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

Google Scholar pages

 

 

OUR LEADERSHIP

Dr. Mike Apley chosen for interim department head position;

Dr. Hans Coetzee selected as ADR to succeed Dr. Frank Blecha

Dr. Mike Apley has been named interim department head for Anatomy & Physiology, duties which he will assume starting June 23. He will take over for Dr. Hans Coetzee, the department head since 2016 who will now focus on his dean's office role.

ApleyAs the E.J. Frick Professor in Veterinary Medicine, Apley teaches pharmacology and food animal courses and coordinates advanced feedlot production medicine.

Apley received a bachelor's degree in 1981, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 and a doctorate in clinical pharmacology in 1992, all from K-State. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology.

He started his career in veterinary medicine with a general practice in central Kansas, then moved to a feedlot consulting/contact research practice in Colorado. Before becoming a professor at K-State in 2005, he was a faculty member at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. His research efforts include food animal therapeutics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of veterinary drugs, and antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Coetzee became Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs in 2023, succeeding Dr. Frank Blecha. He has been working in a dual capacity for nearly 1 year.

 

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Recent achievements by A&P faculty

  • MuschDr. Tim Musch is 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 sworn in as president of the American Physiological Society and was featured on the cover of The Physiologist Magazine.
  • Dr. Peying Fong earned a promotion to full professor in the department.
  • Professor Pradeep Malreddy was promoted to the title of clinical associate professor and also has earned membership in the Academy of Medical Educators.

 

Maria Lou among those participating in graduation ceremony

Maria Lou

Joined by mentor Dr. Abbie Viscardi at KSU graduation ceremonies on May 10, Maria Lou became Dr. Maria Lou about 10 weeks after her successful PhD defense, "Investigating strategies to reduce pain in piglets undergoing surgical castration and tail docking." She is the first student mentored by Dr. Viscardi at KSU to earn her PhD. As a graduate student, her research focused pain management of neonatal livestock.

 

One-Year Master's students earn their degree certificates

OYM

On May 8, One-Year Master's in Biomedical Science students had a Call Hall ice cream social and received certificates marking their graduation from the program in Spring or Summer of 2024. Pictured, front row, left to right: Megan Bordewick, Mya Croy, Elizabeth Shipley, Shae Randel and Amare Sumpter. Back row, left to right: Tyler McCoach, Emmanuel O. Ugwuegbu, Meghan Maine. Not pictured: Sydney Andreano, Annaliese Colacicco, Ryan Cunningham, Alex Fischer, Brandon Green, Kathleen Schearer, Ben Schlageck, Andrea Vidovszky.

 

Chandler Hansen stands out in 2024 Phi Zeta Day festivities

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).

 

Dr. Poole wins Dolph Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences

PooleKudos to Dr. David Poole, chosen for the Dolph Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences. Poole, also the 2023 College of Health and Human Sciences Research Excellence Award, "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.

 

A&P grad student Ally Leslie wins Zoetis/AAVMC Scholarship

LeslieCongratulations to grad student Ally Leslie, chosen for a 2024 Zoetis Foundation/American Association of Veterinarian Medical Colleges Scholarship. These scholarships focus on meeting ongoing needs of the veterinary profession -- diversity, sustainability, and mixed/rural medical practices. Alyssa is studying alternative drug injection techniques for cattle.

 

Fourth-year student Madeline Hall wins Schoneweis award

HallFourth-year student Madeline Hall has been 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.

 

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.

 

Drs. Matt Basel, Butch KuKanich named teaching award winners

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. KuKanich was also recently awarded a U.S. patent for a drug designed to reduce pain in dogs.

 

Weber

Ramona Weber wins $500 award

  • Ramona Weber, a kinesiology PhD student who works in the lab supervised by Dr. David Poole, won a $500 scholarship from the Graduate School for her presentation on the effect of dietary nitrate supplementation on tumor oxygenation presented at the annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit held at the State Capitol in Topeka on March 21.

 

University of Pennsylvania professor gives Clarenburg lecture

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 professor of systems pharmacology and translational therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Fritz

Bailey Fritz gets $75,000 scholarship

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

 

Pain management student wins Westfall grad student award

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. Her research focuses on modifying Extracellular Vesicles to serve as pain therapeutics. Her work explores biological agents for pain relief as alternatives to opioids and NSAIDs.

 

 

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)