How Dogs Detect the Scent of Stress in Trauma Survivors, with Dr. Simon Gadbois & Dr. Laura Kiiroja

Causes or Cures

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Simon Gadbois and Dr. Laura Kiiroja about how scent-detection dogs can detect stress in breath samples from individuals with traumatic histories when exposed to trauma cues. They discuss the current use of dogs in detecting diseases, explaining what exactly these dogs are smelling and how they were recruited and trained for this unique study. The conversation also covers the role of human participants, key findings, and the next steps, including the future practical implications of their work.

Dr. Gadbois leads the Canine and Reptile Behaviour and Olfaction Research Lab in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Kiiroja, who recently earned her PhD from Dalhousie University in biomedical scent-detection dogs, has also worked extensively with wolves for animal welfare purposes and contributes to official Estonian national animal websites with her writings on wolves.
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