We are studying the comparative aspects of aging and cancer in 2 species — dogs and humans. Our goal is to transform the pet dog population into a national resource to better understand the process of aging and how to prevent cancer.

Our research exploring sex-differences in health and longevity supports the notion that ovaries orchestrate how long females live. While the scientific community looks for reliable research approaches to verify this and other exciting scientific leads, we see enormous value in studying pet dogs living with their owners as a virtual aging laboratory.

The payoff for validating this kind of innovative thinking is big — a win-win situation that will promote healthy longevity for both pets and people.