Barbara's main area of interest is the integration of economic, social and technical aspects in livestock and fish food systems to support the development of implementable solutions that can support the health of animals, people, and the environment simultaneously and contribute to sustainability and resilience. She is particularly committed to the use of interdisciplinary and systems approaches that allow understanding and addressing problems holistically.

Her research and engagement activities can be summarised in four main streams:

1. Economics of animal health and AMU/AMR surveillance: Elaboration of conceptual and theoretical foundations for the (economic) evaluation of surveillance (animal health and antimicrobial use and resistance surveillance), development of practical tools for evaluation, and application to national and international case studies.
2. Food systems approaches for balanced outcomes including food safety, nutrition and sustainability: Use of holistic and interdisciplinary approaches to understand how food system elements, practices and decisions interact dynamically and shape the way our livestock food systems work and influence the health of animals, people and the environment and sustainability. 
3. Economics of animal disease management: Economic evaluation to assess the economic efficiency and feasibility of management options for production and zoonotic diseases.
4. Evaluation of One Health and One Health economics: Conceptualisation of key characteristics of One Health, development of standardised evaluation protocols based on key indicators and systems thinking, application of frameworks to case studies to investigate the potential added value of One Health. 

Barbara is the leader of the RVC research group Sustainable Food Systems.

She is also involved in both undergraduate (veterinary medicine and biosciences) and postgraduate (MSc One Health, MSc Vet Epi, and PhD students) research project supervision commonly focussing on topics of relevance to One Health, animal health or food systems. Bringing in her experience of interdisciplinary and food systems approaches, she has been contributing to the shaping of the UK food systems Centre for Doctoral Training (2021-2028) and the education of future food systems researchers. 

She regularly acts as a reviewer for a range of peer-reviewed journals and funding bodies and takes on editorial roles for some journals. 

Barbara's publications include peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and articles in lay magazines on: 1) Economics of animal health surveillance; 2) Food systems and food value chain approaches (including food safety, disease management, nutrition); 3) Economics of animal management and One Health; 4) Evaluation of One Health, and 5) Food systems and One Health competencies. 

 

A short selection is provided below; for the full list please refer to the profiles on Google Scholar Citations or Researchgate. 

 

Peer-reviewed publications

The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems. Winkler AS, Brux CM, Carabin H, das Neves CG, Häsler B, et al. The Lancet 2025. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00627-0

A bibliometric analysis of One Health research, guided by the Joint Plan of Action, 2010–2024. Szomsor M, Kadazmira MATJ, Ishii-Adajar H, Leyland T, Schaffner U., Häsler B, et al. CABI One Health 2025. doi.org/10.1079/cabionehealth.2025.003

Climate change and campylobacteriosis from chicken meat: The changing risk factors and their importance. Queenan K, Häsler B. Food Control 2025. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111193

Current evidence of the economic value of One Health initiatives: A systematic literature review. Auplish A, Raj E, Booijink Y, de Balogh K, Peyre M, Taylor K, Sumption K, Häsler B. One Health 2024. doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100755

Where One Health Meets Food Systems Teaching and Learning: Expanding Skillsets for Food System Transformation. Häsler B, Queenan K, Alarcon A, Raj E, Whatford L. CABI One Health Cases 2023. doi.org/10.1079/onehealthcases.2023.0010

A food systems approach and qualitative system dynamics model to reveal policy issues within the commercial broiler chicken system in South Africa. Queenan K, Cuevas S, Mabhaudhi T, Chimonyo M, Shankar B, Slotow R, Häsler B.  PLOS One 2022. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270756

Cost-benefit and feasibility analysis for establishing a foot-and-mouth disease free zone in Rukwa region in Tanzania. Häsler B, Limon G, Queenan K, Madege M, Mlangwa J, Mghwira J. Prev Vet Med 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105494

Exploring the potential of using nudges to promote food hygiene in the pork value chain in Vietnam. Hennessey M, Kim S, Unger F, Nguyen-Viet H, Dang-Xuan S, Nguyen-Thi T, Häsler B. Prev Vet Med. 2020 Aug;181:105003. doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105003

Where food safety meets nutrition outcomes in livestock and fish value chains: a conceptual approach. Häsler B, Dominguez-Salas P, Fornace K, Garza M, Grace D, Rushton J (2017). Food Security, doi: org/10.1007/s12571-017-0710-2. Or have a look at the Read-only version on SharedIt.

