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.
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Drs. Mike Apley and Eduarda Bortoluzzi, researchers in Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Anatomy & Physiology, are leading a new, FDA-sponsored Animal and Veterinary Innovation Center to develop approaches to better support animal health and veterinary interventions.
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New center to focus on pain relief for food animals
Kansas State University has been identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine as one of four Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers that will receive funding for work for advancing regulatory science and further developing innovative products and approaches to better support animal health and veterinary interventions.
While there are three areas of concentration for the innovation centers, K-State’s center was identified for its efforts to develop models that reliably and consistently evaluate the efficacy of analgesics in food animals in support of new drug approvals. This work specifically supports pain relief in pigs, goats and cattle for painful diseases or surgical pain.
Mike Apley, professor of clinical pharmacology and head of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology, is one of the principal investigators and project leaders at K-State. He is joined by Eduarda Bortoluzzi, assistant professor of animal welfare. Hans Coetzee, K-State's interim vice president of research, is a collaborator due to his expertise in animal welfare and pain relief studies.
Co-investigators include Raghavendra Amachawadi, associate professor of food animal therapeutics, and Emily Reppert, associate professor of large animal medicine. College of Veterinary Medicine staff members Misty Bear and Mikaela Weeder were also instrumental.
“This grant was a true team effort to prepare, relying on the expertise of the animal welfare team which Dr. Coetzee has been instrumental in assembling,” Apley said. “It consists of nine studies at Kansas State University and two studies at North Carolina State University over five years of the cooperative agreement. The specific objective of this proposal is to develop models which reliably and consistently evaluate the efficacy of analgesics in food animals in support of new drug approvals.”
More information is available at the FDA's website.
PHI ZETA DAY
Zimmermann, Schumacher, Hobbs take home awards
Congratulations to our award-winning students at Phi Zeta Day on March 11!
Jordana Zimmermann (third from left) won first place in the Applied/Clinical Research Oral Presentation – Large Animal category for her presentation, “Automated machine learning and facial imaging for feedyard cattle outcome prediction.”
Jacob Schumacher (far right) placed second in the Applied/Clinical Research Oral Presentation – Large Animal category for his presentation, “Evaluation of ClipFitter as novel method for castration in calves.”
Veterinary Research Scholars Program student Alyssa Hobbs (far left) took third place in the Applied/Clinical Science/Cases Poster Session for her poster, “Behaviors of beef-dairy calves that received a dose of maternal appeasing substance (MBAS) at weaning.”
The students are mentored by Assistant Professor Dr. Eduarda Bortoluzzi (second from left).
Other VRSP winners included:
* Jett Novotny, third place, Basic Science Oral Presentation;
* Ilya Verekman, second place, Companion Animal/Exotics Oral Presentation;
* Cheyenne Town, third place, Companion Animal/Exotics Oral Presentation;
* Jimena Kilian, first place, Applied/Clinical Science Poster Presentation; and
* Camila I. Amrein Almira, first place, Basic Poster Presentation. She also won the Miller Pathology Scholarship Award.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Dr. Apley earns AVC's Consultant of the Year award for 2024
Dr. Mike Apley, department head for Anatomy & Physiology, has been named Consultant of the Year for 2024 by the Academy of Veterinary Consultants. The award, sponsored by Zoetis, recognizes outstanding achievements in beef-cattle medicine. Dr. Apley is the 38th recipient of the honor.
As 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/contract 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.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Coetzee chosen for prestigious prizes for pain management
Dr. Hans Coetzee, animal welfare and pain management specialist, has been selected as the National Academy of Sciences prize-winner in Food and Agriculture Sciences.
Coetzee, who became Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs in 2023 and was recently chosen as Interim Vice President for Research at KSU, won the award for his transformative research into safe and cost-effective pain relief solutions for livestock.
Coetzee was also recently awarded a prestigious fellowship by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. This recognition honors Coetzee's exceptional contributions to the field of veterinary science, particularly in advancing animal health and welfare. The distinction recognizes Coetzee's innovative research and educational efforts, which have significantly influenced veterinary practices around the world.
He is also a recipient of a 2025 Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Award.
Coetzee's work has been instrumental in enhancing global understanding of pain management in farm animals and improving veterinary care standards worldwide.
Weeder wins $3,000 Dr. Jane A. Westfall grad student scholarship
Congratulations to PhD candidate, Mikaela Weeder, on receiving the Dr. Jane A. Westfall Graduate Student Fellowship for Women, valued at $3,000 for 2025! She is pictured here with Department Head Dr. Mike Apley, who presented the award in the form of a giant check.
Aparicio earns PhD, DeVader gets master's after final presentations
Cesar Aparicio-Lopez secured his PhD and Sarah DeVader earned her master's
after the two grad students in the KSU Department of Anatomy & Physiology made successful final presentations recently. Aparicio-Lopez presented "Development of Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Combination Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer with Hyperthermia" on Oct. 30. DeVader presented "Study of the PD-1 Expression in Lung Carcinoma Cells and T Lymphoblasts by Euglena gracilis Water Extract" on Nov. 25.
Kiana Schulze recognized with UDP excellence scholarship
Kiana Schulze is one of three Kansas State University doctoral students recognized with the University Distinguished Professors Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award for achievements in academic and scholarly work from the university's highest-ranking professors. The goal of Schulze's research is to understand how impaired blood flow to muscles, including the diaphragm and skeletal muscles, contributes to difficulty breathing and reduced exercise capacity in pulmonary hypertension patients. The next step in her research, Schulze said, is to explore interventions that act on the diaphragm blood vessels with the hopes that they will improve muscle blood flow. This information will inform patient treatment plans and allow them to live more comfortable and active lives.
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)