Canine Aging: Can Old Dogs Teach us New Tricks?

  • Daniel Promislow | University of Washington

The domestic dog is the most phenotypically variable species in the world. Breeds vary dramatically not only in shape, size and behavior, but also in patterns of aging and age-related disease. Dogs share our environment, experience similar diseases and patterns of aging, and have a health care system whose sophistication comes close to our own. Thus, dogs present us with a tremendous opportunity to identify the genetic and environmental factors that shape complex traits, from morphology, to behavior, to illness and aging. I will discuss our recent findings from large cohort studies on patterns of aging and age-related disease in dogs. These initial studies have laid the foundation for the Dog Aging Project. This large-scale project combines state of the art molecular biology, sensor technology, and statistical methods in a nationwide, data intensive, open science study on the genetic and environmental determinants of healthy aging in companion dogs.

Series: Microsoft Research Talks