“Wild at Heart” Bridges Gap between Primates and People Lincoln Park Zoo, University of Chicago Medicine host special evening

Chicago, 2012-09-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — Heart disease is the primary cause of death for American adults and captive chimpanzees. Join Lincoln Park Zoo’s Dr. Lester E. Fisher Director of Veterinary Medicine Kathryn Gamble, DVM, and Allan Anderson, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of theAdvanced Heart Failure Program at the University of Chicago Medicine, for a heart to heart on cardiac health in humans and their closest genetic relatives, chimpanzees.

Guests to the Wednesday, September 12, event will enjoy exclusive after-hours access to the zoo’s Regenstein Center for African Apes with a backdrop of snoozing gorillas and nesting chimpanzees.

Dr. Gamble will describe her groundbreaking chimpanzee study that involves small remote EKG monitoring devices that enable the zoo’s team to record data heartbeat by heartbeat. She will detail how the chimpanzees at Lincoln Park Zoo have been trained to cooperate with their own care so the scanning is entirely voluntary, which makes reading the data completely non-invasive for the animals.

Dr. Anderson, a cardiologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, is actively involved in studies examining the mechanical support of the failing heart. At the University of Chicago, Dr. Anderson works side by side with other medical and surgical heart failure experts to determine the best treatment plan for each patient.

Wild at Heart is a chance to hear from two very different experts on one important topic: healthy hearts and helping hands. The adult program runs from 7-8:30 p.m. and will include light refreshments. Cost is $25 ($20 for zoo members); for more information and to register, visit www.lpzoo.org.
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Media Contacts:
Sharon Dewar

312-742-2246

SDewar@lpzoo.org

Tiffany Ruddle

312-742-5791

TRuddle@lpzoo.org

John Easton

773-795-5225

John.Easton@uchospitals.edu

ABOUT CHICAGO’S LINCOLN PARK ZOO
Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, a historic landmark founded in 1868, is dedicated to connecting people with nature by providing a free, family-oriented wildlife experience. A leader in conservation science both globally and locally, the zoo exemplifies the highest quality animal care and educational outreach. The notfor-profit zoo, managed by The Lincoln Park Zoological Society, is a member-supported organization and one of the nation’s only free, privately managed zoos. For more information, call 312 -742-2000 or visit www.lpzoo.org.

 

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE
The University of Chicago Medicine has been at the forefront of medical care since 1927, when we opened our doors to the first patients. Located in historic Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, the medical campus includes Comer Children’s Hospital, Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital for adult inpatient care, Chicago Lying-in Hospital and the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine. The University of Chicago Medicine also has outpatient locations throughout the Chicago area. For more information about the University of Chicago Medicine, visit www.uchospitals.edu. For more news, follow us on Twitter at @UChicagoMed or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UChicagoMed, research blog at www.sciencelife.uchospitals.edu or newsroom at www.uchospitals.edu/news.