Rafael Ruiz De Castañeda

Dr. Rafael Ruiz de Castañeda co-leads the One Health Unit at the Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva. With an interdisciplinary background in wild animal ecology and veterinary microbiology, he has extensive field and laboratory experience working with wild avian populations and studying potentially pathogenic bacteria and parasites. His research interests focus on the One Health/Eco-Health approach, particularly regarding emerging infectious diseases and biodiversity conservation at the human-animal-ecosystem interface. Currently, he investigates the impact of snakebites on human and domestic animal populations in rural Africa and Asia, while also exploring local food markets and their implications for health promotion and food security. Dr. Ruiz de Castañeda employs innovative methods from Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing to address public health questions in collaboration with the Citizen Cyberlab. He is actively involved in teaching Global Health courses at the university and has contributed to various health education projects in developing countries. His courses include "Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface" and "Global Health: An Interdisciplinary Overview."