Veterinarians V Physicians
“What do you call a veterinarian who can only take care of one species? A physician” says Barbara Natterson-Horowitz a cardiologist whose patients include gorillas, lions, wallabies and humans. Her medical rounds sometimes take place at the Los Angeles Zoo; or might include veterinarians in a discussion of human health at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, but always channel the perspective of Charles Darwin.
In this TED talk, she shares how a species-spanning approach to health can improve medical care of the human animal — particularly when it comes to mental health.
A Cross-Species Approach to Medicine
Especially when it comes to mental health
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at UCLA Medical School, provides a unique perspective on how human well-being, including mental health, can be improved by insights into animal health.
She works in UCLA’s Division of Cardiology and in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her medical specialty is cardiac imaging — but her academic passion is the evolutionary connection between human and animal bodies and minds.
In 2012, she co-authored the book Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health, advocating a “One Health” approach to medicine. She founded the Zoobiquity Conferences to bring veterinarians and physicians together for “species-spanning” debates and collaborations.