Building a Healthy World
The health of all living things on Earth is intimately connected through the biosphere. From microbes living in soil through to human beings, the food chain and the environment connects all living things. Nevertheless, many advances in human, animal and plant health occur on the microorganism or cellular level, and personalised healthcare based on bioinformatics is developing quickly. While great strides have been made in treating communicable diseases, the incidence of non-communicable diseases is increasing dramatically, particularly in the developed world. Health must therefore be considered at multiple levels.
UCD is the only Irish university which brings together human and animal health sciences, agriculture and food sciences, and environmental and social sciences. We have extensive research and teaching in food production and nutrition and health, together with expertise in personalised medicine, life course and human ageing. We are therefore uniquely positioned to address the education and research synergies between the sciences of human, animal and environmental health.
We will advance the understanding of human, animal and environmental health and wellbeing for the benefit of society, from the cellular level to the population level, and from the individual level to the biosphere as a whole, recognising the interconnectivity between all living things and utilising the One Health concept. We will seek sustainable and ethical interventions of all types which will contribute to the health and wellbeing of individuals, populations and the environment. Novel interdisciplinary teaching and research collaborations will be promoted to address important aspects of health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the global ecosystem. We will develop and support programmes to promote good health, to prevent disease and ill health, and to treat medical conditions.
We will make health and wellbeing programmes available to all members of the UCD community, building on the Healthy UCD initiative. We will position UCD as a model for a healthy society, seeking to educate all members of our community in the fundamentals of healthy living and in the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle.