Dr. Sarah Wood

Two Presentations:
• Adventures of a Research Chair in Pollinator Health
• The Mysterious Case of European Foulbrood Disease

Dr. Sarah Wood (PhD, DVM) is the new USask Pollinator Health Research Chair at the WCVM. Wood is a USask alumni who earned Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD degrees from the WCVM, and who has worked on research related to pollinator health since 2015. “My long-term vision for this research chair position is to enhance agricultural sustainability and ecosystem health by studying managed and wild bee species from a veterinary perspective. By applying veterinary research tools to address the ongoing challenges to pollinator health and biodiversity, I think we can make impactful change,” said Wood.

Animal pollinators—most of which are insects—are involved in two-thirds of global food production. Through their daily work, pollinators enable plants to successfully grow and produce crops. Among all pollinators, honey bees have the greatest impact on global crop production. “As the first North American veterinary college to establish a honey bee research and teaching program, we are the ideal home for this new research chair. We are so grateful to the support from industry partners who recognize the need for these discoveries at such a critical time when honey bees and other pollinators are facing major health challenges,” said WCVM Dean Dr. Gillian Muir.
“This new research position is an exciting step for our college as our researchers strive to protect the health of both managed and wild pollinators, and in doing so, to improve agricultural sustainability in Canada and throughout the world.”