Introductions
Hello, and welcome to the Avian Influenza Summit weblog!
My name is Barbara Knust, and I am a veterinarian who has just started at the School of Public Health in the executive program. I grew up in Michigan, and developed an interest in animals at an early age. I earned a Biology degree at Alma College, a small liberal arts school in Michigan, and then went to veterinary school at Michigan State University. Through my studies I have had quite a few wonderful opportunities to travel internationally and work in a research lab setting. These experiences kindled an interest in both infectious disease and international issues with respect to veterinary medicine and zoonoses—the diseases that can pass from animals to humans.
Although I knew that eventually I wanted to pursue a career in public health, upon graduation from vet school in 2004 I went to work in upstate New York at a mixed animal practice. Many mentors had advised that I spend at least a few years working “in the trenches”, and so I did: with patients ranging from pets to livestock. In my direct area, we had an abundance of small Mennonite dairy farms, backyard horse operations, canine breeding kennels, and of course numerous dogs & cats. It was a wonderful learning experience in emergency management, public education, and improvisation! And I now am armed with plenty of hair-raising stories to tell around campfires…
In the first week of January, I moved out here to the Twin Cities, and started working at the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the U as a post-doc. My job is to help with teaching public health to veterinary students and work on various public health/food safety projects for the Center—and I get to work on my MPH at the same time.
This is my first semester of classes at SPH. Taking the Emerging Infectious Disease course was a priority for me—mainly because I have a great deal of interest in all of the factors that contribute to epidemics, and thought that this course would be an exciting introduction to my public health education. When I found out that the entire class would be heading to an Avian Influenza preparedness summit, I was really thrilled. Because of my training I have a very scientific view of the disease, and so I expect from the summit my perspective will be broadened to also understand the logistical & organizational consequences.