Join us in May for the first of a two-part series on the canine cancer research model.
Dogs are estimated to have a rate of spontaneous cancer incidence five times that of humans. As our webinar speakers noted in a recent review article[1], this provides a unique opportunity to study cancer causes and treatments in a mammal with a similar immune system to humans. The canine cancer model is emerging as a crucial tool for comparative oncology, yielding insights into human cancer pathophysiology and potential treatments. With recent advancements in both research techniques and genomic repositories and analyses, canine cancer has become an invaluable resource for cancer research.
Dr. Cheryl London will speak on Advances in the canine cancer genomics toolbox, followed by Gina Kuffel with a demonstration of the Integrated Canine Data Commons (ICDC) single click export button, From building cohorts to conducting meaningful analysis.
Then, Dr. Elaine Ostrander will present her lab’s recent research in the Genetic analysis of invasive bladder cancer risk in Shetland sheepdogs.
About the speakers
Dr. Cheryl London, the Anne Engen and Dusty Professor of Comparative Oncology at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, is a seasoned veterinary medical oncologist with a focus on translational and comparative oncology. As Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, she has expanded the university’s research footprint and increased DVM student engagement in research activities. Dr. London earned her DVM from Cummings School, completed her medical oncology residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and received her PhD in Immunology from Harvard University.
Gina Kuffel of the Frederick National Laboratory is the Technical Project Manager and Product Owner for the ICDC. Gina’s professional interests include bioinformatics, open-source tools, cloud computing, and building web applications.
Dr. Elaine Ostrander is the Chief and Distinguished Senior Investigator and Head of the Section on Comparative Genetics, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ostrander’s laboratory studies the canine genome and its utility as a system for informing human health and biology. Underlying her work are extensive worldwide studies of canine population structure. She has published over 400 papers and reviews, won several awards and in 2019 was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Ostrander’s current work focuses on the identification of cancer susceptibility genes in dogs, particularly bladder cancer and histiocytic sarcoma, the role of genetic variants in canine behaviors, the origins of dog breeds, and genetic studies on dogs from Chernobyl.
London, C., et al. “Leading the pack: Best practices in comparative canine cancer genomics to inform human oncology.” Vet Comp Oncol. 2023; 21(4): 565-577. doi:10.1111/vco.12935.