There are over 450 distinct breeds of domestic dog, all of which are members of the same species Canis lupus familiaris. Each breed is characterized by both morphologic and behavioral features, and disease susceptibility. The Ostrander lab is interested in understanding the underpinning of this enormous genetic diversity. We have therefore assembled the largest and most diverse dataset of dog breeds analyzed to date. We show that most breed-defining traits, such as body size, leg length, etc. are controlled by small numbers of genes. However, similar variants, when observed in humans, often present a very different scenario and are associated with disease. In today’s lecture we will explore these themes, focusing on the genetics of both morphology and behavior. 

About the Speaker:

Dr. Elaine Ostrander is Chief of the Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch at the National Human Genome Research Institute of NIH and head of the Section on Comparative Genetics. She received her Ph.D. from Oregon Health Sciences University in 1987, and did postdoctoral training at Harvard and UC Berkeley. She initiated the canine genome project in 1993, building maps to navigate the dog genome, identifying disease genes, and working to understand the architecture of the canine genome. Her current work focuses on finding genes controlling morphologic variation and behavior. She was a faculty member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for 12 years and moved to NIH in 2004. Dr. Ostrander has published over 350 papers, edited multiple books, and won several awards including the Burroughs Welcome Award for Functional Genomics, Asa Mays Award, International Canine Health Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2013 Genetics Society of America Medal. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2019.
                   
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