DVM, MPH, DACVPM

wsander@illinois.edu

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Education

MPH, Global Health, Yale University, 2011
DVM, University of Wisconsin, 2009
BA, Biology, Colby College, 2004

Professional Certifications

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, 2014
Project Management Professional, 2016

Research Interests

International: At the interface of wildlife, domestic livestock, and humans, one finds a hot spot for emerging infectious diseases. My research interests are the characterization and epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases in developing countries while improving human and animal health capacities and capabilities for improved outcomes across species.

Local: All global efforts start local and that includes the health of the environment, humans, and animals – One Health. Looking at both mental and physical health indicators, my research looks at interactions between the three spheres of One Health within Illinois, especially in Champaign county.

Academic Interests

One Health interface (human, animal, and environmental health)
Infectious disease emergence in local and international settings
Environmental contamination and health effects for humans and animals
Interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening within the College of Veterinary Medicine and across the University of Illinois System

Biography

After receiving a B.A. in biology from the Colby College in 2004, Dr. Sander received a one year post-baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) to work in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at National Institutes of Health. He received his DVM from University of Wisconsin-School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. He went on to do a small animal rotating internship at VCA Aurora and Berwyn Animal Hospitals outside of Chicago. He received his Master in Public Health in Global Health from Yale University in 2011. While spending 6 years in Washington, DC, Dr. Sander spent two years as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. While there, he focused on pharmaceuticals in water and potential health impacts. Subsequently, he spent three years working for Booz Allen Hamilton as an Advisory and Assistance Support (A&AS) contractor for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (DTRA CBEP). DTRA CBEP builds better capabilities and capacities in human and animal health through partnernships with countries around the world. He joined the Veterinary Clincal Medicine Department in the College of Veterinary Medicine in August 2018.