Superbugs, Pets and People:
What you need to know to protect your family and your pets.
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.
Patricia Dowling
DVM, MSc, Professor, Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, Co-director CgFARAD, Diplomate, ACVIM (Large Animal) & ACVCP
Trisha Dowling is a veterinarian and professor of veterinary
clinical pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and the founder and co-director of the Canadian gFARAD. She graduated from Texas A&M in 1983 (BS Animal Science) and 1987 (DVM). After a residency and Master’s at Auburn University, she became a board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. She has been teaching veterinary pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine since 1993 and has received numerous teaching awards including the Norden Distinguished Professor award and the Provost’s Teaching Excellence Award.
Sibina Fisher
BSN, RN, MSc, Infection Control Practitioner, IPC Surveillance & Standards
Alberta Health Services
Sibina Fisher is a registered nurse and infection control professional with Alberta Health Services, where she works on the provincial Infection Prevention and Control team. She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing and Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta and has completed a Master of Science in One Health at the University of Glasgow. With nearly ten years of experience in infection control, Sibina is particularly interested in how antimicrobial resistant bacteria move between people and their companion animals. Her work sits at the intersection of human health, animal health, and the shared environments we occupy—a perspective known as One Health. As both a healthcare professional and an animal lover, she is passionate about helping the public understand practical, evidence based ways to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance between pets and the people who care for them.
Eddie Lang
Professor of Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Alberta Health Services
Eddy Lang is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine- University of Calgary. He served as the Zone Clinical Department Head and the Emergency Strategic Clinical Network Scientific Director for the past decade, completing these roles in 2024. He is known for his contributions to evidence-based medicine; Dr. Lang serves on the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, where he plays a pivotal role in developing national guidelines that promote high-value care and reduce overdiagnosis. An advocate for minimizing harm and low-value interventions, he is internationally recognized for his research and leadership in addressing overdiagnosis and promoting judicious healthcare delivery. Dr. Lang has expertise in applying the GRADE methodology for clinical practice guideline development, contributing to clinical practice improvements across emergency medicine and beyond. As a thought leader, he combines academic excellence with a commitment to enhancing healthcare quality and sustainability. Thirty-three years in emergency medicine have been an incredible privilege, offering the chance to make a real difference in moments of crisis. I’m grateful for the patients who have trusted me, the colleagues who have inspired me, and the countless lessons this career has taught me.
Curtis Quan
PGY6 Antimicrobial Stewardship Fellow, University of Calgary
Infectious Disease Specialist, Alberta Health Services
Dr. Curtis Quan is an infectious diseases specialist who has trained in multiple centres across Canada in Montreal, Winnipeg and Calgary. Having treated many Superbugs, he has a deep interest in understanding and fighting antimicrobial resistance. He is undergoing further specialized training in antimicrobial stewardship to help optimize patient safety in hospitals by ensuring appropriate use of antibiotics. He is co-leading research using wastewater surveillance to track antimicrobial resistance at the Arthur Child Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre in Calgary and is always actively engaging to find new ways to optimize the appropriate use of antibiotics.