Avi Sapkota completed his Bachelors in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B. V. Sc and A. H.) from his home country Nepal in 2008 and started working on his PhD in Animal Welfare in the area of commercial pig transportation and environmental management of pigs under Dr. McGlone from 2009. His areas of interest include transportation stress, sow housing and other issues of animal welfare applicable in animal industry.

Avi worked in a project funded by National Pork Board for his dissertation to define the amount of bedding during commercial transportation of market size pigs. The study has been extended to define the boarding and misting requirement during transportation. These projects are conducted in collaboration of Iowa State University. Several hog farmers, hauling companies and two commercial slaughter plants in Midwestern region of United States are major parts of the studies.

Avi aims to extend his area of research to answer how lives of farm animals can be made better by modifying existing facilities and adopting new technologies to improve welfare of animals and also maximize profit to the industry. He believes behavior and physiology are the tools to define welfare of animals.