“Travelling Fido”: Perceptions, motivations, and practices related to international dog rescues

About the Project:

Each year, thousands of dogs are rescued by Canadian owners, with a significant number of these ‘rescue dogs’ being imported from other countries (herein termed canine importation). Many in the veterinary and public health communities have sounded the alarm on the potential infectious pathogen and welfare risks associated with largely unregulated dog movement. Despite these significant concerns, these rescue practices continue to grow, which is driven by diverse moral, ethical and cultural beliefs. For many Canadians, dogs are an integral part of a family and human-animal bonds form because of these adoptions. The focus of this PhD project will be to expand beyond a purely risk-focused narrative on canine importation by: (1) describing rescuers’ (both organizations and adopters) perceptions of and motivations for canine importation, (2) identifying the sociocultural drivers associated with canine importation, and (3) analyzing the human-animal bond formed between rescued dogs and adopters. By including a diversity of perspectives, we increase the likelihood of developing a fulsome understanding of the practice and thus effective, sustainable solutions to make the practice safer for all.

Meet the Team:

Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Katie Clow is an Assistant Professor in One Health in the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. Her research focuses on the ecology and epidemiology of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. She also conducts research more broadly on One Health, including pedagogy and community-level applications. 

Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Karine Gagne’s work builds on various methods from anthropology in order to bring a multidisciplinary perspective to issues related to the convoluted notions of nature and culture, with a focus on examining the political and cultural dimensions of human interactions with the environment.

PhD Student (U of G)

This PhD is available either in Epidemiology or Social Practice and Transformative Change, depending on the successful candidates previous educational qualifications and goals as well as future interests.  The successful candidate will have a strong interest in the role of non-human species in society, the human-animal bond, and the use of mixed methods. Moreover, they will enjoy working in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

Interested applicants should submit the following to Dr. Katie Clow, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, kclow@uoguelph.ca. Please write: “One Health PhD Position Application” in the subject line. Applications are due December 15, 2022.

• a cover letter outlining their interest in and suitability for the project
• a lifetime CV
• transcripts
• contact information for two references

Applicants must meet the academic standards for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Guelph. Additional information concerning graduate studies in both available programs can be found through the links above.  

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Understanding anthroponotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to domestic and wild animals

About the Project:

Since January of 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused COVID-19 illness in more than 200 countries and regions, causing approximately 375 million human infections and 5.7 million deaths. While much research has focused on zoonotic transmission to explain the SARS-CoV-2  spillover event, anthroponotic transmission has been much less studied. We hypothesize that both regular or inadvertent interactions between infected people and domestic and/or wild animals allow for anthroponotic transmission of COVID-19. Our hypothesis is supported by reports that domestic cats and dogs owned by infected individuals have become infected with SARS-CoV-2, and direct human-to-animal transmission has been proposed from epidemiological data and genetic similarities of SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated from wild animals and their keepers in zoos. Minks infected with SARS-CoV-2 have also been identified on farms in several countries where infected farm workers were speculated as the source of infection. The objective of this project is to conduct genomic-based epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in domesticated and wild animal populations that live in close contact with humans. In addition, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment will also be assessed.  This research is important because the genetic diversity of coronaviruses is caused by accumulation of mutations and high-frequency homologous recombination, leading to infections across interspecies barriers and potential subsequent re-infection of humans with deadlier mutants.  In addition, host-switching events could cause SARS-CoV-2 to adapt to a wider array of selective pressures, leading to emergence of new viruses and diseases.

Meet the Team:

Principal Investigator (U of G)

In January, 2019, Lawrence joined the Department of Food Science as Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, where he holds the Leung Family Professorship in Food Safety.  Dr. Goodridge conducts research in a One Health context, as it relates to control, detection and surveillance of pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and parasites. Dr. Goodridge has published more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and has been awarded more than $30 million in research funding from US, Canadian and international funding sources.

Co-Investigator (Western)

Co-Investigator (U of G)

PhD Student (U of G)

Engineering Proteins and Inducing Targeted Protein Degradation or Stabilization

About the Program:

The overarching goal of our protein engineering laboratory is to develop synthetic probes to manipulate human cell signal transduction cascades to identify new biological mechanisms and devise innovative therapeutic strategies. Our lab has received funding support from both federal government granting agencies (e.g. CIHR and NSERC) and private foundations (e.g. Canadian Institute for Advanced Research). We are a dynamic team comprised of 1 postdoctoral fellow, 2 technicians, 2 PhD candidates, and 3 MSc students. We also actively engage in collaborations with researchers from Canada and around the globe in both academic and industrial sectors.

In the past few years, we are working on three research programs:

1. Development of inhibitors for E3 ligases and deubiquitinases (Guo et al. 2021, Gabrielsen et al. 2017);
2. Exploring new technologies for targeted protein degradation and stabilization in drug discovery (Aminu et al. 2022); and
3. Engineering novel protein scaffolds to modulate cell signaling (manuscript in preparation). Please feel free to contact Dr. Zhang to inquire about details of the potential research projects.

Meet the Team:

Qualifications:

• Background in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics or related discipline
• At least 1-year lab experience in protein biochemistry, molecule biology or mammalian cell biology
• Excellent organization, time management, and communication (oral and written) skills
• Problem-solving and analytical abilities for experimental design
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and with satisfactory work performance and attendance record

Interested applicants should submit the following (as a single pdf document) to Dr. Wei Zhang, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, weizhang@uoguelph.ca. Applications will be accepted until suitable candidates are found. Your application should include:

• A cover letter
• CV
• Three references
• Your transcript

The Zhang lab is committed to promote diversity, inclusion, and multicultural competence in academia and we invite and encourage applications from all qualified individuals, especially from groups that are underrepresented in higher education.