The Center for Healthy Aging in Companion Animals will bring NC State faculty members from multiple disciplines under the same umbrella to collaborate on four missions: innovative research, cutting-edge education, excellence in clinical practice and support for pet owners. It’s anticipated that our geroscience research will be translatable to human medicine and help us better understand aging in people. We look forward to sharing our work.

Our Team

Director

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Natasha Olby

Professor

[email protected]

Executive Committee

KD

Katarzyna Dembek

Associate Professor

[email protected]

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Kady Gjessing DVM

MG

Margaret Gruen

Professor

[email protected]

AK

Allison Kendall

Associate Clinical Professor

[email protected]

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Katie McCool

Asst Professor

[email protected]

Our Research

Two long-term projects that address age-related diseases:

• Longitudinal cohort study on aging of the canine nervous system
• Clinical trial investigating rehabilitation and frailty in dogs
• Efficacy of LDBL in a Model of Canine Dementia
• The CAVALIER Study

Omega Transitional Care

As part of the Center for Healthy Aging of Companion Animals, the NC State Veterinary Hospital offers a clinical service to provide supportive care to pets that are nearing the ends of their lives. The Omega Transitional Care Service aims to ease suffering and maximize quality of life through non-invasive support.

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Our Leadership in Aging Education

The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine has been among the first to recognize the importance of integrating the study of aging into its faculty research and student curriculum. In 2017, Dr. Natasha Olby, director of the Center for Healthy Aging in Companion Animals, was presented with the Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rahna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair in Gerontology. Olby later began teaching electives in gerontology to DVM students.

Now, the Center for Healthy Aging has developed a first-of-its-kind Certificate in Geriatric Medicine for NC State veterinary students. This represents a Professional Development Opportunity that provides extra instruction on the science behind aging (geroscience) and managing aging patients. Students are required to complete a series of courses and rotations along with projects to obtain the certificate. Importantly, these courses are open to any student, not just those wanting to earn the certificate.

The New Certificate in Geriatric Medicine

Courses

Two electives and two selectives focusing on geroscience (the science of aging) and senior pet care

Hands-On

Participation in rotations specifically focused on senior pet care and senior pet problems

Projects

A case-based project and a capstone project representing a summation of their learning.

For Practicing Veterinarians

Our Continuing Veterinary Medical Education program is committed to providing educational activities that maintain, develop or increase the knowledge of veterinary medical professionals to help improve the quality of life for veterinary patients. We’ll offer continued learning opportunities here:
Continuing Education

STORIES OF INTEREST

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

Research from Dr. Natasha Olby and Dr. Margaret Gruen has led to ways to measure mental decline in dogs. In August, Olby convened an international group of experts to develop guidelines for diagnosing CCDS. Those guidelines have been accepted. 

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Defining ‘Healthy Aging’

In an international collaboration, NC State researchers Margaret Gruen and Natasha Olby set out to document that the destructive course of aging is not fixed but modifiable. The resulting paper determines that misperceptions can alter the trajectory of health span and overall quality of life in our pets.

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The Power of Possibilities

Referred to the NC State Omega Transitional Care service, a Raleigh couple dedicated to a deaf, nearly blind and immobile rescue dog named WALL-E found an expert team willing to create a space for inquiry and curiosity — and a personalized rehab plan.

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