CSU Brain Research Center

04/21/2026

🧠🐾 CSU Brain Research Center Featured on 9NEWS

Our research was recently highlighted by 9NEWS (KUSA) , showcasing how studying brain aging in dogs is helping scientists better understand cognitive decline in humans.

Because dogs share our environments and naturally develop many of the same diseases—including dementia—they provide a unique and valuable model for studying how the brain changes over time.

By analyzing these changes, our team is working to advance early detection and improve our understanding of neurodegenerative disease across species.

We’re proud to be part of research that bridges veterinary and human medicine and contributes to improving brain health for both dogs and people.

📺 Read/watch the full feature here:

Colorado State University researchers are studying dogs’ brains to better understand cognitive decline in humans and uncover insights into diseases, like dementia.

04/07/2026

Team Tuesday: Meet Elizabeth Stinar

Elizabeth Stinar is our Lead Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Technician Supervisor, bringing a wealth of clinical experience and leadership to the Brain Research Center.

Her career in veterinary medicine began in high school after receiving a scholarship to Front Range Community College in 2012. Although she initially planned to pursue veterinary school, Elizabeth discovered a passion for nursing care and chose to become a veterinary technician.

She gained valuable experience in emergency medicine before transitioning to neurology, where she spent several years working with complex neurologic cases. After five years in private practice, she joined Colorado State University in 2022, bringing her clinical expertise into the research setting.

In her current role, Elizabeth supports innovative brain research while providing leadership and mentorship to the clinical team.

We’re grateful to have her as part of our team!

04/01/2026

🚨 New Study Announcement 🚨

We’re excited to share that our team is launching a new study focused on improving communication between dogs and humans…

Specifically, we’ll be investigating whether dogs can learn to read minds using advanced brain imaging and training techniques.

Early results suggest:
✔ Dogs already know when you’re opening snacks
✔ They can sense when you’re about to say “walk”
✔ And they definitely know when you want to take them to the vet

—

Okay… maybe not officially 😄

But what we are studying is just as fascinating—how the brain changes with age and how we can better understand cognitive health in dogs.

🧠🐾 Follow along to learn more about real brain research (and maybe a few more fun facts along the way)

03/31/2026

🔬 Team Tuesday: Meet Abdullatif Alsulami

Abdullatif is a graduate researcher in toxicology at Colorado State University whose work focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

His research plays an important role in our work by using naturally aging dogs to better understand how these diseases develop and progress. By studying brain pathology and identifying early biomarkers in dogs, his work contributes to improving how we detect and study cognitive decline across species.

This type of research is a powerful example of the connection between veterinary and human medicine—and how collaborative, translational science can help move the field forward.

We’re grateful to have Abdullatif as part of our team!

03/26/2026

You may have seen our research featured on 60 Minutes this week—but what does that actually mean for your dog? 🧠🐾

As dogs live longer, we’re seeing more age-related changes in the brain, including cognitive decline similar to dementia in people.

Our research focuses on understanding these changes earlier—so we can improve how we detect, monitor, and ultimately care for aging dogs.

This work isn’t just about the future—it’s already helping us better understand how to support dogs as they age.

🐾 Follow along to learn more about brain health in dogs
🐾 And how studies like BioRAD are helping move this field forward

And if you haven't had a chance to watch it, you can check out the full 60 Minutes segment here: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/60minutes-2026-03-22/

03/22/2026

Tune into 60 Minutes tonight to watch our very own Dr. McGrath and Dr. Moreno discuss how we're advancing brain aging research in both dogs and humans.

03/20/2026

We are incredibly honored to be featured on 60 Minutes this Sunday. 🧠🐾

By studying how dogs age, our team—along with collaborators across the field—is working to uncover pathways to longer, healthier lives for both our canine companions and people. Dogs provide a unique and valuable opportunity to better understand how the brain ages, helping translate discoveries in canine health to human brain aging.

We hope you’ll tune in this Sunday, and follow along for updates as we continue this important work.

03/18/2026

🧠 New research from our team!

We’re excited to share a recent publication in JAVMA co-authored by director and associate director the Brain Research Center, Dr. McGrath and Dr. Moreno.

As dogs live longer, conditions like canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD)—similar to dementia in people—are being recognized more frequently. This study highlights the need for more consistent and standardized ways to diagnose cognitive decline in aging dogs.

Improving how we identify these changes is an important step toward developing better treatments—for both dogs and humans.

🔗 If you're interested in reading the guidelines for yourself, drop a comment so we can send you the link!

03/17/2026

This week for , we’re featuring Breonna Kusick, Clinical Trials Manager for the Brain Research Center at Colorado State University.

Breonna helps coordinate and manage the clinical studies that make our research possible. She works closely with veterinarians, researchers, and dog owners to bring innovative trials to life—studies that aim to better understand neurologic diseases and brain aging in dogs while advancing discoveries that may benefit people, too.

Breonna joined CSU in 2018 and has since helped lead several translational research studies focused on epilepsy, brain tumors, and cognitive aging.

Breonna is also personally committed to the research and has enrolled her 11-year-old beagle, Kate, in our BioRAD study to help advance our understanding of how dog's brain age.

03/12/2026

🧠 Did you know?

Dogs naturally experience age-related changes in the brain as they grow older, and in some cases these changes can lead to canine cognitive dysfunction, a condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease in people.

Scientists are studying how the brain changes over time by looking at brain imaging, protein biomarkers, and behavior in aging dogs.

Because dogs share our homes and environments, they provide a unique opportunity to better understand how neurodegenerative diseases develop — and how we might detect them earlier.

Research in dogs is helping advance brain health for both dogs and people.

🐾 Follow along to learn more about how veterinary research is advancing the science of brain aging.