A Systems Approach to Evaluate One Health Initiatives. Rüegg SR, Nielsen LR, Buttigieg SC, Santa M, Aragrande M, Canali M, Ehlinger T, Chantziaras I, Boriani E, Radeski M, Bruce M, Queenan K, Häsler B (2018). Front Vet Sci. 2018 Mar 9;5:23. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00023. eCollection 2018.

Practices of traditional beef farmers in their production and marketing of cattle in Zambia. Mumba C, Häsler B, Muma JB, Munyeme M, Sitali DC, Skjerve  E, and Rich KM (2017). Tropical Animal Health and Production, doi: 10.1007/s11250-017-1399-0. Or have a look at the Read-only version on SharedIt.

The broiler meat system in Nairobi, Kenya: using a value chain framework to understand animal and product flows, governance and sanitary risks. Carron M, Alarcon P, Häsler B, Fèvre E, Karani M, Muinde P, Akoko J, Onono J, Rushton J (2017). Preventive Veterinary Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.08.013

Achieving an optimal allocation of resources for animal health surveillance, intervention and disease mitigation. Häsler B, Delabouglise A, Babo Martins S (2017). Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics) 36(1):57-66.

Economic evaluation of the eradication program for bovine viral diarrhea in the Swiss dairy sector. Thomann B, Tschopp A, Magouras I, Meylan M, Schuepbach-Regula G, Häsler B (2017). Preventive Veterinary Medicine 145, 15 September 2017, pp 1-6 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.05.020

Roadmap to a One Health agenda 2030. Queenan K, Garnier J, Nielsen LR, Buttigieg S, de Meneghi D, Holmberg M, Zinsstag J, Ruegg S, Häsler B, Kock R. CAB Review, May 2017. ISSN 1749- 8848. doi: 10.1079/PAVSNNR201712014

A blueprint to evaluate One Health. Rüegg SR, McMahon BJ, Häsler B, Esposito R, Rosenbaum Nielsen L, et al 2017. Frontiers in Public Health, section Public Health Policy. February 2017, doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00020

Mapping of beef, sheep and goat food systems in Nairobi — A framework for policy making and the identification of structural vulnerabilities and deficiencies. Alarcon P, Fèvre EM, Murungi MK, Muinde P, Akoko J, Dominguez-Salas P, Kiambi S, Ahmed S, Häsler B, Rushton J, 2017. Agricultural Systems, Volume 152, March 2017, Pages 1-17, doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.12.005.

Active animal health surveillance in European Union Member States: Gaps and opportunities. Bisdorff B, Schauer B, Taylor N, Rodríguez-Prieto V, Comin A, Brouwer A, Dórea F, Drewe J, Hoinville L,  Lindberg A, Martinez Avilés M, Martínez-López B, Peyre M, Pinto Ferreira J, Rushton J, Van Schaik G, Stärk KDC, Staubach C, Vicente-Rubiano M, Witteveen G, Pfeiffer D, Häsler B (2016). Epidemiol. Infect. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268816002697? 

Cross-sectional study of drivers of animal-source food consumption in low-income urban areas of Nairobi, Kenya. Cornelsen L, Alarcon P, Häsler B, Amendah DD, Ferguson E, Fèvre EM, Grace D, Dominguez-Salas P, Rushton J (2016). BMC Nutrition. doi: 10.1186/s40795-016-0109-z.

Nutritional characterisation of low-income households of Nairobi: socioeconomic, livestock and gender considerations and predictors of malnutrition from a cross-sectional survey. Dominguez-Salas P, Alarcon P, Häsler B, Dohoo IR, Colverson K, Kimani-Murage EW, Alonso S, Ferguson E, Fevre EM, Rushton J, Grace D (2016). BMC Nutrition 2:47. doi: 10.1186/s40795-016-0086-2

A One Health approach to antimicrobial resistance surveillance: is there a business case for it? Queenan K, Häsler B, Rushton J (2016). International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2016.06.014 

A One Health Framework for the Evaluation of Rabies Control Programmes: A Case Study from Colombo City, Sri Lanka. Häsler B, Hiby E, Gilbert W, Obeyesekere N, Bennani H, Rushton J (2014). PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8(10): e3270. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003270

Economic principles for resource allocation decisions at national level to mitigate the effects of disease in farm animal populations. Howe, KS, Häsler B, Stärk, KD, 2013. Epidemiol. Infect. Open Access: doi.org/10.1017/S095026881200060X? 

