Karen S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Ph. D.

Image Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein
Senior Research Scientist

Beef Cattle Physiology and Welfare

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
5403 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

Current Research

Project Lead
2017-2020
Incidence and characterization of feedlot lambs and ewe flock lameness in Alberta. Total Funds: $214,409

2018-2023
Identification of treatment strategies for the most common causes of lameness in feedlot cattle. Total Funds: $470,014

2018-2023
Effect of rest stop duration and quality of the welfare of cattle transported by road. Total Funds: $879,188

Project Co-Lead
2019-2029
Determining the effect of stress on the respiratory microbiome of cattle during transportation. Total Funds: $79,480 (T.Alexander Co-Lead; AAFC)

Project Collaborator
2018-2020
Circulating microRNA as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in feedlot cattle lameness $367,600 (L. Guan Lead; U of A)

2020-2022
Characterization and optimization of visual pen checking criteria to improve BRD treatment outcomes in feedlot cattle $183,996 (D. Moya Lead; U of S)

2018-2023
Further strategies to enhance the use of wheat in feedlot diets $475,502 (T. McAllister Lead; AAFC)

2018-2021
Simple strategies to reduce impacts of ergot alkaloids on beef cattle $394,745 (K. Stanford Lead; Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)

2018-2023
Effect of feeding ergot alkaloids on ruminal metabolism, growth performance, health and welfare of beef cattle: How much is too much? $565,640 (G. Ribeiro Lead; U of S)

Professional activities / interests

Associations and Certifications

  • Member of Canadian Society of Animal Science

  • Member of American Society of Animal Science

  • Certified PACCO Auditor for Meat Slaughter Plants

  • Certified PACCO Auditor for National Cattle Feeders Association Animal Care Assessment Program

 

Invited Member

  • Technical Advisory Committee of the Alberta Beef Producers

  • BC SPCA Species Advisory Committee

  • Technical Advisor for the Canadian Beef Export Federation

  • North American Food Animal Well-being Commission- Beef (Founded at the University of Kansas, Manhattan, KS).

  • Technical Advisor to the Canadian Cattle Feeders Association

  • Panel Member for Canadian Council on Animal Care

  • Canadian Round Table for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Science Advisory Committee

  • Advisory Board Member for the Olds College Center of Innovation (TAC), Olds, AB.

  • Subcommittee member for the Canadian Council on Animal Care tasked with drafting “Guidelines for Choosing an Appropriate Endpoint for Animals in Research”

  • Canadian National Cattle Feeders Association Feedlot Animal Care Advisory Committee.

  • Chair of Scientist Committee for Canadian Transportation Codes of Practice - Cattle.

  • Member of the Code Development Subcommittee for the Canadian Transportation Codes of Practice (Represent Scientist Committee).

  • Technical Committee Member for Verified Beef Production + Program for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

  • Ethics Committee for Genome Alberta.

  • Chair of the Livestock Users Committee at the AAFC Lethbridge Research and Development Center.

Education and awards

Degrees

1996     University of Saskatchewan
PhD in Physiology and Applied Animal Ethology
1990     University of Regina
MSc in Biology
1986     University of Lethbridge
BSc in Science

Awards  

2013    Recipient of the Award of Distinction for Innovation by The Alberta Farm Animal Care Association
2015    Recipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science Award for Extension
2017    Recipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science Award for the Innovation for Safe and Affordable Food
2017    Recipient of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation awarded by the Beef Cattle Research Council-            division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

 

International experience and/or work

Invited symposium speaker, lecturer, research collaboration and expert committee member regarding beef cattle welfare at numerous international events including Brazil, China, United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, and South Africa.

Additional links

https://albertamilk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/5.7-CULL-COW-TRANSPORT-SEP-2019.pdf

https://issuu.com/skstockgrowers/docs/beef_business_november_2019_web

http://www.beefresearch.ca/research-topic.cfm/transport-1

https://www.producer.com/2020/01/study-questions-rest-stop-need/

https://cattlefeeders.ca/industry-overview/alberta-cattle-feeding-facts-and-stats

http://www.beefresearch.ca/factsheet.cfm/measuring-and-mitigating-pain-during-castration-131

 

Key publications

  1. Meléndez, D.M., Marti, S., Pajor, E.A., Moya, D., Gellatly, D., Janzen, E.D., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2018). Effect of a single dose of meloxicam prior to band or knife castration in 1-wk-old beef calves: I. Acute pain. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 96(4), 1268-1280. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky034

    2018 - View publication details

  2. Hare, K., DeVries, T.J., Schwartkopf-Genswein, K.S., Penner, G.B. (2018). Does the location of concentrate provision affect voluntary visits, and milk and milk component yield for cows in an automated milking system?. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, [online] 98(2), 399-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2017-0123

    2018 - View publication details

  3. Meléndez, D.M., Marti, S., Pajor, E.A., Moya, D., Gellatly, D., Janzen, E.D., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2017). Effect of timing of subcutaneous meloxicam administration on indicators of pain after knife castration of weaned calves. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(12), 5218-5229. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas2017.1978

    2017 - View publication details

  4. Davis-Unger, J., Pajor, E.A., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Marti, S., Dorin, C., Spackman, E., Orsel, K. (2017). Economic impacts of lameness in feedlot cattle. Translational Animal Science, [online] 1(4), 467-479. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/tas2017.0052

