Ottawa Pub Night - January 28, 2026

Our next pub night will take place on Wednesday January 28 at Mike's Place (Carleton University) in Ottawa! Join us for a talk by Faith Izevbizua on integrating risk assessments and the One-Health concept, followed by Q&A. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Title: Incorporating the One Health Approach into Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment (HHERA)

Speaker: Faith Izevbizua, University of Ottawa

When: Wednesday January 28th, 2026 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Where: Mike's Place, 209 Nideyinàn (Formerly UC) at Carleton University – 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa

Make a donation here: https://www.laurentiansetac.ca/support-pubnights

Ottawa Pub Night - January 28, 2026

January 28, 2026, 5:00–7:00 p.m.Mike's Place, 209 Nideyinàn (Former UC)

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Abstract:

Introduction: Conventional human health risk assessment often fails to address wicked environmental problems, overlooking site-specific contexts and Indigenous knowledge, leading to inequitable outcomes. To address this gap, we developed a novel framework for assessing human health risks tailored to Indigenous perspectives. Our objective was to synthesize components from existing risk assessment and One Health approaches via a scoping review to propose a new, integrated HHRA framework.

Methodology: We conducted a systematic scoping review of publications from three major scientific databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed) with no date restrictions. Using a comprehensive search strategy, we screened primary research, reviews, and grey literature. Articles were excluded if they were non-English, opinion-based, or did not present a relevant risk assessment or One Health framework. Key elements were then extracted from the relevant publications to inform the development of the new framework.

Results: The review identified 75 relevant publications across various domains, including cumulative, integrated, and One Health risk assessments. Synthesizing these findings, we developed an HHRA framework that integrates systems thinking into the risk assessment paradigm. This framework is stakeholder-driven, considers the interconnectedness of human, environmental, and ecological health, and places Indigenous knowledge on equal footing with toxicological data. It facilitates a transparent, co-creative process that can be tailored to local contexts, ensuring endpoint measurements reflect community-specific health and cultural values.

Conclusion: Our framework offers a dynamic, holistic alternative to siloed, reductionist approaches. Its application can enhance the quality, relevance, and equity of public health decision-making for wicked problems. By centering site-specific and Indigenous perspectives, this approach fosters more just and sustainable health protection strategies that respect Indigenous sovereignty and ways of knowing.

Bio:

Faith Izevbizua is an environmental professional with over 12 years of experience in oil spill response, environmental assessment, and remediation. She holds degrees in Microbiology and Environmental Management and is currently completing a master's in biology at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on applying the One Health approach to human health and ecological risk assessment to provide a holistic view of environmental challenges.