About MSDT-One Health
MSDT-One Health is a professional development and mentoring program bridging clinical skills with toxicology knowledge and practice at the nexus of environmental toxic exposures and One Health (the health of humans and animals).
In 2025, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS, NIH) awarded Drs Wilson K Rumbeiha and Laura S. Van Winkle from the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) a 5-year “Innovative Program to enhance Research Training” (IPERT) grant to support a mentoring and skills development training program in One Health (MSDT-One Health). One Health requires transdisciplinary collaborations to optimally promote the health of people, animals, and their shared environment. However, transdisciplinary research in One Health requires a skill set that is not widely taught.
Above: Dr. WIlson Rumbeiha and (former) mentee Cristina Maldonado review results in the lab. Photo by Don Preisler
About the Program
The goal of this national program is to build a cadre of early-career scientists and undergraduate students in STEM with knowledge and research skill sets suitable for transdisciplinary, multisectoral, transformative research in One Health.
Hosted by the University of California, Davis, the program is delivered by a consortium of institutions including the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Iowa State University, and Meharry Medical College. The team of investigators consists of faculty from two Veterinary Schools (UC Davis SVM and Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine) and two Schools of medicine (UC Davis SOM and Meharry Medical College).
The 1 year-long program is primarily virtual and contains e-learning modules and case studies that are available 24/7 on any devices accessible to the internet. In addition, learning objectives are achieved through a combination of workshops, field trips, attendance at a One Health Conference, assigned e-modules and case studies, grant writing workshops, and webinars delivered by expert scientists in the fields of toxicology and One Health.
The program is open to US citizens and Green card holders only. Each year, 10 early career scientists (i.e., within 10 years of their terminal research degree, Ph.D., DVM, M.D) and who have not previously successfully competed for a substantial independent research award are competitively recruited nationally. For undergraduates, each year 20 students in STEM are also competitively recruited from across the country. The common element of successful applicants is that candidates must clearly demonstrate potential for continued interest in research at the nexus of Toxicology and One Health. Mentees are matched 1:1 with near-peer mentors and senior volunteer mentors with One Health experience working for academia, government, or industry.
To successfully complete the program, Early Career Scientists will create an NIH Specific Aims page and a Research Strategy document. Undergraduate students give a capstone presentation at a capstone conference.
To ensure a holistic learning environment, program alumni are expected to continue to participate in the program as near-peer mentors for the duration of the grant and agree to follow up surveys.