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Title: Karelian Bear Dogs Help Protect Wildlife

Bio: 

Nils Pedersen grew up with sled dogs in ������̳, Alaska. He understood the utility of working dogs for bear deterrence at a young age because of a photo that his grandpa showed him of one of his Greenland Husky dogs chasing a young polar bear away from camp. Pedersen began working with the Wind River Bear Institute (WRBI) in 2011 as the trainer and handler of Karelian Bear Dog, “Soledad”. Together they have worked to address human-bear conflict issues with all three species of North American bear: grizzly, black, and polar bear. Pedersen completed a M.Sc. degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the ������̳ in 2019. His research focused on human-grizzly bear conflict in the North Slope oil fields of Alaska and the use of Forward Looking Infrared-equipped drones for grizzly and polar bear den detection in the Arctic. Pedersen owns and operates the WRBI kennel in ������̳, Alaska. In his spare time he guides for Arctic Dog Adventure Co., an ecotourism dog mushing company he founded together with his partner, Lisbet Norris.

Title: One Health and considering the nuances of risk/benefit balance

Bio:

Andrew Cyr is an environmental toxicologist for the State of Alaska Department of Health. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, ������̳ in 2019, where he researched the chemical feeding ecology of mercury in fish and aquatic food webs across Alaska. He has a background in environmental consulting, natural resource management, science mentoring, education, outreach, and research in environmental toxicology and human health. He is a passionate supporter of public health, especially through the One Health paradigm. Health is an intricate compilation of nutrition, physical health, mental well-being, cultural health, as well as one’s interaction with their surrounding environment. Ensuring that we are promoting all aspects of health requires collaboration with numerous disciplines, including clinicians, local community members, researchers, and public health officials. Andrew works diligently to ensure that the development of public health guidance considers health holistically – i.e., as more than the presence or absence of a disease – and, when considering exposure to a potentially hazardous