Follow our new series on research happening in the Department of Biology. Each story will broadly highlight a current study or papers that faculty members and graduate students have published as a result of their research findings.

Dr. Jessica Hoffman (Postdoc in Dr. Austad’s Lab)

“The Companion Dog as a Model for Human Morbidity and Mortality”

Hoffman JM, Creevy KE, Franks A, O'Neill DG, Promislow DEL, Aging Cell (2018)

In this paper, we describe how causes of death and common morbidities compare between humans and pet dogs. We find that frequencies of causes of death are quite similar between the two species with the exception of cardiovascular disease which is rare in dogs. In addition, we discovered that many common chronic conditions in humans are also prevalent in canine populations. Overall, our results suggest dogs share many complex aging processes with humans, and as such, the dog may be an ideal translational model to study aging and longevity.

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Learn more about Dr. Jessica Hoffman (Postdoc in Dr. Austad’s Lab), our graduate students, and our research on the Department of Biology website.