Companion Animal Nutrition Summit

Donald B. Palmer, PhD, PGCAP, FHEA, FRSB

The impact of age-related changes on the thymus and immune function and the link between the aging thymus and longevity.

Natasha J. Olby, VetMb, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology)

An overview of the relationship between gut and oral microbiomes and neurodegenerative diseases and whether microbiota manipulation can influence canine brain health.

Holger A. Volk, DVM, PhD, PGCAP, DECVN

A review of dietary management strategies to improve brain health, slow brain ageing, and help manage neurologic and cognitive disorders in dogs.

Nicole Ehrhart, VMD, MS, DACVS

Through comparative geroscience and One Health approaches, companion animal medicine can inform and accelerate approval and widespread use of health span interventions to benefit companion animals and humans.

Marcus Böhme, MSc, PhD

An overview of the relationship between the gut microbiota and age-related changes in the brain, including opportunities for microbiota-based interventions in brain ageing.

Pascal Steiner, PhD

Biological clocks may enable pet health by detecting how and when aging occurs, allowing veterinarians to recommend dietary and lifestyle changes that promote a healthy lifespan for pets.

Kate E. Creevy, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)

An update is provided on the investigation into the genetic and environmental determinants of healthy aging in companion dogs, including data collection, analysis, and identification of factors associated with age-related health outcomes.

Steve Horvath, PhD

Epigenetic clocks, used to predict biological age from DNA methylation data, are a promising research tool that may facilitate the translation of interventions from humans to pets and vice versa.

Natalia Wagemans, MD, PhD, Ryan Carvalho, MD, MBA

A welcome to the Purina Institute Companion Animal Nutrition (CAN) Summit 2023 that includes an overview of the Purina Institute, Nestlé Research & Development, and the program’s content organization.