Suresh Kuchipudi, an Indian American professor and chair of infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, has been named the endowed chair in One Health.
Kuchipudi’s work advances One Health, an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant and environmental health, according to a university release. Through research, education and partnerships, he has worked to strengthen collaboration across disciplines and institutions to better predict, prevent and respond to emerging health threats.
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“Dr. Kuchipudi has been instrumental in advancing One Health at Pitt Public Health and across Pennsylvania,” said Maureen Lichtveld, dean of Pitt Public Health. “This endowed chair recognizes that leadership and strengthens our commitment to making One Health a central part of how we approach public health.”
The recognition “reflects the tremendous work of our faculty, staff, students and collaborators, and I look forward to building on that collective effort to further advance One Health at Pitt and beyond,”Kuchipudi said.
The appointment comes as Pitt Public Health expands its focus on One Health across education, research and partnerships.
As Scientific Director of the Pennsylvania One Health Consortium (PAOHC), Kuchipudi has helped advance One Health collaboration across Pennsylvania, bringing together academic institutions, government agencies and other partners to strengthen surveillance, preparedness, and coordinated action across human, animal, and environmental health.
PAOHC grew from a statewide One Health task force launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2018. Its academic partners include Pitt Public Health, the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State, Delaware Valley University, Temple University, Carnegie Mellon University and Villanova University.
“One Health gives us an opportunity to move from responding to health threats after they emerge to identifying risks earlier and working together to prevent them,” Kuchipudi said.
Before joining Pitt Public Health, Kuchipudi served as the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair Professor in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and director of the Penn State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory. He previously served on the faculty at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
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A veterinary clinician and virologist, Kuchipudi earned his PhD in virology from the University of Glasgow and an MBA from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business. He is a diplomate in virology and immunology of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists.
His research focuses on emerging and zoonotic viruses, particularly how viruses cross species barriers, adapt to new hosts and cause disease. His recent work has advanced understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and evolution in white-tailed deer and H5N1 influenza in mammals, while his broader research program develops new diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, according to the university.