The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has announced a new grant to support research utilizing machine learning and data analytics, combined with human cohort data, to understand better the human-animal bond and its impact on pet and human health. Granted to the University of Surrey, a team of researchers, led by Nophar Geifman, PhD, professor of Health and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Surrey, will use data from the International Survey of Pet Owners & Veterinarians to gain insights. “The bond between humans and their companion animals offers significant health benefits for both sides,” says Dr. Nophar Geifman, the principal investigator for this study. “We aim to gain a better understanding of this bond and its effect on companion animal and human health and wellbeing, by applying artificial intelligence approaches to questionnaire data as well as data from other studies on health outcomes in humans.” Researchers will use computational techniques to identify key measures of the human-animal bond, such as quality of life and veterinary care, and apply machine learning to classify pet parent “types” and link them to animal health outcomes. Insights will inform a proposed UK-Biobank survey and future analyses, enhancing understanding of the bond's benefits and its correlation with human health and pet ownership. Information derived from this venture will be disseminated and can inform the wider population on the benefits of the human-animal bond. The availability of complementary data to the HABRI-Zoetis International Survey, including proposed access to the UK-Biobank, will allow future analyses to incorporate and control for additional human health outcome and wellness information, leading to a means of confirming correlation between human health and pet ownership. “This project has the potential to provide valuable longitudinal data about the benefits of pet ownership and the importance of supporting the human-animal bond as a matter of public health,” says Steven Feldman, HABRI president. For more information, visit the HABRI website.
