KANSAS CITY, MO.– The National Institute of Animal Agriculture (NIAA) announced that it would add two co-chairs to its Antibiotics Council.

Heather Fowler, VMD, PhD, is the director of producer and public health at the National Pork Board, overseeing public health, occupation safety, and health issues related to swine production in the United States.

Fowler completed her Veterinary Medical Degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, a Master's in Public Health in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health in 2011, and a PhD in Environmental and Occupational Hygiene from the University of Washington School of Public Health in 2017. 

Other credentials for Fowler include being board-certified in veterinary preventive medicine with expertise in areas of zoonotic disease, public health, worker safety and health, and One Health application. 

Alexandra Medley, DVM, will hold the other co-chair position, along with her current job of the associate director for Antimicrobial Resistance within the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

She received both her Master's in Public Health and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University and her Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College.

Since it started in 1916, NIAA stated that its councils were developed to collaborate, learn, and discuss current and emerging topics to provide platforms to exchange scientific information, find common ground, and seek resolutions across species segments. 

The association noted that participation at the NIAA council is open to animal agriculture stakeholders that look to enhance antibiotic use policies and practices.

The Antibiotics Council will host the annual Antibiotics Symposium, which will be held in Denver, Colo., from Nov. 19-21, 2024.

Topics for the Symposium include an industry report on the current state of antibiotic stewardship, information on the latest antimicrobial stewardship and resistance research, regulatory updates, One Health collaborations, and many more areas of expertise.

Stakeholders who are interested in registering for the event can find it here.