Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health
Professor, Joint Faculty
Expertise
Wildlife Diseases
Biography
Dr. Sonia Hernandez is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor in a joint appointment at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, a unit in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia since 2008.
She was originally trained as a clinical veterinarian, completing a small animal medicine and surgery internship at a referral practice, followed by a residency in zoological medicine at Cornell University from 1998 to 2001, after which she became a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine in 2002. Dr. Hernandez worked in private practice, zoos, and as a clinical instructor until returning to pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Georgia in 2008.
She currently teaches various courses to undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students, including Wildlife Disease Investigation for graduate students, a study abroad course on Conservation Medicine and Biology in Costa Rica, Ornithology, Tropical Ecology and others. Since 2008, she has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and currently working on the 2nd edition of the only textbook for Wildlife Medicine practitioners. Her laboratory is dedicated to investigating wildlife diseases—specifically, how human activities affect the ecology, health, and diseases of wildlife.
Dr. Hernandez is a Fulbright Scholar (2021) and has received all the top honors for instructional excellence at the departmental and university level at UGA. She is the proud mother of Paxton and twins Ashton and Maya.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2008
- Residency in Zoo/Wildlife Medicine, Cornell University, 1998-2001
- D.V.M., Louisiana State University, 1996
- B.A., University of New Orleans, 1992
Professional Certifications
- Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine, 2002
Teaching Experience
- Wildlife Diseases (CVM)
- Ornithology (Warnell)
- Wildlife Disease Investigation and Management (Warnell)
- Conservation Medicine and Conservation Biology (Warnell; study abroad)
- Tropical Ecology (Warnell)
- Field Ornithology (Warnell/Odum; study abroad)
- Principles of Integrative Conservation and Sustainability (Odum)
Clinical Interests
- Anesthesia, analgesia of wildlife
- Avian and reptile physiology
Research Interests
Dr. Hernandez is interested in all aspects of wildlife disease, particularly how pathogens affect wildlife populations, communities and ecosystems, and primarily with an applied perspective. She has and will continue to conduct research that attempts to understand how anthropogenic changes to the landscape can affect disease dynamics. Her research has and will encompass the intersection of human, animal and wildlife health. Dr. Hernandez aims to integrate ecological principle to inform the fields of conservation medicine and wildlife disease investigation.
Publications
