Companion animals are affected by a number of genetic and acquired diseases diseases that closely parallel conditions affecting human beings. Recently, scientists have discovered that “pre-clinical trials” performed in dogs with these naturally occurring disease models can provide a more accurate predictor of success in human clinical trials and can be performed in a manner that helps both dogs and people. At UF, our veterinary scientists have deeply invested in this One-Medicine approach, teaming up with physicians to perform active translational studies in dogs with diabetes, bone cancer, brain tumors, heart disease and urinary incontinence. This session will emphasize the ethical and scientific advantages to using spontaneous models of disease in animals, showing how this can be a “win-win” for both man and his best friend.

Session type: Lecture

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will learn of numerous naturally occurring disease models in companion animals
• Attendees will understand the advantages and disadvantages of performing studies in client-owned pets
• Attendees will see that animal research can be designed to benefit both the animal and the human patient

Speakers & Panelists

Christopher Adin
Dr. Adin is Chair and Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Adin received a DVM with Distinction at Cornell University in 1996. He completed a residency in Small Animal Surgery and Fellowship in Hemodialysis and Renal Medicine at UC Davis in the 1990's before receiving a KL2 Career Development Award at The Ohio State Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Adin has used his background to build teams that bring bench top discoveries in organ transplantation, pancreatic islet cell transplantation and surgical implants into clinical trials in client-owned animals with naturally occurring diseases.
 
Amara Estrada
Dr. Estrada is a professor of cardiology and the associate chair for instruction in the department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. She completed her undergraduate and DVM degree here at the University of Florida, her internship at the University of Tennessee and her residency in comparative cardiology at Cornell University. Dr. Estrada actively participates in collaborative research both within the Health Science Center at UF and with her veterinary cardiology colleagues at other Universities. Her special interests and area of research are inherited cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias. She is part of the Clinician Educator Core Team for the Clinical and Translational Science Award One Health Alliance.
 
Rowan Milner
My research goals have been to develop research in true disease models of human cancer. My primary objective has been to build research in cancer vaccines as an adjuvant to conventional treatments for cancer in canines and humans. Examples of this approach have been the GD3-based cancer vaccine developed in my laboratory. We are also engaged and funded in developing a modified CAR-iNKT cell immunotherapy. My administrative responsibilities include the role of Director of Clinical and Translational Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and supervising Senior Biological Scientists, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and residents in the Milner Comparative Oncology Laboratory