News

Zoobiquity Research Initiative

 

Cynthia Cheung, MD and Susan Kwan, MPH

 

Graciously provided to One Health Initiative team/website www.onehealthinitiative.com April 25, 2012 by Dr. Cheung and Ms. Kwan

 

 

The Zoobiquity Research Initiative (ZRI) is an innovative, One Health-based research and training program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis (UCD).  The program was founded in 2011 by UCLA cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD and UCD veterinarians Cheryl Scott, RN, NP, DVM, MPVM and Patricia Conrad, DVM, PhD to foster research collaborations between UCLA medical students and UCD veterinary students.  The ZRI also encourages communication between practicing veterinarians and physicians and provides a platform for them to generate novel hypotheses and investigate new research avenues to benefit the health of both human and animal patients. 

 

Current research projects include:

·         Comparative magnetic resonance imaging of tumors in dog and human patients.

·         Comparison of stress-induced cardiomyopathy and sudden death syndromes in humans and capture myopathy in wildlife.

·         Descriptive study on collaborative potential between veterinarians and physicians on preventing zoonotic diseases among immunocompromised human patients.

 

We intend to use the results of the latter project to guide us in developing the best approaches to engage current and future generations of veterinarians and physicians to create partnerships and to develop collaborative clinical, research and educational opportunities that will advance the health and well-being of both animals and humans. 

 

For more information about the ZRI, please contact ZRI Executive Director Susan Kwan, MPH (skwankwan@ucla.edu) or ZRI Co-Directors Cynthia Cheung, MD (mycheung@mednet.ucla.edu), Julio Lopez, DVM (jlopezdvm@gmail.com), or Kate Sulzner, DVM, MPVM (kate@ecovetinternational.com).