Dogs get old, too: What we can learn from canines about human health

Dr. Douglas Thamm, Professor of Oncology and Director of Clinical Research at the CSU Flint Animal Cancer Center, with "Jake" a black labrador taking part in clinical trials for a new lymphoma drug at CSU.

Story by Kelsey Hussey

Two experts in aging and cancer research are speaking as part of Colorado State University’s Mary Scott Lecture Series to discuss how our pets can help us learn strategies for healthy aging in humans.

The lectures, sponsored by CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences and Department of Health and Exercise Science, will take place on Friday, Oct. 20 from 8 to 9:30 a.m., at Block One, 428 Linden St., Fort Collins. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be provided starting at 7:45 a.m.

The speakers

Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Washington, and Director of the Dog Aging Project. Short dark hair, smiling.
Matt Kaeberlein

Dr. Douglas Thamm is a professor of oncology and director of clinical research for the Flint Animal Cancer Center at the CSU James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Thamm will present “Dogs get old too: The value of studying age-related canine illness to inform human health.”

Matt Kaeberlein, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Washington and director of the Dog Aging Project. Kaeberlein will present “Translational geroscience: Toward interventions that promote healthy longevity in people and their pets.” (Geroscience studies the links between aging and disease.)

The speakers will provide information on how understanding aging in our pets can help inform treatments for human aging.

Parking and contact information

Attendees are encouraged to park in the Old Town Parking Structure at 100 Remington St. Please allow for  eight to 10 minutes of walking time to the venue. For more information, contact Ben Miller, associate professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science, at Benjamin.f.miller@colostate.edu or Karyn Hamilton, professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science, at karyn.hamilton@colostate.edu.

In the same location, the second meeting of the Front Range Consortium on Aging Research, will follow the lectures. The meeting is hosted by CSU’s Department of Health and Exercise Science, focusing on “Accelerating Translation of Aging Treatments.”

About Mary Scott

The Mary Scott Lecture Series at CSU is made possible by a charitable trust endowed by Mary E. Scott to the College of Health and Human Sciences upon her death in 1984. Throughout her career as a social worker and YMCA administrator, Scott was committed to advancing the lives of individuals and families. She served on CSU’s governing board from 1961 to 1968, and was presented with the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters in 1973.