AKC Canine Health Foundation - 14

Will this study help the dogs?
by Laura Liscum, PhD
Chair, CHF Scientific Review Committee
'Will this study help the dogs' is the over-arching question
that the CHF Scientific Review Committee (SRC) asks
when it evaluates a grant application. If the SRC
recommends to the CHF Board of Directors that funds be
allocated to a study, that means that the Committee has
recognized that, if the study is successful, the results stand
an excellent chance of improving canine health.
When I first joined the SRC, in 2017, two aspects of the
Committee's work amazed me. One was that the SRC was
faced with evaluating an enormous range of canine health
topics, from cardiac diseases that are found in all breeds to
genetic abnormalities that affect very few. We consider
tick-borne diseases that are widespread in the US as well
parasites that haven't had an impact on the US canine
population - yet. This is very different from the National Institutes of Health and other human
health granting agencies which have many review panels that are very narrowly focused.
Fortunately, CHF solicits the opinions of external experts in the field who give their opinion on
whether the proposed research is worthy. If so, then the SRC evaluates the proposal's
significance to canine health, its team of investigators, and the research plan. Throughout, we
apply our 'litmus test', asking if results of the study have the potential to help dogs.
The second aspect that amazed me was the enormous range of expertise on the SRC. There
are primary care veterinarians who have deep knowledge of the clinical issues; veterinarians
who are board-certified in their area of clinical specialty, with research and clinical trial
experience in academic and pharmaceutical settings; physicians and dog breeders who have
decades of experience grappling with canine health issues; and research scientists who are
familiar with basic science methods.
SRC members are volunteers who signed on for a rather hefty workload of evaluating, on
average, 5 applications each month. We start the discussion of each proposal with differing
opinions, but almost always come to consensus on which proposals should be recommended to
the Board of Directors for funding.
Once grants are funded, then YOU have the opportunity to give us your opinion. Parent clubs
and foundations are welcome (and encouraged!) to sponsor grants. This demonstrates to CHF
and the grant investigator which areas of research are important to you. All of us at CHF strive
to be stewards of your donations by funding the studies with the best chance of helping dogs.
2023 National Parent Club Canine Health Conference
Presented by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and Nestlé Purina PetCare

AKC Canine Health Foundation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AKC Canine Health Foundation