Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), or bloat, is a common condition in large and giant breed dogs with an unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rate. Due to the importance of GDV in many dog breeds, several previous studies have investigated potential risk factors for the development of GDV. It is known that there is no single cause for GDV, rather its occurrence is multifactorial, with both genetic and environmental factors contributing. Dr. Sharp proposes to further investigate how these risk factors cause GDV through the application of genomic and molecular methods. She will do this by analyzing samples from purebred dogs with GDV and comparing them to dogs of similar age and breed that have not developed GDV. She will perform a genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify differences in the genetic makeup of dogs with GDV, and see which genes are turned on and off in GDV (epigenomics). She will also determine if dogs with GDV have different types or amounts of proteins, hormones and other molecules in their blood and tissues (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics). She and collaborators hypothesize that only when we put all of this information together (genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic) will we truly understand what causes GDV. The ultimate aim of understanding what causes GDV is to allow us to best intervene to prevent the disease from occurring.