Information from previous virtual meetings can be found here: 

• First IPFD Virtual Workshop (September 28, 2021) Theme: Standardizing Genetic Testing.
• Second IPFD Virtual Workshop (May 3, 2022) Theme: Genetic Diversity: genetic tools and resources.   

This workshop (March 15, 2023) will bring together The International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD) & national kennel clubs from around the world for an online discussion on how parentage profiling via genetics can support pedigree registration & dog health.

Recording accurate pedigree information is a key purpose of most kennel clubs in their role as registration bodies. This has historically relied on self-reporting from breeders and is therefore vulnerable to mistakes. The usage of parentage profiling has risen across kennel clubs, most often as part of parentage dispute management. Costs to parentage profiling and genetic testing more generally are becoming more affordable, at the same time there are increasing pressures to ensure accurate and robust pedigree information. Parentage profiling as part of registration and/or health schemes is one of the most valuable tools to kennel clubs, and by sharing experiences and expertise, more kennel clubs and their breeder/owner clients can benefit.

Aims:

• Understanding the different parentage testing panels and options
• Sharing benefits of parentage profiling, and discussing challenges and barriers to integration into pedigree systems
• Sharing experiences of different stages of parentage profiling integration
• Information sharing to support integration of parentage profiling to different kennel club circumstances 

Potential Outcomes:

• Kennel clubs better informed and empowered to develop integration strategies
• Potential collaborations between different parentage test genetic marker panels to improve international data harmonization
• Clear benefits of parentage identified to share with dog breeders and owners
• “One voice” to parentage profile test providers on any special and specific needs from kennel clubs

To join the meeting, you will need the unique passcode provided in a confirmation email received via email after registration. You should also receive an automated reminder 24 hours prior to the workshop. If you have any difficulty registering or finding your meeting instructions, please contact Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi.

Agenda* (Times shown are PDT (UTC -7). More time zones listed below)

Your facilitators for this meeting will be Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi, and the IPFD Team.

Our speakers and panelists: Peter Dovc (International Society for Animal Genetics), Leanne van de Goor (VHL Genetics), Bill Lambert (The Kennel Club), Laura Roest (Raad van Beheer), Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi (International Partnership For Dogs)

8:00 Workshop Opens
8:05-8:15 Welcome from Marc Ralsky (CEO, IPFD)
8:15-8:20 Introduction to the Meeting (Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi)
Discussion:
8:20-8:30 Parentage profiling – supporting robust registration and health schemes (Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi)
8:30-8:45 Introduction to ISAG – guidelines, Comparison-tests, exchange of DNA profiles (Peter Dovc)
8:45-9:00 Parentage verification and technology (Leanne van de Goor)
9:00-9:30 Discussion Panel – all speakers and panelists
9:30-9:45 Summary of Discussion, next steps? How can IPFD support harmonization of parentage profiling?
9:45-10:00 Final comments, and Thank Yous

*Agenda subject to change

The webinar will be two hours in length (start times for key time zones listed below)

Start Times

Time Zones
PDT (UTC -7)       Seattle 8:00
MDT (UTC -6)      Denver 9:00
CDT (UTC -5)       Minneapolis 10:00
EDT (UTC -4)       Toronto 11:00
BST (UTC +0)       London 15:00
CEST (UTC +1)     Stockholm 16:00
EEST (UTC +2)     Helsinki 17:00
AEST (UTC +11)   Melbourne 2:00 (March 16)

 *Meeting details subject to change

Download the Agenda here (PDF): UPDATED Agenda Flyer March 15 Webinar.pdf

PRESENTERS:

Confirmed presenters include: Peter Dovc (ISAG Applied Genetics of Companion Animals Committee), Dr. Joanna Ilska (The Kennel Club (UK)), Bill Lambert The Kennel Club (UK)| IPFD Board ), Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi (IPFD), Dr. Laura Roest (Raad van Beheer (Dutch Kennel Club)), and Leanne Van de Goor (VHLGenetics). Their bios are posted below.

Peter Dovc
Chair, ISAG Applied Genetics of Companion Animals Committee, Slovenia

BIO TO COME

Dr. Joanna Ilska
Genetics Research Manager at The Kennel Club (UK)  

Joanna has always been interested in animals and more specifically, the power, complexity and ethics of breeding animals to suit human needs. This has led to her completing her first degree in BSc Applied Biosciences (Animal Science) in 2008, followed by an MSc in Quantitative Genetics and Genome Analysis at the University of Edinburgh in 2009. In 2014 she completed her PhD in Genomic Prediction of Breeding Values in Broiler Chickens at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh.

Following her PhD, she worked as a Research Fellow on a number of projects in a wide range of species, before joining The Kennel Club in 2021.

Her main expertise lies in prediction of breeding values for complex traits, using large scale genomic data such as whole genome sequences. In private life, Joanna is a “dog person”, keenly involved in dog training and dog sports with her Russian Black Terrier, Falka.    

