Monthly Newsletter
August 2019 - Vol. 14, No. 8
Top Stories
Dr. Roman Ganta's team tackles tick-borne diseases
New $2.7 million NIH grant extends five more years of research on a tick-borne disease impacting people, dogs and other vertebrate hosts
The clock could be ticking for ticks. Dr. Roman Ganta, professor and director of the Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, recently secured a new grant of $2.7 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue his longtime work on tick-borne disease.
CVM team volunteers at Everybody Counts - Manhattan
For the second year in a row, the College of Veterinary Medicine has participated in a community outreach event called “Everybody Counts.” This event occurred Aug. 3 in Manhattan at the Douglass Community Center on the 900 block of Yuma street.
Video Feature
Veterinary Research Scholars Program
This summer, a group of 11 veterinary students were funded to participate in the Veterinary Research Scholars Program. The scholars learned study design, laboratory techniques and research ethics by working with faculty mentors.
USDA-NIFA grant supports efforts to control viral diseases in swine
By Brenna Leahy
A new, $475,000 research grant will help a Kansas State University research laboratory determine methods to control two of the most important viral agents in pigs.
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Dr. Yunjeong Kim, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is the principal investigator in a study that focuses on gaining a better understanding of PDIA enzymes as a potential target for developing intervention strategies against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Swine influenza A virus (SIAV). “SIAV and PPRSV are two most important viral agents in pigs,” Dr. Kim said. “Controlling these viruses is crucial for the swine production industry and sustained food supply, as well as for mitigating risks of potential pandemic influenza outbreaks in humans.”
Dr. Kim explained how there is an unmet need for safe and effective prevention and control measures. “Identification and manipulation of host factors critical for virus infection may provide the foundation for devising novel intervention strategies,” Dr. Kim said. “Our group recently found that protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs), which are involved in proper protein folding, play a key role for the replication of SIAV and PRRSV in cells by conducting experiments including gene knockdown or CRISPR-based gene editing technologies in cells.” Dr. Kim obtained funding from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture USDA for her study, which is entitled, “Investigation of Genetic Factors for Swine Influenza A Virus and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus.” Dr. Kim plans to conduct relevant experiments toward providing a better understanding of PDIA enzymes as a potential target for developing intervention strategies against PRRSV and SIAV. |
More Headlines
Second year of Vet Med ROCKS Day Camp features new activities
The Vet Med ROCKS student club recently hosted its second annual Summer Camp for elementary, middle school and high school students. New learning activities were added, which took advantage of some of the newly renovated spaces in the CVM. There were more than 150 campers across three different sections, with tours of the BRI and specific clinical experiences.
Meet the counselors (from left): Michael Demmin, Kylee Bush, Alexis Sutter, Kristin Helmer, Carson Campbell, Bailey Wright, Lauren Gustafson, Jackie Hansen, Keri Moy, Alex Bertke, Morgan Lewis, Megan McKenney, Josh Klutzke, and Madison Martin. Not pictured: Tori Matta.
Bailey teaches middle school kids about heartworms, thanks to support from the American Heartworm Society.
Kristin Heimer gives a close-up inspection of heartworm samples.
Carson Campbell and Kylee Bush take elementary kids on a "tour of the heart" with a quiz on anatomical facts.
Keri Moy explains how veterinary students learn anatomy by studying skeletons and other structures.
Megan McKenney leads an introductory session on dissection.
Skeleton Crew
Undergrad student wins third place for research poster at veterinary anatomy conference
Congratulations go out to Emily Johnson, a fifth-year senior in animal science and pre-veterinary medicine major from Leavenworth, Kansas, who works in the anatomy lab with Dr. Pradeep Malreddy.
Emily recently earned third-place recognition at the biennial meeting of the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists for her poster on “Rehabilitation of the osteological specimens using an alkali-, acid- and enzymatic-based solutions.” The poster competition was mostly comprised of entries by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
The meeting was held in late July in Banff, Alberta, Canada this year. Emily applied for a travel grant of $750 from the K-State Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry. As a prize for her research poster, Emily received a signed copy of the “Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy” by Dr. Bajit Singh, who was at the conference and gave a “farewell address.”
Emily Johnson, a a fifth-year senior in animal science and pre-veterinary medicine, won third place for her poster at the biennial meeting of the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists in Canada.
“I have learned a lot from doing this project,” said Emily, who is also a member of the K-State rowing team. “I have never worked with research before so this was unknown territory for me. Along the way I've learned that an enormous amount of thought has to be put into coming up with a plan just to do the experiments.”
Dr. Malreddy said Emily’s responsibilities have included setting out cadavers and managing inventory. She recently found a set of bones in the basement of Coles Hall.
“These bones must be about 50 years old,” Dr. Malreddy said. “They were dusty and oily, so we thought it would be a good project for Emily to rehabilitate the bones for use. For Phi Zeta Research Day [on March 26], we had Emily perform experiments and data analysis on the bones. Emily won a first place award for her poster at Phi Zeta, so we suggested having her submit the poster for AAVA.”
Emily shows her research poster.
