Can a dog with a knee injury help to inform the treatment of a person with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear? Veterinarians and physicians using the One Health approach to translational research think so. One Health, a signature program at Tufts CTSI led by Director Lisa Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN, acknowledges the importance of the evolutionary and ecological links between the health of humans, animals, and the environment, and recognizes animals and humans frequently suffer from similar diseases and chronic conditions. The collaboration of veterinarians and physicians to develop better treatments for both of their patients is also known as Zoobiquity.

In 2015, a Zoobiquity conference in Boston brought together clinicians and scientists in human and veterinary medicine to discuss diseases (including autism, cancer, obesity, and sports-related injuries) shared by a wide spectrum of animal species, including people. Zoobiquity offered a full day of discovery, expanding the perspective of clinicians, scientists, and patients about shared disorders and broader health concerns. In addition to lectures and discussion groups, attendees were able to interact with a variety of animals.

The conference was presented by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts CTSI, and Tufts University School of Medicine, in collaboration with partners from the Boston medical community including Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Harvard Catalyst and Harvard Medical School, UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science and University of Massachusetts Medical School, MIT Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Medical Society, Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, and Massachusetts Department of Public Health.