Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine to host national conference of Centers for Human-Animal Bond

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine will host the national Centers for Human Animal Bond Conference Nov. 3-4 in Stewart Center, Room 310. It will be the first time in 10 years the group has met. Sponsored by the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative Foundation, the conference will include an opening public lecture about studies involving animals and autism.

"This is a prestigious event that unites leaders from university centers and institutes that are focused on research, teaching and practice related to human-animal interaction," said Alan Beck, director of the Center of the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue and the Dorothy N. McAllister Professor of Animal Ecology. "It's an honor for Purdue to host the conference. There have been tremendous advances over the last 10 years, and it is very important that key leaders in this field come together to collaborate and lay the groundwork for making further progress."

The opening event at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 3, a lecture by Robin Gabriels, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado, is free and open to the public. Gabriels, author of "Growing with Autism: From Research to Individualized Practice," will talk about "Horses, Dogs, and Autism: Evidence-Based Benefits." Her lecture is presented by the Purdue Autism Cluster.

The rest of the events on Nov. 3 are open to the public, but attendees must register and pay a $250 fee ($20 for Purdue faculty, staff and students). Events include an opening lunch, with remarks from Willie Reed, dean of Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine, and Steve Feldman, executive director of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative Foundation, and two interactive workshops, on behavior coding and salivary bioscience.

The first workshop will be led by Maggie O'Haire and Noémie Guérin of Purdue's Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Gabriels, and Monique Germone of the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine/Children's Hospital Colorado. O'Haire is assistant professor of human-animal interaction, and Guérin is a graduate student in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Pathobiology. The workshop will focus on a video behavioral coding system to evaluate the interactions between humans and animals in naturalistic settings.

Doug Granger, director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research at the University of California, Irvine, will lead the salivary bioscience workshop. The Nov. 3 sessions will conclude with a lecture by Aubrey Fine, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at California State Polytechnic University. He is the author of 10 books including "Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy," "Afternoons with Puppy," published by Purdue University Press, and "Our Faithful Companion."

All events on Nov. 4 are open only to invited leaders and will consist of interactive discussion and presentations on human-animal bond research.

More details about the conference, including a preliminary agenda, and a link to register, are available here. 

Writer: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu

Sources: Alan Beck, 765-494-0854, abeck@purdue.edu

Kevin Doerr, director of public affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, 765-494-8216, doerrk@purdue.edu.

Maggie O'Haire, mohaire@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Robin Gabriels is available for interviews on Nov. 2 and prior to her talk on Nov. 3. To make arrangements, contact Kevin Doerr, director of public affairs at the College of Veterinary Medicine, 765-494-8216, doerrkr@purdue.edu. To arrange to speak with her in advance, contact Gabriels directly at Robin.Gabriels@childrenscolorado.org