Explore the sections below to learn about our noteworthy news in The Thinking Pets Program

Recent Presentations

Post-doctoral researchers and undergraduate research assistants had the opportunity to attend and present at several symposiums in the Triangle area! They showcased our ongoing research through both poster and oral presentations, covering a range of topics including translational pain research and osteoarthritis. These presentations were a valuable opportunity to share our findings with the broader scientific community and engage in meaningful discussions with peers and experts in the field.

In the news

Open House 2026

This past Saturday, the Thinking Pets Program and the TRiP Lab had the pleasure of participating in the annual Open House at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. We enjoyed connecting with so many students, families, and aspiring veterinarians, sharing insights into our research and the work we do to better understand animal health, pain, and behavior. It was especially rewarding to see such curiosity and enthusiasm from the next generation of scientists and veterinary professionals. Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit our table and engage with our team. We look forward to seeing many of these bright minds again in the future!

Learn more about Open House!

A First: NC State Offers Certificate in Geriatric Medicine to DVM Students

“Strengthening its leadership in the field, the College of Veterinary Medicine also has established a Center for Healthy Aging, led by Dr. Natasha Olby, a renowned veterinary neurologist and the Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rahna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair in Gerontology at NC State.”

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Olby Leads Successful Effort to Define Diagnostic Criteria for Dogs with Dementia 

“Dr. Natasha Olby’s research — in partnership with Dr. Margaret Gruen — has led to ways to measure mental decline in dogs, and in August she convened an international group of experts to develop guidelines for diagnosing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome. Those guidelines have been accepted.”

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NC State Behavioral Specialist Leads $5.5 Million NIH Grant for Research Contributing to Opioid Fight

“Dogs are becoming a standard model for studies translatable to humans because they live in the same environments, often go to the same places and sometimes eat the same food as their owners. Lascelles has several grants for studies that include dogs as naturally occurring models for arthritis. 
Gruen’s research will focus on capturing ways to measure how dogs with chronic pain behave.”

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New NC State Veterinary Medicine Project Aims to Unlock Mysteries of Dog Pain

“Deep down, pet owners know it. Veterinarians do, too. There’s the bulldog who seems tougher than other breeds and the pug who’s a little more squeamish than others. There’s the golden retriever who is as happy-go-lucky as only golden retrievers can be, even when in pain.

What’s unknown is if there is actual science behind the perceptions.”

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Wireless Tension Sensors for Characterizing Dog Frailty in Veterinary Settings

ECE student awarded best paper at International Conference on Animal Computer Interaction. “This groundbreaking work is authored by Colt Nichols, Yifan Wu, Dr. Margaret Gruen, Dr. David Roberts, and Dr. Alper Bozkurt.”

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Canine OA Injectable Gets Green Light

“As our understanding of canine pain expands, Librela provides a unique monthly treatment to control OA pain in dogs…helping to improve their comfort, mobility, and overall well-being,” Dr. Lascelles says.”

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New Initiative: NC State Answering Demand for a Feline Health Center

“We really are thinking critically about what cats need for the entire experience. What are cat needs for entering into the clinic and the hospital? What are cat needs for hospitalization and exam rooms? Every single piece, we’re really trying to take the cat-eye view of it.”

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NC State Plays Pivotal Role in Revolutionary Feline Osteoarthritis Treatment

“NC State College of Veterinary Medicine researchers Dr. Margaret Gruen and Dr. Duncan Lascelles played a key role in the first treatment for osteoarthritis pain in cats approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.”

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How to Keep Your Aging Adventure Dog Active: A Veterinarian Weighs In

“Good owners all want to protect their aging dogs from getting overstressed or injured. But, Gruen pointed out that it’s just as important not to restrict their activity too much. Exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle and helps extend a dog’s life, just as it does with humans.”

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AAHA’s Updated Pain Management Guidelines: A Paradigm Shift in Managing Pain

“This marks the first update of the guidelines since 2015 and there have been some big changes.”

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Survey: Barriers, Not Demographics, Affect Willingness to Pursue Veterinary Care

“A survey of dog owners from across the U.S. shows that when it comes to seeking veterinary care for dogs, barriers to access – including a lack of trust – have more effect on the decision-making process than differences in race, gender or socioeconomic status.”

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Quantifying Cognitive Decline in Dogs Could Help Humans with Alzheimer’s Disease

“Researchers have found that a suite of complimentary tests can quantify changes in dogs suspected of suffering from cognitive decline.”

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New Tool Helps Diagnose Feline Degenerative Joint Disease

“Nearly all cats have identifiable signs of degenerative joint disease (DJD), yet it often goes undiagnosed.”

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Helping Humans Understand Their Dogs

“‘What’s going on inside my dog’s head?’ In truth, you have probably heard the question more often than you can count or remember.”

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Study Sets Baseline for Sleep Patterns in Healthy Adult Dogs

“‘The study was necessary because research on dogs and sleep has outpaced our basic knowledge about what a ‘normal’ sleep/wake cycle looks like,’ says Dr. Margaret Gruen.”

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