WHAT:
Bullying among Welsh corgis, cats and children. Infertility in a panda, a cheetah and a math teacher. Self-injury by stallions and adolescents. When it comes to health and psychology, we really have more in common with animals than we think.
The second annual "Zoobiquity" conference goes beyond the skin, fur and feathers to demonstrate how humans and animals are profoundly alike, with similar genetics and a striking overlap in health and disease.
Over the course of a day at UCLA and the Los Angeles Zoo, doctors and veterinarians will learn from each other by sharing similar cases, visiting with animals and discussing a species-spanning approach to medicine, with a particular focus on commonalities in obesity, infertility, cancer and psychiatric issues.
The event is organized by David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences and the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
WHO:
Doctors, veterinarians, public health professionals and basic scientists from a wide range of specialties will attend the conference. For a full listing of participants and topics, visit http://ucla.in/Q7fqfh.
WHEN | WHERE:
7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29
7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Welcome and keynote at UCLA's Tamkin Auditorium (map)
8:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Tamkin Auditorium (map)
Topics include:
• Infertility in panda, cheetah, math teacher
• Breast cancer in cocker spaniel, 45-year-old woman
• Bone cancer in golden retriever, 17-year-old baseball pitcher
• Bullying in Welsh corgis, cats, children
• Self-injury in stallion, 14-year-old female adolescent
• Obesity in Labrador retriever, Himalayan cat, 23-year-old student
2:30–4:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Zoo (lunch and bus transportation will be provided) (map)
Participants will visit with animals at the zoo. Highilights include:
• Contraception in yellow-footed rock wallabies
• Screening for heart disorder in gorilla
• Screening for pulmonary hypertension in orangutan
• Painful periods in orangutan
• Lead toxicity and microtrash in California condors
• Periodontal, craniofacial diseases in dog, wallabies, bears
BACKGROUND:
"Zoobiquity," a term coined by UCLA cardiologist and conference chair Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and medical author Kathryn Bowers, describes a new movement in health that draws expertise from veterinary and human medicine, to the advantage of both. Natterson-Horowitz's work with the L.A. Zoo in monitoring common heart issues that can affect both humans and animals sparked her interest in this approach. She and Bowers are the authors of "Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing."
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Rachel Champeau, UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 310-794-0777
Jason Jacobs, Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 323-644-4273
R.S.V.P. & PARKING
Please call media contacts to R.S.V.P. and arrange parking.
