Page 68 - ShowSight, March 2020

IN THE BEST OF HEALTH
AKC CANINE HEALTH FOUNDATION CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY
INTERVIEW BY DAN SAYERS PHOTOS COURTESY OF AKC CHF
Since its founding in 1995, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (AKC CHF) has been dedicated to advancing the health of all dogs by funding peer-reviewed research projects aimed to improve the health and well-being of our canine partners. Through a rigorous selection process, the AKC CHF funds only those
projects that meet the highest scientific standards and have the greatest potential to ben- efit canines and their human companions. This One Health approach recognizes that all aspects of healthcare research have the potential to benefit both animals and humans as well as our shared environment. As the AKC CHF celebrates its 25th Anniversary, Dan Sayers sat down with CEO Diane Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP to talk about some of the foundation’s active research projects and to discuss everything from theriogenology and tick-borne diseases to the distinct appeal of “pupsicles” and red blood cells.
Thank you for the taking the time to meet with me to talk about the AKC Canine Health Foundation. You’re a veterinarian with a PhD, but you’re also a DACVP (Dip- lomat of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists). Can you tell me about this last certification?
I am a board certified veterinary clinical pathologist. What that means is I went to veterinary school, then I worked in general practice for four years. (This was really important to me to get to do that.) Then I went back and did a residency in clinical pathology and a PhD in pathology. Then I got my board certification as a veterinary clinical pathologist. What I’ve focused on in my work has been comparative pathol- ogy, those diseases that cross all species. In this role, the knowledge base [has allowed me to] look at all the things that dogs and people have in common. And if you ask me what my true love is, it’s red blood cells.
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