Dr. Amar Patil, New Jersey Department of Agriculture (Chair)

Dr. Amar Patil is the director of the Division of Animal Health/New Jersey State Veterinarian and oversees the division’s programs, which include animal disease diagnostics, livestock disease prevention and control, livestock welfare, and animal emergency preparedness. Prior to becoming the NJ State Veterinarian, Dr. Patil directed the NJDA’s Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (AHDL) for 11 years. Before that, he was a Research Scientist in AHDL for 4 years. He is a board-certified veterinary microbiologist. His expertise includes animal disease surveillance and infectious disease diagnostic medicine. He believes that One Health can only be successful if all the partners in One Health have an equal voice and are respected for their knowledge.

Christine Schell, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Christine Schell is a 30+ year veteran of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and currently manages the NJDEP’s Office of Environmental and Public Health Analysis. In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), Christine jointly coordinates New Jersey’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program through a CDC grant, and oversees the development, implementation, and dissemination of data analyses and visualizations tools designed to integrate public health concerns into local and state decision making, planning, and the implementation of meaning actions on a broad array of issues, including environmental justice, climate resilience, and sustainability. Christine represents the NJDEP’s Commissioner on the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Resource, is the Commissioner’s designee as ex-officio on the NJ One Health Taskforce and sits on the NJDOH’s Asthma Advisory Board. She also participates on the Health Equity Workgroup of the NJ State Cancer Coalition and leads the Extreme Heat Coordinated Communications Workgroup for the NJ Interagency Council on Climate Resilience. Christine holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Public Administration (MPA), both from Rutgers University. She is a Certified Public Manager and member of the Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Administration.

Dr. Darby McDermott, New Jersey Department of Health

Darby McDermott is the State Public Health Veterinarian at the New Jersey Department of Health. As State Public Health Veterinarian, she oversees the Office of Veterinary Public Health, acting as a subject matter expert on zoonotic diseases in people and domestic companion animals, providing technical consultations to local health departments, veterinarians, and healthcare providers, and overseeing programs administered by the Office of Veterinary Public Health, including a low cost spay/neuter program and providing rabies vaccines for municipal rabies vaccination clinics for dogs and cats. Dr. McDermott received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts. She joined the New Jersey Department of Health in December 2020. Prior to her work at the Department of Health, Dr. McDermott worked as a general practice small animal veterinarian.

Dr. Gloria Bachmann (Vice-Chair)

A nationally and internationally recognized physician who has moved health care to the next level in many areas. At Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), she is a Professor of Ob/Gyn & Medicine, the Associate Dean for Women’s Health, the Co-director of the Women’s Health Institute, and the Medical Director of the PROUD Gender Center of NJ. Regarding One Health, she has been committed to its principles starting during her high school years. As a women’s health clinician, she also is committed to improving maternal health for all women. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and the Perlman School of Medicine, at the University of Pennsylvania. She also completed her Ob/Gyn residency training at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Heather Fowler

Dr. Heather Fowler completed her Veterinary Medical degree at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, a Master 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. She is board certified in veterinary preventive medicine and has expertise in the areas of zoonotic disease, public health, worker safety and health, and One Health application. In the summer of 2017, Dr. Fowler began work as the Director of Producer and Public Health at the National Pork Board where she oversees public health as well as occupational safety and health issues as they relate to swine production in the United States.

Dr. Vincent Silenzio

Dr. Vincent Silenzio is a physician, public health researcher, and professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, where he directs the Global Public Health concentration. He earned his MD and MPH from Rutgers University and his BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. With expertise in epidemiology, global health, and AI-driven public health innovation, his work focuses on disease modeling, surveillance, and the intersection of technology and health systems. As a member of the NJ One Health Task Force, Dr. Silenzio brings a multidisciplinary approach to addressing emerging public health challenges, zoonotic diseases, and environmental health concerns. His research and policy contributions aim to strengthen intersectoral collaboration for a healthier, more sustainable future for New Jersey and beyond.

Dr. Alison Stout

Alison Stout grew up in Warren County, New Jersey where her interest in One Health was first sparked through participation in 4-H and FFA. She pursued her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education at Cornell University.  Following undergrad, she spent two years working in an equine immunology laboratory, primarily working with Equine Herpesvirus.  Dr. Stout received her DVM from Cornell University in 2017. During her time in vet school, she was able to do field work in Indonesia, investigating Tabanid flies, a potential vector of T. evansi in the critically endangered Javan Rhino. Following veterinary school, Dr. Stout completed her PhD focused on animal coronaviruses. She now works for USDA APHIS Veterinary Services. In her free time, Dr. Stout enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her pets.

Dr. Michael Zwick

Michael E. Zwick, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President for Research at Rutgers University, where he leads the Office for Research and Rutgers research and innovation activities as Rutgers’ chief research officer and institutional official for the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Dr. Zwick earned a B.S. from Cornell University in Biological Sciences, specializing in Genetics and Development, and a Ph.D. in Population Biology from the Center for Population Biology at the University of California at Davis. A former Professor of Human Genetics at Emory University, his research uses genetics principles to discover the causes of rare and common disorders, with research experience as an individual investigator, a member of large consortiums, and a research leader. In addition to his experience as a human geneticist, Dr. Zwick’s collaborative, team-based approach also comes from his 25 years of military service as a former surface warfare qualified officer in the United States Navy (Commander, O-5). Dr. Zwick served onboard the USS KAUFFMAN (FFG 59) for 38 months and is a veteran of Desert Storm. As a reservist, he served in multiple commands, including Commander Pacific Fleet, Commander US Forces Japan, Naval Medical Research Center, and the Office of Naval Research. Dr. Zwick was called to active duty to support the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts from November 2002 through November 2004.

Dr. Michael Taylor

Michael A. Taylor, Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary scholar with research and teaching interests at the intersection of environmental economics, ethics, and public policy. Dr. Taylor earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Connecticut, an M.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics; Philosophy; Environmental Policy) from The Ohio State University. At Seton Hall University since 2004, he was the founding director of the interdisciplinary program in Environmental Studies and is currently an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Department of Political Science & Public Affairs. Dr. Taylor’s interest in One Health is primarily related to issues of political economy and precarity associated with health equity and environmental justice issues.

Dr. Andrea Egizi, New Jersey Department of Agriculture (Secretary)

Andrea is a Research Scientist at the NJ Department of Agriculture and Coordinator of the NJ One Health Task Force. Prior to joining NJDA in November 2024, Andrea oversaw the Monmouth County Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory, located at the Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology. Andrea has a B.S. in Biology from The College of New Jersey, a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolution from Rutgers University, and has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed papers on vector biology and ecology.  Her interest in One Health was sparked by her involvement in the initial detection of exotic Asian longhorned ticks in New Jersey, a vector of both veterinary and medical importance. In her current role, Andrea seeks to facilitate cross-discipline communication and collaboration for the betterment of NJ environments, animals, and people.