University of Minnesota Equine Genetics and Genomics Laboratory

10/06/2025

We are so thankful to UMN DSAI Data Set Seed Grants for this funding!
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Can horses help us unlock the mysteries of Parkinson’s disease?

With support from a DSAI Data Set Seed Grant, Professor Molly McCue, DVM, MS, PhD (Department of Veterinary Population Medicine) and Lauren Hughes, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (LAIM) VMED PhD Candidate are studying pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID)—a common brain disease in older horses that closely resembles Parkinson’s in humans. Through genomic and epigenetic research, they hope to uncover powerful connections between animal and human health.

Follow along as science, compassion, and discovery come together in the barn and the lab.

Can horses help us unlock the mysteries of Parkinson’s disease?With support from a DSAI Data Set Seed Grant, Professor Molly McCue, DVM, MS, PhD (Department ...

10/05/2025

Working hard to keep racehorse hearts healthy! ❤️🐎

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Sian Durward-Akhurst work on exercise-associated sudden death (EASD) in racehorses is driving critical progress for the industry. This research, in collaboration with Cris Navas de Solis of University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and supported by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority - HISA (HISA), aims to improve equine safety and welfare. Read about their latest findings in HISA's quarterly update: https://z.umn.edu/aqkn

10/02/2025

Horse owners- We NEED your help!

Did you know that pergolide treatment for horses with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is only effective in 60-80% of cases? Many horses receiving pergolide treatment for PPID can encounter adverse effects that limit the ability to properly treat them and may have variable response rates. We are working on investigating the genetic component contributing to pergolide response in the treatment of horses with PPID. Please consider learning more about our ongoing genetics study at the link below and enrolling if your horse fits enrollment criteria. Help us help the horses you love!

https://z.umn.edu/pergolidestudy

07/16/2025

We are very happy to celebrate two of our hardworking PhD students that were recognized at the second annual RIDE (Research, Innovation, Discovery, and Education) Summit held today at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine! The future is bright with these superstars. 🤩

Help us congratulate Jillian Marlowe & Freya Stein that were selected for the Bee Hanlon/JoAnne Schmidt O'Brien Fellowship!

06/13/2025

Do you have a horse that has been diagnosed with PPID?

We could use your help as we continue to ENROLL additional PPID horses that are being treated with pergolide for an ongoing genetic risk study. Enjoy this video that summarizes the project and consider enrolling your horse to help us answer these very important questions regarding PPID disease risk.

Visit our website to learn more about participation requirements and steps to enroll:
https://z.umn.edu/pergolidestudy

06/10/2025

Did you know that up to 30% of horses above the age of 15 will be diagnosed with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, formerly known as equine cushing's syndrome) in their lifetime? We are currently investigating the underlying genetics associated with PPID in horses as well as genetic factors involved in treatment response to pergolide, the drug most commonly used to treat affected horses.

Please consider learning more about our study and enrolling your horse if they meet enrollment criteria. We need your help to be able to answer important questions regarding PPID disease risk and treatment response affecting many of our beloved equine seniors!

https://z.umn.edu/pergolidestudy

06/06/2025

Did you know that up to 30% of horses above the age of 15 will be diagnosed with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, formerly known as equine cushing's syndrome) in their lifetime?

It is important to recognize that this disease can manifest in many different ways in our older horses. A myriad of clinical signs associated with PPID can include a long shaggy hair coat that fails to shed, weight loss, muscle atrophy, increased drinking (polydipsia) and increased urination (polyuria), behavior changes, recurrent infections, decreased fertility and a risk of laminitis. We are currently investigating the underlying genetics associated with PPID in horses as well as genetic factors involved in treatment response to pergolide, the drug most commonly used to treat affected horses.

Please consider learning more about our study and enrolling your horse if they meet enrollment criteria. We need your help to be able to answer important questions regarding PPID disease risk and treatment response affecting many of our beloved equine seniors!

https://z.umn.edu/pergolidestudy

04/16/2025

We are still looking for horses with PPID being treated with pergolide for an important ongoing genetics study. Check out this press release to learn more about the project, our goals and how to enroll your horses! 🐴

Calling all horse owners! Researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine are launching a major study to better understand Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) in aging horses. They're seeking equine participants to advance early diagnosis and treatment. Learn more: https://z.umn.edu/ad8b

04/10/2025

✨🧬 Multiple lab members recently attended the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) annual agriculture meeting in Orlando, Florida. This conference focuses on showcasing exciting research across agricultural genomics and networking with other scientists and students. Our students presented ground breaking research in the horse and learned about lots of new cutting edge genomic technologies being used across multiple animal species.

04/09/2025

⁉ Did you know that up to 30% of aged horses may be diagnosed with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, also known as equine Cushing’s) in their lifetime? This disease brings many challenges with senior horse care to both horse owners and veterinarians. Researchers at the University of Minnesota and University of Florida are motivated to better understand this disease through investigating the genetics associated with PPID risk and pergolide response in horses.

🐴If you have a horse being treated for PPID we could use your help! In order to properly answer the genetic questions surrounding disease risk and drug response, we are continuing to enroll horses with PPID (diagnosed by a veterinarian) that are being treated with pergolide.

💻Please check out our website to learn how you can enroll in this study and help us to help the horses you love! We are excited about this project and its potential impact to improve quality of life in many senior horses.

04/01/2025

Multiple members of the lab were able to attend the University of Minnesota's annual Speaking Science conference recently. This wonderful event features scientists and communication experts across many disciplines of the University coming together to discuss how to broaden the impacts of research through communication.

✨The keynote speakers Dr. Tseganesh Selameab and Dr. Ben Trappey shared their knowledge and experience of using the power of storytelling in health advocacy.

💬 Multiple breakout sessions included the use of social media and digital accesibility in communicating science, how to communicate with community based research, collaborations across art and science, and speaking to industry and funding audiences.

🔬Lab members are excited to utilize the important information they learned here to help improve the ways we communicate science across our projects.

02/28/2025

Drs McCue & Hughes were recently invited to attend the Data Science Initiative (DSI) Seed Grant Showcase to learn about lots of exciting projects currently occuring across disciplines at the University of Minnesota. They were also awarded a 2025 DSI Data Set Grant and are excited for this funding opportunity to allow for generation of a catalog of epigenetic variation in the horse. Epigenetics is an exciting emerging area of research focused on characterizing the modifications that can occur to DNA that alter how genes are expressed. 🧬🐴🧬