Who We Are

Connecting Minnesota and the world to develop solutions to shared challenges in veterinary public health.

people standing in a corn field

The Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) is a center in the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). As a service unit for issues related to veterinary public health, our activities are ultimately intended to prevent or mitigate the risk associated with endemic, emerging, and foreign diseases that affect the health of animals, humans, and the environment. CAHFS has also been designated as a collaborating center for capacity building of veterinary services by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

CAHFS helps the CVM—and the U of M community as a whole—navigate the challenges of an increasingly interconnected world by bringing global solutions for Minnesotan challenges, and contributing Minnesotan solutions to global problems affecting animal and public health, and food security.

Our mission

We partner to promote a safe and secure food supply, while protecting the health and wellbeing of animals, humans, and the environment.

Our program areas

Working with our partners, CAHFS strives to effectively address animal and food safety issues so that people and animals can live healthier lives through five central program areas:

  • Research development: We support faculty and researchers at the University of Minnesota to develop projects that empower international research collaborations and catalyze their impact.
  • eLearning: We translate University knowledge and research into innovative online education initiatives for students, veterinarians, and professionals.
  • Public policy: We help partners consider the policy system for their health challenges, and identify opportunities to influence policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation.
  • Data analysis: We use quantitative epidemiology methods to build near-real-time systems for the prevention and mitigation of disease impact.
  • Veterinary public health residency: We contribute to the development of the next generation of public health professionals with specialized, vigorous training and hands-on practice

Impact Reports

Cover of the 2019 annual report document

The CAHFS annual report provides an overview of the activities conducted by our programs and projects, and the efforts we have made to contribute to a safer and more secure world for all of us.

2020 Annual Report

2019 Annual Report

2018 Annual Report 

 

 

Resources

Learn more about CAHFS and what it means to work in veterinary public health.