Program Details
All times listed in Mountain Time. Program subject to change.
Monday, March 9
Starting from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
In conjunction with the main conference, Monday night kicks off with a free, open-to-the-public panel series highlighting how antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic infections affect our families, our pets, and the environments we share.
Antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic infections affect our families, our pets, and the environments we share - but most people don’t realize how everyday choices and systems shape this growing challenge. Join leading experts and community voices for an engaging, jargon-free public event exploring the real impacts of antimicrobial resistance, how it connects human, animal, and environmental health, and what we can all do to reduce risks. Through a dynamic panel discussion, patient perspectives, and opportunities to meet local trainees and researchers, participants will leave with practical insights and a clearer understanding of antimicrobial resistance in daily life.
Panelists:
Trisha Dowling, Professor Emerita, Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology
University of Saskatchewan
Sibina Fisher, Infection Control Practitioner, IPC Surveillance & Standards, Alberta Health Services
Eddie Lang, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Curtis Quan, PGY6 Antimicrobial Stewardship Fellow, University of Calgary
Tuesday, March 10
Starting from 09:00 AM
Starting from 10:00 AM
with Conference Co-Chairs, Dr Herman Barkema and Dr Jane Parmley and other special guests
Starting from 11:00 AM
JA (Jaap) Wagenaar, Chair in Clinical Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Starting from 12:00 PM
Starting from 1:00 PM
Emerging zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance highlight then need for collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches that bridge human, animal, and environmental health. Surveillance systems are vital for detecting and preventing these threats, but they often depend on complex data streams that can feel distant from the public.
This session explores how citizen science and community engagement can operationalize One Health by directly involving the public in data collection, monitoring, and knowledge exchange. Panelists will discuss how effective science communication and participatory methods can bridge gaps between researchers and communities, enhancing surveillance capacity, building trust, and fostering mutual learning.
Focusing on examples such as ticks and tick-borne diseases, the panel will highlight how inclusive, transparent, and locally grounded engagement can strengthen preparedness and resilience against AMR and zoonotic threats. Participants will gain practical strategies for integrating communication and participation into One Health initiatives to promote more sustainable and collaborative health action across species and sectors.
Speakers:
Gwendolyn Blue, Professor, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary
Dayna Goldsmith, Associate Instructor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
Jeremie Bouffard, etick Project Manager, Bishop's University
Starting from 3:00 PM
Starting from 3:30 PM
Starting from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday, March 11
Starting from 08:00 AM
Starting from 09:00 AM
Grounded in a One Health approach, this session brings a fresh perspective on AMR by providing a platform to hear from those who work directly with the Canadian Beef, Dairy and Poultry producers. They will share firsthand insights into how AMR shapes daily decision-making on the farm and directly affects animal health, welfare, and operational sustainability.
Speakers will explore the growing challenges of managing disease as treatment options become increasingly limited, highlighting both the animal-welfare implications and the economic realities faced by producers. Importantly, the session will also showcase success stories - demonstrating how improved stewardship practices, evolving policies, and advances in research are translating into practical, on-farm solutions with benefits across human, animal, and environmental health.
As scientific knowledge and policy frameworks continue to advance, this session emphasizes the critical role producers play in translating these efforts into action. By centering producer voices, the discussion underscores that meaningful progress in addressing AMR depends on collaborative, cross-sector solutions that work in real-world agricultural settings.
Speakers:
Rob Renema, PhD, FICN, Farms Programs & Research Manager, Alberta Chicken Producers
Roy Lewis, Professor, University of Calgary, Lewis Farms
Cheryl Schroeder, Senior Advisor, Animal Health, Dairy Farmers of Canada
Starting from 11:30 AM
Starting from 1:00 PM
As climate change drives intense environmental changes and shifts in biodiversity, very few regions are affected as much as the Canadian Arctic. This presents a great challenge for the indigenous people as their lives, both practically and traditionally, are intertwined with the ecosystem that surrounds them. The combination of high levels of human-wildlife interactions and the technological limitations that impede comprehensive surveillance efforts create an environment that is suitable for a variety of zoonotic diseases to emerge. This session explores these challenges and the work currently being done in Canada to identify emerging zoonoses throughout the Arctic.
Speakers:
Susan Kutz, Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
Patrick Leighton, Professor, Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal
Starting from 3:00 PM
Starting from 3:30 PM
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly common tool in research, education, and scientific communication. It offers significant advantages in expanding the accessibility, speed, and scope of knowledge transfer; however, it also presents ethical concerns surrounding reliability, transparency, authorship, and bias. This session will provide an overview of both the opportunities and risks of using AI, specifically in knowledge transfer and communication. Speakers will present emerging practices and recommendations to support the ethical adoption of AI across the AMR-EZ research and training community.
Speakers:
Anjana Puliyabsa, Machine Learning Scientist, Drug Discovery, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
Kalina Kamenova, Founder & Research Director, Canadian Institute of Genomics and Society
Jessalyn Holodinsky, Director, Artificial Intelligence & Data Education and Ethics, Cummings School of Medicine
Starting from 6:30 PM
Starting from 7:00 PM
Thursday, March 12
Starting from 08:00 AM
Starting from 09:00 AM
As the crisis of antimicrobial resistance intensifies, at the same time the pipeline for new antibiotics continues to shrink. It is no longer enough to rely solely on the discovery of novel antibiotics, we need to diversify our strategies. This session will highlight promising alternatives that are advancing through research, development, and adoption. With the added threat of emerging zoonoses that blur the boundaries between human, animal, and environmental health, the urgency for alternatives has never been greater. Drawing on insights from both academia and industry, the discussion will provide a comprehensive view of how these solutions can complement traditional antibiotics in the urgent battle against resistance.
Speakers:
Bryan Tennant, Scientific Director, GSK
Dongyan Xu Niu, Associate Professor, Faculty if Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
Jeroen De Buck, Professor, University of Calgary
Starting from 11:30 AM
Starting from 12:00 PM
Starting from 1:00 PM
Advances in genomic sequencing and data handling and processing technologies have revolutionized our ability to detect and characterize antimicrobial resistance. This session will showcase how these technologies are being implemented from the benchtop to clinical practice and surveillance to inform antimicrobial stewardship. The session will demonstrate how genomics can guide best practices in provincial diagnostic laboratories and enhance national initiatives such as CIPARS, Canada’s integrated program for antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
Speakers:
Jennifer Guthrie, Canada Research Chair in Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics, Western University
Cheryl Waldner, Professor/Research Chair. University of Saskatchewan
Matthew Croxen, Associate Professor, University of Alberta
Starting from 4:00 PM