Linking agriculture and health in low- and middle-income countries: an interdisciplinary research agenda. Dangour AD, Green R, Häsler B, Rushton J, Shankar B, and Waage, J, 2012. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, Mar 16:1-7 (Epub ahead of print). PubMed ID 22420829

Conceptualising the technical relationship of animal disease surveillance to intervention and mitigation as a basis for economic analysis. Häsler B, Howe KS, Stärk KD, 2011. BMC Health Services Research, Sep 19; 11:225. Open access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/11/225

Financial analysis of various strategies for the control of Neospora caninum in dairy cattle in Switzerland. Prev. Vet. Med., Dec 18; 77(3-4):230-53. Häsler B, Regula G, Stärk KD, Sager H, Gottstein B, Reist M, 2006. PubMed ID 16982104

 

Edited books:

Principles of One Health for a better planet. 2024. CABI. Edited by Häsler B, Tvarijonaviciute A, Savic S. doi/10.1079/9781800623002.0000

Integrated approaches to health - A handbook for the evaluation of One Health. 2018. Wageningen Academic Publishers. Edited by Simon R. Rüegg, Barbara Häsler and Jakob Zinsstag. Open access.

 

Book chapters: 

Burden of Zoonoses. Babo Martins S, Rothman-Ostrow P, Patterson G, Häsler B, Rushton J. In Sing, A. (eds) Zoonoses: Infections Affecting Humans and Animals. Springer, Cham 2023. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85877-3_45-1?

One Health Economics. Häsler B, Cuevas S, Canali M, Aragrade M, Shaw A, Zinsstag J. In One Health: the theory and practice of integrated health approaches, CABI 2021. doi/abs/10.1079/9781789242577.0118

The Economic Value of One Health in Relation to the Mitigation of Zoonotic Disease Risks. Häsler B, Gilbert W, Jones BA, Pfeiffer DU, Rushton J, Otte MJ. In Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 2012.

 

Conference presentations:

• Keynote presentation: Working together for improved health outcomes. At One Health Crash Course – A Smart Strategy for the Future. Organised by the Chair of Care and the Natural Environment, University of Antwerpen. 10th October 2025. 
• Invited speaker (panel session): Plenary 5: One Health in Europe: from concept to practice. 17th European Public Health Conference: Sailing the waves of European public health: exploring a sea of innovation in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 – 15 November 2024.
• Session organiser and chair of special session entitled Systems Approaches to Promote Better Health for Animals, People and Ecosystems. International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE) 16, 7-12 August, 2022 in Halifax.
• Invited presentation: Using One Health competences in food systems. National conference: One Health in the 21st Century 2021. The Centre for Global Health, University of Oslo, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Norwegian University of Life Sciences. 3 November 2021.
• Keynote presentation: Unlocking the value of animal health surveillance. International Society for Economics and Social Sciences of Animal Health. University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 11-13 November 2020.
• Invited speaker (panel session): Rushton, J (chair), Alarcon P, Häsler B, Cornelsen L, Dominguez-Salas, P. Food in Poor Urban Settings. N8 AgriFood International Conference "People, Health and Food Systems", Liverpool, UK, 13 and 14 June 2018.
• Invited speaker: Häsler B, Options, costs and benefits of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) control in the context of livestock trade: Findings from STDF studies in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. STDF Information Session as part of the WTO committee on sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Geneva, Switzerland, 1 November 2017.
• Invited speaker: Häsler B, Added value and impact of participating in a COST Action, Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) July 2017, Manchester, UK.
• Invited speaker: Häsler B, Evaluating One Health, One Health/EcoHealth Workshop, October 2016, Brussels, Belgium.
• Comin A* & Häsler B*, Hoinville L, Peyre M, Dórea F, Schauer B, Snow L, Stärk KDC, Lindberg A, Brouwer A, Van Schaik G, Staubach C, Schulz K, Bisdorff B, Goutard F, Pinto Ferreira J, Conraths F, Cameron A, Martinez Aviles M, Sanchez-Vizcaino JM, Varan V, Traon D, Pinto J, Rushton J, Ripperger J, Pfeiffer DU (2016). RISKSUR Tools: Taking animal health surveillance into the future through interdisciplinary integration of scientific evidence. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, March 16th - 18th Elsinore, Denmark. *joint first authorship and presentation.
• Invited speaker: I. Karabozhilova I, Häsler B, Booth R, Rushton J. Economic analysis of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea control in England. Dairy Discover, Innovate and Grow, AHDB Dairy Research Seminar, 1st & 2nd March 2016, Kegworth, UK.
• Häsler B, Howe K, Peyre M, Vergne T, Calba C, Bisdorff, Comin A, Lindberg A, Brouwer A, Snow L, Schulz K, Staubach C, Martínez Avilés M, Traon D, Hoinville L, Stärk K, Pfeiffer D, Rushton J. Economic evaluation of animal health surveillance – moving from infancy to adolescence? 14th Conference of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, 3-7 November 2015, City of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
• Häsler B, Msalya G, Garza M, Fornace K, Eltolth M, Sikira M, Kurwijila L, Rushton J, Grace D. Integration of food safety and nutrition research to promote food security: A case study from Tanzania. 14th Conference of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, 3-7 November 2015, City of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
• Invited speaker: Häsler B, Alarcon P, Dominguez-Salas P, Carron M, Rushton J. A food systems approach to investigate disease emergence. London International Development Centre Biennal conference, 11th May 2015, London.
• Invited speaker: Häsler B. Assessing the benefits of One Health approaches. 4th annual scientific conference of MedVetNet.7-9th October 2015, Paris, France.
• Invited speaker: Häsler B, Rushton J. Studying livestock food systems – the need to create clarity. 3rd Global Risk Forum One Health Summit, 4-6th October 2015, Davos, Switzerland.

