Professor Lawrence (Larry) Goodridge holds the Leung Family Professorship in the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph. He is a native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Guelph with a major emphasis in Food Microbiology and Food Safety in 2002. Following a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Georgia, he accepted faculty positions at the University of Wyoming in 2003, Colorado State University in 2006, and McGill University in 2013, where he held the Ian and Jayne Munro Chair in Food Safety, and was Director of the Food Safet and Quality Program. Dr. Goodridge’s primary research interests include the use of genomics to solve food safety problems. He applies bacteriophages to control the growth of foodborne pathogens, and also developms rapid tests to detect foodborne and waterborne pathogens with an emphasis on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp, and Listeria monocytogenes, foodborne viruses, and foodborne toxins. He is also developing novel methods to track the presence of fecal contamination in food and water. Dr. Goodridge also conducts research on antimicrobial resistance and research related to tracking the sources of foodborne bacterial pathogens in the environment and food processing plants, as a way to mitigate bacterial contamination.
Day 1: Apr 18, 2023
Day 2: Apr 19, 2023
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
CLOSING KEYNOTE: NEW APPROACHES FOR FOODBORNE OUTBREAK DETECTION
Identifying the source and spread of food contamination, using new scientific methods.
With better detection come more outbreaks. Combine approaches to quickly identify the source of a foodborne outbreak and implement measures to control its spread. Approaches for review in the keynote include:
- Microbial testing for the presence of harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
- Epidemiological investigation to identify patterns of illness and identify common sources of exposure.
- Traceback investigation to pinpoint where contamination may have occurred.
- Whole genome sequencing: This involves sequencing the DNA of pathogens isolated from food, food surfaces, or sick individuals to identify specific strains and track their spread.
Quickly identify and respond to foodborne outbreaks and prevent the spread of illness.