Margaret Khaitsa

Professor Margaret Khaitsa holds a Ph. D in Veterinary Preventive Medicine/Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, USA, MSc in Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK, and Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, Uganda. Her postdoctoral training was in Epidemiology/Food Safety, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA. She is Board certified by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and her research interests are in infectious disease epidemiology and food safety.

Author of over 70 publications, a book chapter, and numerous presentations at scientific conferences, Dr Khaitsa co-edited a Special Issue Pan African Medical Journal on Transboundary Animal Diseases & Zoonoses and served as Director of an MSc degree in International Infectious Disease Management. In 2010-2015, with collaborators from Africa and North America, she led a One Health multi-institutional project, "Capacity Building in Integrated Management of Transboundary Animal Diseases & Zoonoses in Eastern Africa." She has mentored numerous junior faculty/students and continues to train the next-generation global workforce through "One Health in the Global environment" and a study abroad in “Tropical Veterinary Medicine & One Health" courses.

Dr Khaitsa has received numerous awards, including: 2020/2021 Fulbright Fellowship; MSU President's Commission on the Status of Women; Outstanding Faculty Woman Award; and two Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowships. She was President Elect, American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, Public Health Committee and participated in Engaging Inter-Governmental Organizations (WHO/FAO/OIE/WTO). Dr Khaitsa and her colleagues were awarded a USDA-FAS Technical Exchange grant for Veterinary Epidemiology training in China (2016). In 2017, she served on WHO/FAO/OIE Tripartite "Training and Workforce Development" Technical Working Group for upgrading the Zoonoses Guide. She currently leads a USDA-FAS-grant to harmonize SPS regulations across Regional Economic Communities of the African Union. Dr Khaitsa co-founded and chairs the Board of Higher Education Resource Services, East Africa, an NGO advancing women economic empowerment and leadership development.