Santangelo Research Team

The mission of the Kelly Santangelo research team is to enhance healthspan throughout lifespan by aiding and abetting functional, independent, and/or pain-free mobility.

The Santangelo research team is a part of the:

research project

Translational Research

Enhance healthspan throughout lifespan by aiding and abetting functional, independent, and/or pain-free mobility.

research project

Clinical Research

Improve the diagnostic quality (accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and positive/negative predictive values) of antemortem testing for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), while maintaining low cost, minimally invasive and clinically applicable qualities.

Publications

A Review of Rodent Behavior, Mobility, and Pain Modifications in Response to Destabilization of the Medial Meniscus Injury
Kloser H, Henao-Tamayo M, Santangelo KS. . Biomedicines. 2025 Nov 26;13(12):2886. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines13122886. PMID: 41462900; PMCID: PMC12730671.

The influence of infrapatellar fat pad resection on knee joint friction and damping: An in vitro study in New Zealand white rabbits.
Clayton WJ, Ballard DR, Strozier AJ, Afzali MF, Santangelo KS, Williams JL. . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2026 Feb;174:107257. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107257. Epub 2025 Nov 12. PMID: 41274192; PMCID: PMC12687598.

Innate immune pathway activated mesenchymal stromal cells improve function and histologic outcomes in a rodent osteoarthritis model.
Plaisance C, Chow L, Impastato R, Williams ZJ, Sabino I, Sikes KJ, Santangelo KS, Dow S, Pezzanite LM. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2025 May 22;13:1525969. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1525969. eCollection 2025. PMID: 40474870 Free PMC article.

Structural, functional, and proteomic based sex differences in murine post-traumatic osteoarthritis development following mechanical anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Van Zeeland EM, Kassel B, Montoya T, Saviola AJ, Burton LH, Easley JT, Nelson BB, Santangelo KS, Sikes KJ. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2025 May 16:S1063-4584(25)01026-X. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2025.05.004. Online ahead of print. PMID: 40383351

Short-term manual acupuncture decreased markers of systemic inflammation and altered articular cartilage transcripts in the Dunkin-Hartley model of osteoarthritis.
Spittler AP, Bukovec KE, Afzali MF, Leavell SE, Bork SB, Seebart CA, Santangelo KS, Story MR. Am J Vet Res. 2025 Feb 7:1-12. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.24.11.0341. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39919377

more publications

People

Kelly Santangelo headshot.
Kelly Santangelo, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVP

Lab Principal Investigator [PI]
Professor

Mary Afzali
Mary Afzali, Ph.D.

Research Scientist II

No Photo Available
Kate Bukovec, D.V.M.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Heidi Kloser
Heidi Kloser

Graduate Research Assistant

Michelle Larsen, D.V.M.

Graduate Research Assistant

Andrea Oliver, D.V.M., DACVIM

Joint Advised Graduate Research Assistant

Lauren Smanik
Lauren Smanik, D.V.M., M.S., DACVS

Joint Advised Graduate Research Assistant

Lab Collaborators Icon: green globe icon on gold background
Collaborators

news and updates view all

May 8, 2025 Looking into the future with experimental pathology

Launched by Dr. Kelly Santangelo and Dr. Brendan Podell , the CSU Experimental Pathology Facility revolutionizes pathology research with cutting-edge techniques and AI-driven analysis tools.
July 4, 2024 NITRO charged: Colorado State veterinary scientists partner on impactful osteoarthritis research

Colorado State University is a key partner in 2 multimillion-dollar projects aimed at producing new regenerative therapies for patients struggling with osteoarthritis, a degenerative join disease that impacts millions of patients a year.
March 23, 2021 3 Minute Challenge winners become 2021-22 research fellows

Ariel Timkovich became a 2021 – 2022 VPR research fellow after presenting her research during the 3 Minute Challenge.

contact information

Office: Pathology room 216

Lab: Pathology room 207
Diagnostic Medical Center lab 140

(970) 491-5015