Inaugural Canine Health Discovery of the Year Award Goes to Dr. Lisa Freeman
Dr. Lisa Freeman, NG96, V91, A86 is the recipient of the inaugural 2025 Canine Health Discovery of the Year Award presented by the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) for her research into the cause of diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a disease of dogs’ heart muscle that has surfaced in the last decade.
“I’m so honored to receive this award. I appreciate that it is shining a spotlight on this problem and on the importance of research to improve the lives of dogs,” says Freeman, who has a dual appointment at Tufts University as a professor in both the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is a veterinary nutritionist in the Cardiology service at Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals.
The award recognizes Freeman’s study with her team on diet-associated DCM, published last year in the American Journal of Veterinary Research, providing new clues to the cause. Although diet-associated DCM is relatively new, DCM is not. It is a disease of the heart muscle that can progress to heart failure or even sudden death. DCM is most often a genetic disease that affects specific breeds of dogs. For example, more than 50 percent of Doberman Pinschers have a genetic form of DCM.
Identifying the cause of diet-associated DCM is critical for preventing more dogs from developing this disease and improving treatment for dogs already affected. CHF awarded Freeman a cash prize, that she directed to continue her research into the cause of diet-associated DCM. She's also eligible for an additional research grant from the nonprofit organization to continue this work.
“This award will have a huge impact because it will directly support more research to help us identify the cause of this disease,” says Freeman. “I’m grateful to the AKC Canine Health Foundation for its efforts to support research to improve dogs’ health and raise awareness of the importance of veterinary research.”
Freeman was recognized along with the other two finalists at CHF’s annual Canines & Cocktails gala this past December, where Freeman was announced as the winner.
Several years ago, concern rose among veterinary cardiologists seeing DCM occurring in atypical breeds eating grain-free pet foods, which have become popular for dogs and cats. Further research has found diet-associated DCM affecting dogs and cats appears to be associated with diets high in pulses, which include peas, lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans, although it does not appear to be caused by a lack of grains or any nutritional deficiencies. While grain-free diets are often high in pulses, some grain-inclusive diets contain pulses too.
More than 30 studies have been published on diet-associated DCM, including 14 authored by Freeman and her colleagues. The multidisciplinary team working on this research includes Cummings School faculty members Dr. John Rush, professor and cardiologist in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, and Dr. Esther Gisela Martinez-Romero, assistant clinical professor and pathologist in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, in addition to other veterinary and human pathologists, all with expertise in cardiovascular pathology.
Freeman and team analyzed urine samples collected from dogs with suspected diet-associated DCM to look for a specific biological marker that suggests abnormal metabolism of a specific type of fat, called phospholipids, providing a potential biological mechanism for diet-associated DCM.
“This discovery has added new pieces to the puzzle and is focusing our research to find the cause of this disease,” says Freeman.
For more than three decades, Freeman’s work at Cummings School has included research and clinical care for dogs and cats with all types of diseases, with a focus exclusively on heart disease in recent years. She and her colleagues have published extensively on nutrition in relation to heart disease, including cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, cardiac cachexia, and heart valve disease. She helps pets with heart disease from across the country through nutrition consultations with cardiologists. She heads Cummings School’s Residents’ Enhanced Veterinary Education and Academic Learning (REVEAL) Program, providing house officers with research experience and opportunities. A triple Jumbo, Freeman earned her B.S. at Tufts, D.V.M. at Cummings School, and Ph.D. in nutrition at Friedman School, before joining the faculty.
On continuing her research into finding the root cause of diet-associated DCM, Freeman says, “We’re working on multiple approaches to find the answer to prevent this disease from affecting any more pets and their families. We feel a sense of urgency to get this solved as quickly as possible, and this research is giving us some important clues.”