Emily explained for her project that she, Dr. Malreddy and lab technician Sandy Roten had to take into consideration every factor they could think of including the temperature of the room label testing for our specimens.
“Along with the seemingly infinite factors to consider, there were many different ways to perform the experiments such as focusing on the concentration or on how much time to leave the bones in the solutions,” Emily said. “Overall the research process has taught me to consider every aspect of every situation and also to understand that the results that we get may or may not be what we wanted or expected.”
As for her academic goals, Emily said she is not 100 percent set on what she wants to do in veterinary college, so this allowed her to get a “taste of what research is like” in case she decides to pursue it further.
“I think that this was a great experience for me and I couldn't thank Dr. Malreddy and Sandy Roten enough for giving me this opportunity,” Emily said.
Sandy Roten and Dr. Pradeep Malreddy show the bone collection Emily has been analyzing for her research project. The bones were discovered in the basement of Coles Hall after several years of storage.
Record Year
Donors contribute $212 million in fiscal year 2019 for Kansas State University; $15.19 million for the CVM
Donations to Kansas State University reached an all-time high in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, with more than $212 million in private gifts through the Kansas State University Foundation.
Sept. 26 seminar examines interruptions in the supply chain of animal pharmaceuticals
Experts from industry, academia and government — including the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine — are leading a series of discussions focused on minimizing disruptions and increasing communication in the supply chain operations phase of animal pharmaceutical production.
| "Animal Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Interruptions" is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at Kansas State University's Olathe campus. The interactive workshop explores why interruptions happen and the best practices for mitigating them. Experts will lead discussion sessions about best practices and risk management tools before transitioning into a hands-on format with case studies and exercises. The case studies will be used and analyzed to look at how the interruptions could be prevented and how the communication process can be enhanced. Attendees also will participate in a risk mapping exercise. "Interruptions in the supply chain significantly affect the health and wellbeing of animals. In the case of medically necessary products, in which there are no available replacements, these can cause an even greater impact — both in welfare and publicity," said Gary Anderson, director of the Animal Health and Food Safety Institute at K-State Olathe. A significant contributor to this problem is the complexity of the regulatory environment that exists both domestically and abroad. Another contributor is the limited number of approved supplies that exist globally. While maintaining product quality is paramount, identifying and reducing supply chain risks is key for the sustainability of the animal health industry and the wellbeing of pet and food animal drugs and vaccines. "Animal Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Interruptions" is the seventh seminar in the Regulatory Affairs in Animal Health Seminar Series. The series is offered in partnership with BioKansas and is designed to provide the latest information about regulatory affairs in the animal health industry. More than 400 professionals from animal health companies and affiliated industries have attended previous seminars since the series debuted in late 2017. Participant feedback has shown that the information is effective and making a difference in the industry. Learn more about the series and register for "Animal Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Interruptions" at olathe.k-state.edu/regaffairs. |
Regular features
Alumni Events, Development and Continuing Education
The Veterinary Medical Alumni Association organizes alumni receptions at several of the national annual conferences plus continuing education events and more. This month's section includes our alumni recognition award for Fetch dvm360, the upcoming Cat Town kickoff, plus updates on recently departed alumni.
Dr. Niall Finnegan to be recognized by VMAA at Fetch dvm360 in Kansas City
Dr. John Voegeli, Winner, South Dakota is the recipient of the 2019 Alumni Recognition Award to be presented during the annual Fetch dvm360 Conference held in Kansas City, Missouri, on Aug. 24. The award is given to veterinarians whose careers have served as exemplary role models for future alumni in a professional and community setting. Dr. Voegeli, originally from Wichita, Kansas, earned his DVM at Kansas State University in 1980. Upon graduation he began his career working with Dr. Al Pravecek at the Animal Clinic in Winner, where he is now a co-owner. Read more about Dr. Voegeli |
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Alumni Reception Reservations2019 Fetch dvm360 Conference Alumni Reception | August 24, 2019 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. |
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Cat Town U.S.A.
