The Canine Genetics Centre is proud to be a part of one of the UK’s leading Veterinary schools. Cambridge Vet school not only matriculates incredible vets year upon year, but they are also at the forefront of some of the best research that is currently happening in Veterinary science. Earlier this week, we were honoured to share some of our own research and to learn about other inspiring projects during the department’s research afternoon. Continue reading
Our research project dedicated to inherited eye disease (IED) in dogs, CRIEDD, often sees us work in close collaboration with veterinary ophthalmologists. When they see novel diseases, or a disease emerging in a new breed of dog, they will send us DNA samples so that we can work together to identify the genetic cause. Continue reading
In November of 2024 we shared details of research that the Canine Genetics Centre had started, in collaboration with dog breeders and clinicians in Australia, to identify the genetic cause of an apparently novel inherited neurological disorder in Welsh Springer Spaniels. Continue reading
Geneticists from the Canine Genetics Centre, along with veterinary cardiologists and neurologists from the Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital, are becoming increasingly concerned by reports of sudden, unexpected deaths in young Labrador Retrievers – often occurring during rest or sleep – in dogs that appeared otherwise healthy. Continue reading
The Canine Genetics Centre is excited to be resuming its research into primary glaucoma in dogs. This article explains what glaucoma is, and what we are doing to resume our investigations of this painful and blinding canine disease. Continue reading
Since our last update, the CGC Idiopathic Epilepsy (IE) project has had a great response to our call for samples. A huge thank you to everyone who has sent us swabs or completed our epilepsy questionnaire, especially those of you who have been organising big batches of cheek swab DNA collection kits! Continue reading
In January of this year we published our research into an inherited eye disease called retinopathy with vitamin E deficiency (RVED) in English Cocker Spaniels. You may have heard of this disease before under a different name, perhaps central progressive retinal atrophy or retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy. Continue reading
On Friday March 21st, 2025, the Canine Genetics Centre team welcomed thirty enthusiastic delegates to the University of Cambridge’s West Hub building for their second Research Day.
Over the course of the day the delegates were treated to talks on the CGC’s inherited eye disease, idiopathic epilepsy and intervertebral disc disease research and how the CGC investigates new and emerging diseases. The talks were well received, with everyone asking lots of questions and really engaging with the researchers about the work that the CGC does. Continue reading
We have recently published our preliminary genetic investigation of idiopathic epilepsy in the Italian Spinone breed in the peer-reviewed, open access journal, PLOS One.
Jenkins CA, De Risio L, Lophatananon A, Lewis TW, Foster D, Johnson J, Lohi H, Mellersh CS, Ricketts SL. Genome-wide association study of idiopathic epilepsy in the Italian Spinone dog breed. PLoS One. 2025 Mar 5;20(3):e0315546. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0315546.
In collaboration with James Oliver, head of ophthalmology at Dick White Referrals, we have been researching retinopathy with vitamin E deficiency (RVED) in the English Cocker Spaniel (ECS) for a number of years. It has been a challenging project, so we are over the moon to report that we have identified the variant associated with the disease, and all of our findings have now been published in G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics.
Oliver, J. A. C., Stanbury, K., Schofield, E., McLaughlin, B., & Mellersh, C. S. (2025). A TTPA deletion is associated with retinopathy with vitamin E deficiency in the English Cocker Spaniel dog. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkaf016
