RALEIGH, NC – The American Kennel Club and the AKC Canine Health Foundation are pleased to debut the fourth podcast in the Genome Barks series.

In this edition of Genome Barks, Dr. Sarah Stone of The Ohio State University is interviewd by Erika Werne, Director of Education, Communications, and Club Relations for the AKC Canine Health Foundation.  One of the most common health issues facing both humans and their canine companions is cataracts.  While cataract surgery is the most frequently performed intraocular operation, there is a nearly 100% incidence of capsular scarring post-surgery in dogs.  Dr. Stone's research, funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation, focuses on developing new techniques to decrease this occurrence, and in turn improving the lives of dogs.  In this podcast Dr. Stone discusses her research and the progress made thus far.

The Genome Barks podcast series features lectures from the highly successful AKC-CHF Breeders Symposia. Future podcasts will also provide responsible breeders and pet owners an inside look at the work being done by the AKC and the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

New podcasts are released every two weeks and can be accessed from either the American Kennel Club website at www.akc.org or the AKC Canine Health Foundation website at www.akcchf.org – click on “Podcasts”. They will also be available on Apple's iTunes® and at www.akc-akcchf.libsyn.com.

Clubs are encouraged to add the Genome Barks podcast link to their home pages. Contact the AKC Canine Health Foundation to obtain graphics and links.