    2017 - View publication details

  5. Moggy, M., Pajor, E., Thurston, W., Parker, S., Greter, A., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Campbell, J., Windeyer, M.C. (2017). Brief communication communication breve: Attitudes of western Canadian cow-calf producers towards the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. Canadian Veterinary Journal, [online] 58(11), 1209-1211. http://dx.doi.org/null

    2017 - View publication details

  6. Marti, S., Meléndez, D.M., Pajor, E.A., Moya, D., Heuston, C.E.M., Gellatly, D., Janzen, E.D., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2017). Effect of band and knife castration of beef calves on welfare indicators of pain at three relevant industry ages: II. Chronic pain. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(10), 4367-4380. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas2017.1763

    2017 - View publication details

  7. Marti, S., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., Janzen, E.D., Meléndez, D.M., Gellatly, D., Pajor, E.A. (2017). Use of topical healing agents on scrotal wounds after surgical castration in weaned beef calves. Canadian Veterinary Journal, [online] 58(10), 1081-1085. http://dx.doi.org/null

    2017 - View publication details

  8. Meléndez, D.M., Marti, S., Pajor, E.A., Moya, D., Heuston, C.E.M., Gellatly, D., Janzen, E.D., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2017). Effect of band and knife castration of beef calves on welfare indicators of pain at three relevant industry ages: I. Acute pain. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(10), 4352-4366. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas2017.1762

    2017 - View publication details

  9. Moggy, M.A., Pajor, E.A., Thurston, W.E., Parker, S., Greter, A.M., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., Campbell, J.R., Windeyer, M.C. (2017). Management practices associated with stress in cattle on Western Canadian cow–calf operations: A mixed methods study. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(4), 1836-1844. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas2016.1310

    2017 - View publication details

  10. Marti, S., Wilde, R.E., Moya, D., Heuston, C.E.M., Brown, F., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2017). Effect of rest stop duration during Long-Distance transport on welfare indicators in recently weaned beef calves. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(2), 636-644. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas2016.0739

    2017 - View publication details

  11. Moggy, M.A., Pajor, E.A., Thurston, W.E., Parker, S., Greter, A.M., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., Campbell, J.R., Windeyer, M.C. (2017). Management practices associated with pain in cattle on western Canadian cow-calf operations: A mixed methods study. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(2), 958-969. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas2016.0949

    2017 - View publication details

  12. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Ahola, J., Edwards-Callaway, L., Hale, D., Paterson, J. (2016). SYMPOSIUM PAPER: Transportation issues affecting cattle well-being and considerations for the future. Professional Animal Scientist, [online] 32(6), 707-716. http://dx.doi.org/10.15232/pas.2016-01517

    2016 - View publication details

  13. Wiese, B.I., Hendrick, S., Stookey, J.M., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., Li, S., Plaizier, J.C., Penner, G.B. (2016). The effect of weaning regimen on behavioral and production responses of beef calves. Professional Animal Scientist, [online] 32(2), 229-235. http://dx.doi.org/10.15232/pas.2015-01447

    2016 - View publication details

  14. Stanford, K., Gibb, D.J., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., van Herk, F., McAllister, T.A. (2015). Feeding subtherapeutic antimicrobials to low-risk cattle does not confer consistent performance benefits. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(4), 589-597. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS-2015-008

    2015 - View publication details

  15. Tucker, C.B., Coetzee, J.F., Stookey, J.M., Thomson, D.U., Grandin, T., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2015). Beef cattle welfare in the USA: Identification of priorities for future research. Animal Health Research Reviews, [online] 16(2), 107-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1466252315000171

    2015 - View publication details

  16. Moya, D., Silasi, R., McAllister, T.A., Genswein, B., Crowe, T., Marti, S., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2015). Use of pattern recognition techniques for early detection of morbidity in receiving feedlot cattle, 93(7), 3623-3638. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-8907

    2015 - View publication details

  17. Montanholi, Y.R., Lim, M., Macdonald, A., Smith, B.A., Goldhawk, C., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Miller, S.P. (2015). Technological, environmental and biological factors: Referent variance values for infrared imaging of the bovine. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, [online] 6(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40104-015-0027-y

    2015 - View publication details

  18. Moya, D., He, M.L., Jin, L., Wang, Y., Penner, G.B., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., McAllister, T.A. (2015). Effect of grain type and processing index on growth performance, carcass quality, feeding behavior, and stress response of feedlot steers, 93(6), 3091-3100. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2014-8680

    2015 - View publication details

  19. Marti, S., Devant, M., Amatayakul-Chantler, S., Jackson, J.A., Lopez, E., Janzen, E.D., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S. (2015). Effect of anti-gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine and band castration on indicators of welfare in beef cattle, 93(4), 1581-1591. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2014-8346

    2015 - View publication details

  20. Wolfger, B., Manns, B.J., Barkema, H.W., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., Dorin, C., Orsel, K. (2015). Evaluating the cost implications of a radio frequency identification feeding system for early detection of bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, [online] 118(4), 285-292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.12.001

    2015 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Lethbridge Research and Development Centre
5403 1st Avenue South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1
Canada

Expertise

Animals›Health and Wellness›Infections

Affiliations

Affiliations

2004-present                        Adjunct Status at University of Saskatchewan

2010-present                        Adjunct Status at University of Calgary

2010-present                        Adjunct Status at UNESP University, Jaboticabal, Brazil

2012-present                        Adjunct Status at University of Manitoba

2019-present                        Adjunct Status at University of Guelph

Language

English