Public University & Veterinary Medical College Task Force Names Dr. Chase Crawford as Director of Antibiotic Resistance Initiative

Washington, DC — Dr. Chase A. Crawford has been named Director of the Antibiotic Resistance Initiative in a professional staff position jointly funded by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Crawford will provide administrative leadership for the development of a series of research and educational programs that the APLU/AAVMC Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture will recommend in its much-anticipated report slated for release in two weeks.

Formed in late 2014, the APLU/AAVMC task force is comprised of representatives from U.S., Canadian, and Mexican agriculture colleges/land-grant universities and veterinary colleges as well as key representatives from the production animal agriculture community and the pharmaceutical industry. The task force was created to advise the federal government on the development of an appropriate research agenda and create educational strategies for producers and the public concerning the use of antibiotics in production agriculture.

Crawford brings national and international experience in agricultural and global health policy as well as expertise in public policy development related antimicrobial resistance, food safety and emerging infectious diseases.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected as the Director of the APLU and AAVMC joint Antibiotic Resistance Initiative,” said Crawford, who will be based at the AAVMC. “This is an incredible opportunity to join the fight against one of the most significant health threats of our lifetime. I look forward to helping to carry out the work of the Task Force, which is composed of a truly unprecedented group of committed leaders, to ensure that their recommendations are fully implemented.”

Prior to his appointment, Crawford conducted an AAAS Congressional Science and Technology Fellowship in the office of U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN). During that position, he was instrumental in supporting Franken’s initiatives in One Health, agriculture, energy and the environment.

Before the AAAS Fellowship, Crawford served as a Human-Animal Interface Intern with the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, where he worked closely with WHO efforts to monitor and contain threats presented by avian influenza and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome corona virus).

Preceding that, Crawford conducted a Disease Intelligence Internship with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy, where he also focused on global zoonotic disease threats.

Crawford earned his DVM degree from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, where he was awarded the Fred P. Jaggi Award for Outstanding proficiency in Veterinary Public Health. He also earned M.S. and B.S. degrees from Texas A&M University.