Barbara has also delivered various presentations at workshops and meetings of the Network for Evaluation of One Health. 

Barbara contributes to the preparation and delivery of animal health and One Health economics, food systems, One Health competencies, and Veterinary Public Health lectures, directed learning sessions and seminars for undergraduate (BVetMed, BSc Bioveterinary Sciences) and postgraduate courses (MSc Veterinary Epidemiology, MSc One Health). She has also been supervising several BSc and BVetMed research projects and MSc One Health and MSc Veterinary Epidemiology dissertations. She is a tutor on the RVC's distance learning programme.

To help enhance capacity development in animal health economics, Barbara co-led a Lifelong Learning Programme funded network that aimed to promote the use of economics in animal health teaching and training "NEAT: Networking to enhance the use of economics in animal health education, research and policy making in Europe and beyond" (2012-2015). She has further given, in close collaboration with colleagues, several workshops on animal health economics associated with international conferences (e.g., SVEPM, ISVEE) or training of residents in Veterinary Public Health. 

Later on, she shifted her focus more towards capacity building in systems approaches and integrated approaches to health. Since 2014, Barbara has been the RVC-LCIRAH lead academic for the Interdisciplinary Food Systems Teaching and Learning (IFSTAL) programme, an interdisciplinary and cross-university food systems training programme addressing global food security and environmental change delivered through online modules and face-to-face sessions at the participating universities. The IFSTAL team developed collaboratively a Functional Food Systems Literacy to help interested people acquire relevant skills for their work in food systems. 

As the lead of the international Network for Evaluation of One Health, she was regularly involved in training schools and workshops on One Health principles and evaluation approaches delivering training to international members of the Network (2014 to 2018). Once the funding came to an end, the Network was converted into an international Community of Practice, called Network for Ecohealth and One Health, focussing on advancing One Health competences globally. The led to a peer-reviewed publication on updated core competencies on One Health and an open-access, entry-level textbook on these One Health competences entitled Principles of One Health for a better planet, published by CABI (Barbara was the principal editor for the book).  

Together with colleagues in these communities, Barbara is actively promoting opportunities for capacity development in One Health and seeks to link research and educational opportunities to advance implementation efforts.  

• AMFORA: Applying a One Health systems approach to formulate strategies for mitigating risk to human health of AMR in Aquaculture

  

  The aim of AMFORA is to use a ‘systems-thinking’ approach to map aquaculture systems and identify hotspots for the emergence and selection of resistance and human exposure to antimicrobials and antimicrobial-resistant organisms.

  This will enable the identification of potential drivers of AMU and interventions to reduce AMU.

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• CoEval-AMR: Convergence in Evaluation Frameworks for Integrated surveillance of Antimicrobial use (AMU) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

  

  The CoEval-AMR network was created in 2019 with the goal of bringing people together to harmonize and refine existing methods and tools for assessing AMU and AMR surveillance from an integrated and systemic perspective.

  Multiple research groups worldwide are working on the evaluation of integrated AMU/AMR surveillance looking at how approaches and methods can be refined to provide information that is relevant for making decisions on what surveillance approaches to use and thereby support the management of AMU and AMR. So far, the work of different research and implementation groups has resulted in multiple frameworks and disjointed recommendations for evaluation and measurement, which can be confusing for users.