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In Memoriam - Recently Departed AlumniDr. Harlan Daniel Ellis, DVM 1950 |
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Questions about Alumni or CE events?Contact:
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Tony Ballard
Dana Parker
News Ticker
More activities and accomplishments in the College of Veterinary Medicine:
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Dr. Mary Lynn Higginbotham presented, “Knowledge Corner: Adoptive T Cell Therapy in Canine Lymphoma,” at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum in Phoenix, Arizona, June 2-8 where she also administered the ACVIM Oncology certifying exam. Dr. Kate KuKanich also presented at the June 2019 ACVIM Forum with a presentation titled, “Development of feline and canine urinary E. coli antibiograms to improve antimicrobial stewardship in Kansas.” Dr. Mike Apley was the Keynote Speaker at the 2019 Idaho Veterinary Medical Association Summer Meeting June 6-9 and he also presented several sessions. The keynote address was, “Antibiotic stewardship exemplifying our roles in leadership and service” and his other presentations were, “An evidence-based review of antibiotics in cattle,” “NSAIDs and Steroids in cattle” and “Our pharmaceutical regulatory future.” Dr. Bob Larson presented, “Evidence-Based Clinical Decision Making” on June 29 at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory 2019 Cattle Health Management Conference in Canyon, Texas. Drs. McHaney, David Biller and Emily Klocke published, “Use of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Foreign Bodies. Case Report and Review of the Literature.” in the Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine’s June 2019 edition. Drs. Mac Hafen and Adryanna Drake were featured in an article on the K-State Innovation & Inspiration website under “Impact Stories.” The article highlighted the services Drs. Hafen and Drake offer to the veterinary students, faculty and staff. They provide many different mental health services as well as presentations and seminars to address the human and relational aspects of veterinary medicine. Dr. Dylan Lutter successfully passed the Equine Rehabilitation Certificate Program (CERP). The CERP program prepares veterinarians from the theoretical foundations to the clinical applications of equine rehabilitation. We look forward to having Dr. Lutter provide rehabilitative services through the equine section at the VHC. Dr. Ryane Englar was invited to Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China and China Agricultural University in Beijing, China during the period June 15-30. Presentations were provided on the topics of canine/feline primary care such as history taking in wellness exams versus acute presentations and canine and feline specific physical examination tips. Clinical communication was another area presented that included the Calgary-Cambridge Guide to the medical interview as well as foundational skills such as transparency, open-ended questions, non-verbal cues, empathy, reflective listening and unconditional positive regard. This was an excellent opportunity for Dr. Englar to support our US-China Center for Animal Health initiative here at K-State. Dr. Kelli Almes presented a talk on Zoonotic Disease at the Kansas Department of Ag Small Animal Facilities Seminar in Salina, Kansas, on June 8.
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International mobility in ItalyDuring late June, Dr. Justin Kastner accompanied four K-State students — second-year student Carolyn Mark, third-year students Hayley Barkoviak and Viola Folsom, and his MPH advisee/Thailand government veterinary inspector Phutsadee Sanwisate — at the summer 2019 iMOVES (International Mobility for Veterinary Students) program at the University of Padova, Italy. As part of the iMOVES program, Dr. Kastner spoke to the students from K-State as well as Colorado State, Texas A&M, University of Pennsylvania and University of Padova about the history of the agri-food trade with respect to animal disease and food safety policy. His lecture was titled, “Policymaking and regulation in global, regional, and local contexts: History, Culture, Politics, and International Trade.” After the completion of the Padova program, Dr. Kastner took three of the K-State students (Hayley, Viola, and Phutsadee) to two additional destinations for more field-trip style learning: the University of Bologna (Europe’s oldest university), to learn about the history of public health; they visited an anatomical theatre at the world-renowned Archiginnasio (“Old School”) at the University; and the city of Venice, related to the history of the agri-food (particularly, seafood and salt).
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K-State President Richard Myers performs commissioning ceremony for Anna Kucera
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Meet the new VHC residents and interns
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Welcome new veterinary nurses to VHC
Welcome to DJ Rippelmeyer, a 2019 graduate of Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver. Her areas of interest are oncology, cardiology, small animal internal medicine, and small animal ICU. On the right, Macey Strutt is a 2019 graduate of Colby Veterinary Nursing Program. Her areas of interest include livestock, equine internal medicine, small animal and large animal surgery, and exotics. |
Staff Council flips out for breakfast
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Vet Med ROCKS opens registration for summer camp
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Careers and Cases in Veterinary MedicineIn the animal health and nutrition industry, the Greater Kansas City area is the national leader. The Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, which stretches from Manhattan, Kansas, to Columbia, Missouri, accounts for one-third of the nation's $19 billion global animal health market. Companies and universities in this area lead the nation in animal health and nutrition research, innovation, business functions and production. Training the future workforce for this industry begins with students. K-State Olathe features a Veterinary Medicine Lecture Series at its campus in Olathe that is geared to high school students, parents, teachers and the general public. CVM faculty will be featured at each of the sessions below where they will each lecture on their respective areas of expertise and meet with interested students and families. Current Series Sept. 25, 2019: Oct. 23, 2019: Nov. 13, 2019: March 25, 2020: April 15, 2020: Emerging zoonotic diseases | Dr. Bonto Faburay Register now |
Congratulations to
Vet Med ROCKS, the Recruitment and Outreach Club of Kansas State, is going to be holding summer day camp from Aug. 2-6, for high school, college, middle school and grade school students (see
New Arrivals/Recent Departures
Welcome to:Lauro VelazquezSalinas, Anatomy & Physiology, Research Associate Dr. Leslie Wagner, Clinical Sciences, Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Shaun Huser, Clinical Sciences, Clinical Assistant Professor Selena Franqui, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Laboratory Client Services Assistant Xuan Xu, Anatomy & Physiology, Research Assistant Pragathi Belagola Shridhar, Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Research Assistant Dr. Margaret Highland, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Roman Pogranichniy, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Associate Professor Tony Ballard, Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Event Coordinator Farewell to:
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Lifelines is published each month by the Marketing and Communications Office at the College of Veterinary Medicine. The editors are Joe Montgomery, jmontgom@vet.k-state.edu and Brenna Leahy, leahy@vet.k-state.edu.
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