 Bill Lambert
Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive at the Kennel Club | Vice Chair, IPFD Board (UK)

Bill Lambert is Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive at the Kennel Club, where he has worked since 2005. He has overall responsibility for their numerous health and welfare initiatives, which include the Breed Health and Conservation Plans, tools for breeders to help breed healthy dogs and the numerous health schemes that the Kennel Club are involved in as well as having overall responsibility for Kennel Club Breed Rescue.

In addition, he is the chief Kennel Club spokesperson, and as such represents the KC both in the media and on internal and external committees and groups, including in Parliament. He is an IEMA approved Lead Auditor and formulated the process for assessing breeders’ premises on behalf of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme – the Kennel Club is the only body worldwide currently able to provide UKAS certification to dog breeders.

Bill is also a recognised authority on the Bull Terrier Breed, is a successful breeder and judge, and was former Vice-Chair of the Bull Terrier Club as well as being a volunteer for The Bull Terrier Club (UK) Welfare Trust. He has lobbied for changes to the Dangerous Dogs act since its inception in 1991.

His previous career involved providing customer service where he has a long history in raising and applying accreditation standards as well as being involved in the specialised IT and print industries, where he ran a successful printing business for a number of years as well as being employed in the advertising industry, where he was responsible for the delivery of the world’s largest newspaper advertising campaign.

Currently: Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive, The Kennel Club

Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi
IPFD HGTD Project Manager, USA

Aimée is responsible for maintaining the quality and completeness of data in the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD) database. This includes updating the generic phenes (test) information. Aimee coordinates the Breed Relevance Rating and is close communication with our Collaborating Experts.  

In addition, Aimée fields queries from our DogWellNet.com members and breeders on issues related to genetics and genetic counselling.

Formerly Head of Health and Research at the Kennel Club, Aimée provided bespoke advice to Kennel Club clients, and developed evidence-based canine health resources and engagement programmes for the public and professional.

Aimée's experience at the Kennel Club included: development of the Health Team, active engagement and involvement with committees of the Kennel Club and British Veterinary Association (Canine Health Schemes); direct collaboration with international universities, and the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust, and engagement with exciting external projects such as Vet Compass (RVC), and as a speaker at BSAVA Congress, as well as numerous publications and media engagements.

Aimée was also involved in the initial development of the journal “Canine Genetics and Epidemiology,” and remains active as an editorial board member.

When not working on Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs, Aimée spends her time walking her Pembroke Corgi, McDuff.

Dr. Laura Roest
Raad van Beheer (Dutch Kennel Club), Netherlands

Laura Roest has been working for the Dutch Kennel Club Raad van Beheer since 2011. She is a veterinarian and among other things responsible for preparing health and welfare policies for the Dutch Kennel Club.

The Dutch Kennel Club introduced a mandatory parentage verification in 2014, after their general assembly chose to investigate and prepare to implement this in 2012. Lately, the kennel club decided to switch from the ISAG2006 (STR) profiles to the new ISAG2020 (SNP) profiles.

Leanne Van de Goor
VHLGenetics, The Netherlands

In 1992, Leanne started her professional education in Technical Microbiology. This study included a practical training of one year at the University of Kentucky (USA). After she obtained her bachelor degree in 1996, Leanne started to work for the Van Haeringen Laboratory (VHLGenetics) in the Netherlands. In parallel with working full time, she completed a Master in Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Agricultural University of Wageningen (The Netherlands) in 1999. A PhD was achieved at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) in 2011 with a thesis about forensic DNA analysis in (domesticated) animals, including standardization of the STR markers that are commonly used for bovine and equine parentage verification.

Currently, Leanne is Business developer at VHLGenetics. The laboratories of the VHLGenetics group in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Norway provide independent routine DNA testing and analysis in many animal species (including dogs) and in plants. The VHLGenetics laboratories perform both STR and SNP based parentage testing and have experience in helping kennel clubs to make the transition from STR to SNP based testing.

During the last 25 years of experience in molecular genetics, Leanne contributed to developments in parentage control, identification and testing of genetic diseases of breeding populations while using  appropriate genotyping platforms for STR and SNP detection under high quality control standards.

In 1998 Leanne became a member of the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). From 2006-2014, Leanne was the Chair of the ISAG Cattle Molecular Markers and Parentage Testing committee, and from 2014-2021 she was the Chair of the ISAG Applied Genetics and Genomics in other Species of Economic Interest committee. Currently, Leanne serves as a member of two ISAG committees (Applied Genetics of Companion Animals Committee and the Equine Genetics and Thoroughbred Parentage Testing Standardization Committee).

Pre-Workshop Resources:

Article: Parentage vs Profiling FAQs

Helpful parentage testing terminology Helpful Parentage Genetics Terminology.docx

Read about the experiences of several international kennel clubs KC experiences Parentage meeting.docx

Background to parentage testing SNP vs STR Breed Club Summary.docx

Pre-meeting survey Survey Summary 2022.rtf

Additional Reading:

Blog Post - Ask Aimee: Can my dog's ancestry test tell me who its parents are?

Blog Post - Confidentiality and Genetic Testing: more benefits and risks

Slideshow Loop with clickable links - About IPFD Slide Loop With Links.pdf

Please contact Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi if you have any questions about the workshop.