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• Control of brucellosis in dairy herds in Rwanda

  

  We are working with overseas partners to research the frequency and distribution of brucellosis among dairy herds, and longitudinal studies to identify Brucella species causing infection in dairy herds.

  Brucellosis is the world's most widespread zoonosis, imposing a substantial burden on the livelihoods of poor people as a result of human disease and reduced livestock productivity. However, brucellosis is rarely a priority for health systems and for this reason the WHO classifies brucellosis as a "neglected endemic zoonosis"

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• Evaluating the surveillance system for Antimicrobial Use (AMU) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the United Kingdom from a One Health perspective

  

  The project aims to assess the value of integrated surveillance systems for AMU and AMR in the UK from a One Health (OH) perspective.

  Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat with major economic implications. Bacteria carrying resistance genes can be transmitted between humans, animals and the environment. Therefore, an integrated surveillance programme for AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU) needs to take into consideration the various routes of AMR transmission.

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• Evaluation of the implementation of the UK Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  

  The project aims to evaluate the implementation of the UK Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) National Action Plan (NAP) 2019-2024 to contribute to the development and implementation of future AMR policy and adjustment of current implementation plans.

   AMR is a global threat; microorganisms with resistance genes can spread through the movement of people, animals, food, soil, air, and water. In addition, some resistance genes can be directly transferred between microorganisms.

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• FluTrailMap (Poultry) consortium

  

  The project brings together leading researchers at top UK scientific organisations to better understand and mitigate the threats of bird flu viruses to the poultry sector.

    

   

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• Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems - Southern Africa (SHEFS-SA)

  

  SHEFS-SA is a transdisciplinary, multi-institutional project funded by the Wellcome Trust and led by the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Its overall aim is to catalyse the transformation of Southern African food systems and communities (specifically in South Africa, Malawi, and Zimbabwe), towards ones that are healthy and resilient to climate change risks. The RVC’s role focuses on livestock source food systems.

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• Sustainable Beef & Sheep Food Systems

  

  This project brings together different disciplinary and One Health specialists from two collaborating universities; the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Hertfordshire to contribute creatively to solutions for more sustainable beef and sheep production and marketing systems in Great Britain.  

  Using trans-disciplinary, systems modelling approach we aim to map the British beef and sheep food systems and identify metrics of sustainability for each farming system to create an integrated model to assess impacts.

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• The Network for the Evaluation of One Health (NEOH) / the Network for Ecohealth and One Health (NEOH)

  

  The Network for Evaluation of One Health (NEOH) was an international EU-COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) funded network (2014-2018) that aimed to enable evaluation of One Health activities and comparison of initiatives, as well as informed decision-making and resource allocation. It was then converted into the Network for Ecohealth and One Health as the European Chapter of Ecohealth International that has several active working groups.

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• The Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems (SHEFS) programme

  

  SHEFS is led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the RVC’s work will focus on livestock-derived foods (LDF) in South Africa.South Africa bears a triple burden of malnutrition, with persistent levels of stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and rising obesity. LDF provide an energy dense and micronutrient rich food, important for pregnant and breast-feeding women and children’s cognitive development. However, they may also present health risks through overconsumption, foodborne diseases and chemical hazards and have a greater environmental impact than plant-based diets.

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• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) One Health Poultry Hub

  

  With integrated streams of social, economic, biological, mathematical and policy-led research, we are co-producing detailed knowledge on the biological, structural and socio-economic factors that shape networks of chicken production and distribution. The RVC-led UKRI GCRF One Health Poultry Hub brings together leading laboratory, clinical, veterinary and social scientists, as well as skilled communications experts, programme support staff and external stakeholders.  

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• UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub

  

  The UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub is conducting vital research to address the intractable global challenge of child stunting. We work directly with communities across India, Indonesia and Senegal who are facing this burden. Applying a holistic, Whole Child Approach, we’re developing child-focused interventions to prevent, improve and even reverse some key features of this global issue. The tools and approaches we develop in the Hub have the potential to change the lives of a million children worldwide.
  

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• Understanding drivers, incentives and economic impact of foot-and-mouth disease control in Kenya

  

  This project is studying the economic and social factors that influence how foot-and-mouth disease is controlled in Kenya at local and national levels. Understanding the socioeconomic drivers that affect disease control within relevant livestock systems, and the cost-effectiveness of control options are important components of designing FMD control programmes.

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