2016 Ufaw Award: Research on the devastating effects of the “hypertype” in brachycephalic dogs and on canine epilepsy honored

Rowena Packer, a postdoctoral researcher at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), is the recipient of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) award, which recognizes the work of young scientists in the field of animal welfare. She received her award on June 23, 2016, in New York City, during the 5th UFaw conference. Before defending her dissertation demonstrating the link between hypertype and hereditary diseases in pedigree dogs, her final-year research project at the University of Bristol focused on meta-analyses related to animal welfare. To demonstrate the links between hypertype and hereditary diseases in dogs, Rowena Packer partnered with breeders and breed clubs affiliated with the Kennel Club, with the goal of improving breeding policies for brachycephalic breeds and thereby making these dogs’ living conditions more acceptable. In addition, as part of her postdoctoral research, Rowena Packer began studying epilepsy in dogs. This led the RVC to launch the Pet Epilepsy Tracker , a smartphone app for owners of dogs with epilepsy. This program aims to better understand the condition in order to reduce not only its prevalence but also the severity of symptoms experienced by the various affected dog breeds. The Young Animal Welfare Scientist of the Year Award is presented annually to a young researcher whose work has contributed to improving animal welfare. It is open to all graduate students worldwide, including PhD candidates and those who have been in postdoctoral positions for less than six years. The 5th UFW Conference, “Recent Advances in Animal Welfare Science ,” concludes a series of meetings between scientists and veterinarians working on the advancement of animal welfare science.   See also: Canine and Feline Epilepsy: First Global Consensus Resulting from Collaboration Among Experts in Veterinary Neurology