In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you an interview with Dr. Heidi Parker, a staff scientist at the National Human Genome Research Institute.  Dr. Parker’s research has included the relatedness of the many different breeds of dogs to one another and investigation of the genetic causes of diseases such as malignant histiocytosis in the Bernese Mountain Dog and traits such as athletic performance in Whippets.

In this podcast, Dr. Parker defines morphology; discusses the similarities between the canine and human genomes related to morphology; and provides examples of how morphological changes can affect dogs such as improper coat in the Portuguese Water Dog.

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you and interview with Dr. Elinor Karlsson with the Broad  Institute and the Sebeti Lab at Harvard. Dr. Karlsson has focused her research on the genetic cause of disease, including diseases associated with coat color traits such as ridgelessness in the Rhodesian Ridgeback and behavioral traits such as aggression.

In this podcast Dr. Karlsson discusses the technique of genome wide mapping; her research on canine compulsive disorder; the discovery of the gene for flank sucking in the Doberman Pinscher; and the implications of her research for human psychiatric disorders.

We are grateful to the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust, for their support of the Genome Barks Podcast Series.