NIH Distinguished Investigator
National Institutes of Health
Dr. Ostrander is the lead scientist of the Dog Genome Project, a $50 million NIH-funded initiative to map the canine genome in order to understand how genes control common diseases that dogs and humans share such as cancer, epilepsy, and diabetes. Through her work, Dr. Ostrander has found that dogs and humans have over 18,000 common genes and share 360 genetic disorders. Her work has led to the understanding of how individual dog breeds have evolved due to selective breeding for characteristics such as a body size, coat type, and skull shape. She has investigated the genetic basis of common canine cancers such as transitional cell carcinoma in bladder cancer, gastric cancer, and hemangiosarcoma.
Friday, October 8, 2021
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM CT