Anatomy and Physiology

We are a multi-disciplinary department with responsibilities in instruction, research and continuing education in the disciplines of gross and microscopic anatomy, cell and systemic physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience and animal behavior and welfare.

WHO WE ARE

Our mission: Cultivate an environment that fosters ingenuity, leadership and excellence in teaching, research and service.

Our vision: Build the finest veterinary biomedical science department.

Our Instagram: K-State Anatomy & Physiology (@ksudap) • Instagram photos and videos

Our Twitter: Department of Anatomy & Physiology (@KSUDAP) / Twitter

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SUCCESSFUL PHD DEFENSE

Maria Lou

On March 22, Maria Lou (third from right) presented her PhD defense, "Investigating strategies to reduce pain in piglets undergoing surgical castration and tail docking" and she is the first student mentored by Dr. Abbie Viscardi (second from right) at KSU to earn her PhD. Also pictured, from left to right, are committee members Dr. Jordan Gebhardt, assistant professor, swine production; Associate Dean of Research and A&P Department Head Dr. Hans Coetzee; former KSU assistant professor Dr. Michael Kleinhenz (who joined the presentation virtually); and Dr. Butch KuKanich, professor of pharmacology.

 

PHI ZETA DAY

Graduation

Doctoral student Chandler Hansen (pictured) starred on 2024 Phi Zeta Day by winning the A.S.R. Ganta Graduate Student Award in recognition of her first-author manuscript titled, "Pre-Lab Videos as a Supplemental Teaching Tool in First-Year Veterinary Gross Anatomy." She also took home second place in the Basic Science Oral Presentation category for her talk titled, "Assessing Veterinarians' Perspectives on the Applicability of Anatomy to Clinical Practice." Additionally, Dr. Jishu Shi accepted the Zoetis Research Award for Excellence in Research by Faculty. For a full list of Phi Zeta honorees, check out 2024 Awards and Scholarships (k-state.edu).

 

Fourth-year student Madeline Hall wins Schoneweis Scholarship

HallCongratulations to fourth-year student Madeline Hall, chosen for this year's David A. Schoneweis Scholarship named for the late professor and alum who played significant roles with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Madeline presented her research, "The impact of early life stress on neural plasticity in growing swine," during the AASV Student Poster Session in February.

 

Erickson

Dr. Erickson named alumni fellow

  • Dr. Howard Erickson has been selected as the CVM Alumni Fellow for 2024. He received his bachelor's and DVM degrees from K-State in 1959 before joining the Air Force as a commissioned officer. He received a doctorate from Iowa State in 1966, then served as a full-time faculty member in our department from 1981-2011. As emeritus professor, he continues to teach an elective course on veterinary history.

 

Drs. Matt Basel, Butch KuKanich win 1st-, 2nd-year teaching awards

BaselAnatomy & Physiology Department instructors Dr. Matt Basel (right) and Dr. ButchKuKanich KuKanich (left) were named winners of the College of Vet Med's 1st- and 2nd-year teaching awards, respectively, during a ceremony held on Nov. 14. "I am extremely proud of all the faculty and staff in the department for the outstanding work that you do every day. Thank you for all that you do to deliver our department mission," said A&P Department Head and CVM Associate Dean of Research Dr. Hans Coetzee. KuKanich was also recently awarded a U.S. patent.

 

CLARENBURG LECTURESHIP

Pure

Clarenburg Lectureship speaker Dr. Ellen Puré, of the University of Pennsylvania, received a plaque from Dr. Hans Coetzee on Nov. 16 following her talk at the College of Veterinary Medicine on the KSU campus in Manhattan. Dr. Puré is a Grace Lansing Lambert Professor, past chairwoman of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania. She is Associate Director of the Cancer Research Institute and serves on editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and Matrix Biology and is Founding Senior Editor of Cancer Immunology Research.

 

Fritz

Student Bailey Fritz nabs major scholarship

Fourth-year A&P student Bailey Fritz is one of two KSU students chosen nationally for the $75,000 Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarship. They were selected from 47 applicants. Fritz’s veterinary journey began with active involvement in SCAAEP, where she expanded lab topics and organized an equine mentorship group as president. After receiving her veterinary degree, Fritz plans to complete an equine surgical residency and pursue a dual clinical and research position in academia, focusing on equine pain and soft tissue injuries.

 

WESTFALL AWARD WINNER

Thitikan

Thitikan Jirakittisonthon, right, received the Jane A. Westfall Graduate Student Fellowship for Women, a scholarship worth $3,000, from Dr. Hans Coetzee on Nov. 16 at the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

 

Weber

A&P's Ramona Weber wins 1st place in Kansas-related contest

  • Ramona Weber, a kinesiology PhD student who works in the lab supervised by Drs. Tim Musch and David Poole, took first prize in a poster contest that included 70 student presenters. A&P-affiliated grad students Kiana Schulze, Zachary White, Keshari Sudasinghe, and Liza Rogers also presented Oct. 24 in the Research and the State Poster Forum.

 

OUR LEADERSHIP

Dr. Hans Coetzee named Associate Dean, earns major awards

Anatomy & Physiology Department Head Dr. Hans Coetzee who recently earned Kansas State University's highest faculty title, University Distinguished Professor, is also a recipient of a 2022-23 Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award and an Iman Award. He has accepted the position of Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs, although he will continue to serve as Department Head as well until his successor is identified. Dr. Coetzee has been recognized by the graduate school as a 2022-23 Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award recipient. He is known worldwide for his work developing objective measures of pain in food-producing animals. He also researches bovine anaplasmosis and has developed a single-dose implant vaccine that provides long-term immunity against anaplasmosis infections.

CoetzeeAwarded more than $21.2 million in research funding over the last 16 years, including more than $18 million from highly competitive federal sources, Dr. Coetzee has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He also is in high demand for consultation by livestock producers, practitioners, academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies on livestock pain assessment. He has presented his work at continuing education sessions and conferences around the world.

 

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Recent achievements by A&P faculty

  • Dr. Peying Fong was promoted to full professor.
  • Dr. Tim Musch has been selected as the 2023 Dolph C. Simons Sr. Award winner in Biomedical Sciences. This award is one of the four research achievement awards established in 1981 through the University of Kansas Endowment Association. Dr. Musch was also recently named president-elect of the American Physiological Society.
  • Dr. Masaaki Tamura has two K-State undergraduate students under his mentorship who were selected to receive research awards from the Kansas State University Johnson Cancer Research Center: Logan Glover, a sophomore in biochemistry from Goddard, Kansas; and Caden Blake, a freshman in human health biology from Kansas City, Kansas.
  • Prof. Pradeep Malreddy was promoted to the title of Clinical Associate Professor and was selected for membership in the Academy of Medical Educators.
  • Dr. David Poole has been selected as the 2023 College of Health and Human Sciences Research Excellence Award. "Dr. Poole has been extremely productive over the past five years, advancing scientific discovery in the microcirculation and developing state-of-the-art models of capillary function," an award nominator said. He ranks in the top 2% of most prolific researchers in his field.

 

OUR DEPARTMENT IN THE NEWS

Wearing Covid-19 Masks: Blood Oxygenation and Exercise Capacity (KWCH - TV)

Dehorning Pain Management (Bovine Veterinarian)

Updated Ag Guide Expands on Pain Management (JAVMA)

K-State Research Team First to Analyze Safety of Industrial Hemp As Cattle Feed (KSN Wichita)

K-State Researches Possibility of Feeding Hemp to Cattle (KSNT Topeka)

K-State Studies Deadly Blue Green Algae (KSNT Topeka)