Heather Huson is the co-leader of the sled dog research project at Cornell University. Heather is a former dog sled racer who is now an assistant professor of animal science and an animal geneticist at Cornell‚ College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her research utilizes genomic tools to identify population structure and relatedness to production, adaption, and disease in animals. In addition to her leadership on the dog project, her research also focuses on dairy cattle and goat production.
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The Canine Connection
How Sled Dogs and Science Support Long-term Human Health
Thursday, July 09, 2020, 1pm EDT
Event Overview
Mankind’s quest to slow the aging process has a new ally: Alaskan sled dogs. Nearly 100 former elite canine athletes are living out their days at Cornell University as part of a study that is not only expected to extend their lives, but one day may also help scientists slow aging in humans.
The dogs, former competitive sled racers who are now between the ages of nine and 13, are testing a drug that inhibits an enzyme called reverse transcriptase that holds promise to mitigate aging and extend their lives. The project serves as a proof of principle for whether reverse transcriptase inhibitors could be an elixir. If confirmed, new finely tuned drugs could be developed for both dogs and humans.
The research is supported by the Vaika Foundation, a non-for-profit aimed at extending canine health and well-being and is led by researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Cornell University. Join Heather Huson and John Loftus, the co-leaders of this unique and exciting research project at Cornell University. We'll have a few of the dogs in studio with us to discuss their athletic retirement.
The dogs, former competitive sled racers who are now between the ages of nine and 13, are testing a drug that inhibits an enzyme called reverse transcriptase that holds promise to mitigate aging and extend their lives. The project serves as a proof of principle for whether reverse transcriptase inhibitors could be an elixir. If confirmed, new finely tuned drugs could be developed for both dogs and humans.
The research is supported by the Vaika Foundation, a non-for-profit aimed at extending canine health and well-being and is led by researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Cornell University. Join Heather Huson and John Loftus, the co-leaders of this unique and exciting research project at Cornell University. We'll have a few of the dogs in studio with us to discuss their athletic retirement.
What You'll Learn
- Look inside the dogs’ daily routine at their indoor/outdoor facility and how they are particularly suited for this project.
- Learn why the dogs’ health and immune functions act as parameters to assess aging.
- Understand how the results of this $4.2 million study can apply to aging-related diseases in humans like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Meet the project heads behind the project and some of the happy, healthy dogs that are providing such valuable insight.
Speakers
Heather Huson
Assistant Professor
Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
John Loftus
Assistant Professor
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Assistant Professor
John Loftus is the co-leader of the sled dog research project at Cornell University. John is an assistant professor of small animal medicine and nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. His general research interests include immunology and nutritionally responsive diseases. His other current research projects include investigation of vitamin D in dogs with immune-mediated disease and metabolomic investigation of hepatocutaneous syndrome.
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