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

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

Muscle-specific ERRγ activation mitigates muscle atrophy after ACL injury.
Lu A, Sikes KJ, Guo P, Huard M, Green S, Santangelo K, Singer J, Groesbeck A, Tashman S, Narkar VA, Huard J.FASEB J. 2025 Feb 28;39(4):e70409. doi: 10.1096/fj.202402021R. PMID: 39964243

Removal of the infrapatellar fat pad and associated synovium benefits female guinea pigs in the Dunkin Hartley model of idiopathic osteoarthritis.
Afzali MF, Sykes MM, Burton LH, Patton KM, Lee KR, Seebart C, Vigon N, Ek R, Narez GE, Marolf AJ, Sikes KJ, Haut Donahue TL, Santangelo KS. Ann Transl Med. 2024 Jun 10;12(3):43. doi: 10.21037/atm-23-1886. Epub 2024 Jun 5. PMID: 3891155

Comparison of two point of care lactate instruments in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).
Levy IH, Spittler AP, Santangelo KS, Sadar MJ.J Exot Pet Med. 2023 Jun;46:7-11. doi: 10.1053/j.jepm.2023.03.002. Epub 2023 Mar 16. PMID: 38894854

more publications

People

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

Lab Principal Investigator [PI]
Associate 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