Submitted by Katy Stevenson on Tue, 27/04/2021 - 12:00
We are delighted to announce that the Kennel Club Genetics Centre (KCGC) has recently relocated to the University of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine.
The broad aim of the Kennel Club Genetics Centre, which is led by Dr Cathryn Mellersh, is to investigate the genetic basis of inherited diseases that affect dogs and identify genetic variants that underpin those diseases.
The team focuses on diseases that are painful, blinding, require surgical or medical intervention or otherwise reduce the quality or length of life of affected dogs. An immediate-term objective of their research is to develop DNA tools, based on the genetic variants which they identify, that dog breeders can use to improve the genetic health of future generations of dogs and that veterinary surgeons can use to help diagnose, and potentially better treat disease.
A longer-term aim is for the team's findings to improve their understanding of disease aetiology in dogs and other species.
Dr Mellersh’s research team has identified more than 30 genetic variants associated with inherited diseases that affect around 50 different breeds of dog. Hundreds of thousands of dogs have been screened for these mutations globally, and thousands of dogs have subsequently been born that are free of their associated disorders.
There are several ways you can donate to the team's work which can be found at Making A Donation | Camvet - please include the reference "KCGC" - thank you!
