsors of the Second EWDA Student Workshop
This workshop would not be possible without the support of our sponsors.
 |
WDA EWDA |
 |
The Field Veterinary Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society |
We would like to thank the WDA the EWDA and the Field Veterinary Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society for their crucial involvement, offering student scholarships to all participants.
Piraeus bank
We are very grateful to our main sponsor, the Piraeus bank for their generous donation and invaluable contribution to the organisation of the Second EWDA Student Workshop.
Novartis
We thank Novartis Animal Health for their generous support offering a special banquet on the last evening of the Second EWDA Student Workshop.
We would like to thank the following financial sponsors and partners for their invaluable support and trust in the Second EWDA Student Workshop:
Faculteit Diergeneeskunde Utrecht
EVL, European Veterinary Laboratory
Viroclinics
Merial
Roche
To download the workshop details click here