Research Areas
- Epidemiology of zoonotic diseases
Current Research
- The epidemiology of zoonotic diseases of companion animals, particularly creation of companion animal surveillance and its application to public health intelligence
- Risks for dog bites, health-related impacts of dog bites and dog bite prevention or dog population management effects on occurrence of dog bites, particularly as it regards northern rural, remote or First Nations communities. As part of the project, the team has developed the Community Dog Workbook (https://researchers.usask.ca/tasha-epp/index.php), based on years of experience and discussions with many communities struggling with dog populations or dog-related issues.
- Epidemiology of animal health diseases, including the application of spatial epidemiology techniques in a variety of animal disease situations.
Current Courses
- PUBH 846.3, Analytical Methods in Epidemiologic Research
- VLAC 863.3, Advanced Veterinary Epidemiology
- PUBH 809.3/VLAC 862.3, Field Epidemiology (public health or animal health focused)
- VLAC 808.3, Veterinary Epidemiology
- VLAC 840.3, Zoonoses and Food Safety
- VLAC 812.2 and 813.1, Statistics for Clinical Research
Recent Grants and Awards
As Principal Investigator:
2020-2023 - Epp, T. Infectious Disease and Climate Change Fund, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC-IDCCF). Companion Animal Surveillance: One Health Evidence for Assessing Human Health Risks in Western Canada. ($295,040).
2019-2021 - Epp, T., & Woodsworth, J., Candelora, G., Ratt, A., Isbister, H. SPOUT - SCPOR/SHRF. Pets and People in the gap: Identifying perspectives on pets and pet health, working towards community-derived interventions to promote community health in communities under-served by veterinarians in Saskatchewan. ($103,472)
As Co-Investigator:
2019-2021 - Simko, E. (PI), & Klein, C., Medici de Mattos, I., Trokhymchuk, A., Ngeleka, M., Wood, S., Kozii, I., Epp, T., Castillo, C. Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. Surveillance and improved control of American foulbrood (AFB) in honey bees in Saskatchewan. ($86,000)
Tait, Caroline L. (NPI), Co-Principal Investigators: (Foulds, H., Graham, H., Henry, R., Lambert, S., Lavallie, C., Lovo Grona, S., McKinstry, S., Oosman, S., Sasakamoose, J., Schindel, J., Skinner, S., Swidrovich, J.); Co-investigators: (Abonyi, S., Baerg, K., Baetz, M., Balbuena L.C., Bowen, A., Datta, R., Epp, T., et al). (2019-2024) First Nations and Métis Health and Wellness Research, Training, and Knowledge Mobilization Network. Provincial Centre and National Coordinating Centre. $1 million (CAD). Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR), Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
2017-2020 - Vatanparast, H. (PI), & Petruka, P., Epp, T., Woods, P., Hammond Ketilson, L., Farag, M., Kulshreshtha, S., Samarghandi, H. Community Foundations of Canada. Global Leaders Scholarship – Seeking Sustainable Solutions in Food Security and Nutrition for Women and Children: A Tri-Country Approach. ($449,200)
2017-2020 - Card, C. (PI), & Laarveld, B., Robinson, K., Manning, S., Fernanda Lopez Rodriguez, M., Simko, E., Starrak, G., Cymbaluk, N., Epp, T., Evans, T., Messer, N. Mark and Pat Dumont Equine Research Fund. Effects of Glucosinolates on Thyroid Function and the Musculoskeletal System of Horses. ($100,718)
Recent Publications
Zabrodski M., DeBruyne J.E., Wilson G., Moshynskyy I., Sharafi M., Wood S.C., Kozii I.V., Thebeau J., Klein C.D., Medici de Mattos I., Sobchishin L., Epp T., Ruzzini A.C., Simko E. (2022) Comparison of Individual Hive and Apiary-level Sample Types for Spores of Paenibacillus larvae in Saskatchewan Honey Bee Operations. PlosOne 17(2): e0263602.
Sims, E., Epp, T. (2021) Defining Important Canine Zoonotic Pathogens Within the Prairie Provinces. Canadian Veterinary Journal 62(5):477-483.
Hering, A., Chilton, N.B., Epp, T., Schwantje, H.M., Cassier, F., Walker, A., McLean, C., Raveendran Thampy, P., Hanak, E., Wolfe, P., Drew, M., Bardsley, K.D., Woodbury, M. (2021) Traceback of the Psoroptes Outbreak in British Columbian Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis). International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 14; 273-279.
Zabrodski, M.W., Wilson, G., Moshynskyy, I., Wentzell, A., Wood, S.C., Klein, C.D., Kozii, I.V., Medici de Mattos, I., Epp, T., Simko, E. (2020) Investigation of clinical outbreaks of American foulbrood in honey-bee operations in Saskatchewan. Canadian Veterinary Journal, 61(10):1055-1059.
Carlson, C.J., Kracalik, I.T., Ross, N., Alexander, K., Hugh-Jones, M.E., Fegan, M., Elkin, B., Epp, T., Shury, T.K., Zhang, W., Bagirova, M., Getz, W.M., Blackburn, J.K. (2019). The global distribution of Bacillus anthracis and associated anthrax risk to humans, livestock and wildlife. Nature Microbiology (May 13 2019, Epub ahead of print https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-019-0435-4).
Barrett, M.J., Alphonsus, K.B., Harmin, M., Epp, T., McIntyre, D., Reeder, B. (2019) Learning for Transdisciplinary Leadership: Why Skilled Scholars Coming Together is Not Enough. BioSciences 69(9):736-745.
Essien, S., Epp, T., Waldner, C., Wobeser, W., Hoeppner, V. (2019) Tuberculosis in Canada and the United States: A Review of Trends from 1953-2015. Canadian Journal of Public Health 110(6):697-704.
Dhillon, J., Hoopes, J., Epp, T. (2018). Scoping decades of dog evidence: a scoping review of dog bite-related sequelae. Canadian Journal of Public Health. Published online: DOI: 10.17269/s41997-018-0145-3.
Card, C., Epp, T., & Lem, M. (2018). Exploring Social Determinants of Animal Health. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, Published online October 4, 2108:1-11; DOI: 10.3138/jvme.0317-047r.
Epp, T. Uehlinger F.D., Wojnarowicz, C., Mahli, P.S., Sayi, S., Woodbury, M.R. (2018). Observations of mortality in farmed bison in the Canadian Prairies, 2013-2016. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 157:1-7. DOI:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.05.014.
Boissoneault, C., & Epp, T. (2018). Reflections Regarding Provision of Veterinary Services to Underserved Regions: A case example using Northern Manitoba, Canada. Canadian Veterinary Journal, 59(5): 491-495.