“One Health is the collaborative effort of multiple health science professions, together with their related disciplines and institutions – working locally, nationally, and globally – to attain optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife, plants, and our environment.” One Health Commission.

One Health is one of six signature areas of research at the University of Saskatchewan.  Dr. Dell’s Chair builds on the concept of zooeyia, an essential component of One Health, and defined as “the positive benefits to human health from interacting with animals, focusing on the companion animal” (Hodgson and Darling, 2011). Dr. Dell views the environment from a social, built, and ecological standpoint and draws attention to animal welfare in her work.

To learn more about this approach, you can listen to Dr. Dell here or in her TEDx talk or read the following:

• C. Dell & Anna-Belle (St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog). [by Anna-Belle the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog, as interpreted by her handler, Colleen Anne Dell]. 2015. “Questioning ‘Fluffy’: A Dog’s Eye View of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) in the Treatment of Substance Misuse”. Substance Use & Misuse. 50(0): 1148-1152.  

• Williamson, L., Dell, C., Chalmers, D., Cruz, M., DeGroot, P. 2021. "Recognizing the Human-Animal Bond for Enhancing Zooeyia among PTSD-Diagnosed Veterans who have a Service Dog and Problematically Use Substances". Human Animal Interaction Bulletin. 10(2): 20-47.  

• D. Chalmers & C. Dell. 2015. “Applying One Health to the Study of Animal Assisted Interventions”. EcoHealth Journal. 12(4): 560-562.

Although the current focus of Dr. Dell’s Chair is One Heath, she remains involved in key substance use specific projects.