Hi, I'm Vanessa Smilansky, and I'm working to ensure that progress in biosurveillance benefits all aspects of One Health.

I believe humanity is meant to flourish within the natural world, not apart from it. One Health recognizes that humans, animals, and the environment are deeply interconnected, and that addressing global health challenges requires integrated approaches. Over the past 15 years as a research scientist I have sought to advance this vision through my work in biosurveillance and pathogen detection.

The road to One Health has taken me through conservation biology, wildlife epidemiology, and pandemic prevention.

Before beginning my PhD, I supported sustainable management of marine species, including soft corals and salmon, using population genetics. My doctoral research remained rooted in conservation, using genomics to investigate the spread of an emerging amphibian pathogen. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, I pivoted toward surveillance of human pathogens, motivated by the need to prevent future pandemics and strengthen biosecurity.

Drawing on this diverse background, I now work toward an integrated approach to pathogen detection that connects wildlife and human health, conservation and biosecurity. My goal is to develop genomic tools and surveillance frameworks that detect, characterize, and monitor pathogens across the human, animal, and environmental interface.

My interests include:

  • Extending detection capabilities to include microeukaryotic pathogens

  • Strengthening early warning systems by incorporating vector-based surveillance

  • Rapid and point-of-care pathogen detection technologies

  • The role of citizen science in One Health detection

Let's Connect!

If any of these topics resonate with you, I invite you to explore the rest of my site. I'm always looking to connect with others who share these interests, especially in the Boston area, where I am currently based. I hope to see the region's world-class expertise applied not only to biomedical research and drug discovery, but also to advancing biosurveillance, environmental monitoring, and biodiversity conservation.

If you have questions, ideas, or would simply like to connect, please reach out on LinkedIn or email me at  vanessa@onehealthdetection.com.