Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Infectious Diseases, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories
Assistant Director of the Biomedical Health Science Institute, Chair of One Health, Professor, Section Head of Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Expertise

Bacteriology | Disease Ecology | Immunology | Infectious Diseases | Microbiology

Biography

Mentoring University of Georgia students in research is not an accessory to the research activities in my laboratory; it is a vital necessity. The students’ participation is central to our research efforts and they are a part of my laboratory’s team. The primary mission of the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory is to provide diagnostic service to veterinarians in the state of Georgia. Research activities are focused on providing diagnostic tests, exploring emerging clinical problems, and understanding the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Our laboratory has made notable progress with projects in all these areas due chiefly to the integration of students into our laboratory, their achievements, and the mutually beneficial relationships that develop. In general, the primary reasons students participate in research programs are to evaluate research as a career, to gain experience, and to enhance their application to professional school.

Regardless of the students’ motivations, my goals in guiding the undergraduates in research are to: 1) promote and encourage their interest in science as well as reinforce the relevance of biomedical research in their personal and professional lives, 2) develop their critical thinking skills, and 3) provide a firm grounding in scientific methodology based on concepts from their classes. It is my hope that accomplishing these goals will prepare students for whatever course their lives takes after undergraduate school, with science as an exciting and rewarding vocation or avocation. The basic theory that guides my mentoring is that intellectually mature undergraduates treated as valuable and competent researchers will, given the tools and guidance, become just that. The methods I use to guide students are straightforward problem-based, active and cooperative learning. Our laboratory is routinely challenged with real world problems. These problems serve as the basis for student projects and a framework for developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. The projects used to mentor students are relevant, achievable, challenging, and with clear, specific goals. Students are given the responsibility to solve the problem, develop their own questions, learn from their mistakes, discuss their ideas, apply new skills, and ultimately take ownership of the outcome. ​

Dr. Sanchez is the Director of the Georgia Veterinary Scholars Program and Member of the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Advisory Board.

Research Interests

  • Antimicrobial resistance and its spread in animals and people
  • Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus with emphasis in MRSA
  • Diagnostic tests for zoonotic diseases and diseases present in animals​

Activities

Mentoring University of Georgia students in research is not an accessory to the research activities in my laboratory; it is a vital necessity. The students’ participation is central to our research efforts and they are a part of my laboratory’s team. The primary mission of the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory is to provide diagnostic service to veterinarians in the state of Georgia. Research activities are focused on providing diagnostic tests, exploring emerging clinical problems, and understanding the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Our laboratory has made notable progress with projects in all these areas due chiefly to the integration of students into our laboratory, their achievements, and the mutually beneficial relationships that develop. In general, the primary reasons students participate in research programs are to evaluate research as a career, to gain experience, and to enhance their application to professional school.

Regardless of the students’ motivations, my goals in guiding the undergraduates in research are to: 1) promote and encourage their interest in science as well as reinforce the relevance of biomedical research in their personal and professional lives, 2) develop their critical thinking skills, and 3) provide a firm grounding in scientific methodology based on concepts from their classes. It is my hope that accomplishing these goals will prepare students for whatever course their lives takes after undergraduate school, with science as an exciting and rewarding vocation or avocation. The basic theory that guides my mentoring is that intellectually mature undergraduates treated as valuable and competent researchers will, given the tools and guidance, become just that. The methods I use to guide students are straightforward problem-based, active and cooperative learning. Our laboratory is routinely challenged with real world problems. These problems serve as the basis for student projects and a framework for developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. The projects used to mentor students are relevant, achievable, challenging, and with clear, specific goals. Students are given the responsibility to solve the problem, develop their own questions, learn from their mistakes, discuss their ideas, apply new skills, and ultimately take ownership of the outcome. ​

Dr. Sanchez is the Director of the Georgia Veterinary Scholars Program and Member of the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Advisory Board.

Selected Publications

Search PubMed for “sanchez s AND Georgia”

  • Bell DR, Berghaus RD, Patel S, Beavers S, Fernandez I, Sanchez S. Seroprevalence of tick-borne infections in military working dogs in the republic of Korea. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2012 Dec;12(12):1023-30.
  • Hernandez SM, Keel K, Sanchez S, Trees E, Gerner-Smidt P, Adams JK, Cheng Y, Ray A 3rd, Martin G, Presotto A, Ruder MG, Brown J, Blehert DS, Cottrell W, Maurer JJ. Epidemiology of a Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium strain associated with a songbird outbreak. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Oct;78(20):7290-8.
  • Nemeth NM, Blas-Machado U, Hopkins BA, Phillips A, Butler AM, Sánchez S. Granulomatous Typhlocolitis, Lymphangitis, and Lymphadenitis in a Horse Infected With Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Cyathostomes. Vet Pathol. 2013 Mar;50(2):252-5.
  • Blas-Machado U, Saliki JT, Sánchez S, Brown CC, Zhang J, Keys D, Woolums A, Harvey SB. Pathogenesis of a bovine enterovirus-1 isolate in experimentally infected calves. Vet Pathol. 2011 Nov;48(6):1075-84.
  • Wilson VB, Rech RR, Austel MG, Bauer CL, Latimer KS, Sanchez S, Howerth EW. Pathology in practice. Cutaneous mycobacteriosis. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2011 Jan 15;238(2):171-3.
  • Krimer PM, Phillips KM, Miller DM, Sanchez S. Panniculitis attributable to Mycobacterium goodii in an immunocompetent dog in Georgia. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2010 Nov 1;237(9):1056-9.
  • Wiggins MC, Woolums AR, Hurley DJ, Sanchez S, Ensley DT, Donovan D. The effect of various Mycoplasma bovis isolates on bovine leukocyte responses. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2011 Jan;34(1):49-54.
  • Hernandez-Divers SJ, Hensel P, Gladden J, Hernandez-Divers SM, Buhlmann KA, Hagen C, Sanchez S, Latimer KS, Ard M, Camus AC. Investigation of shell disease in map turtles (Graptemys spp.). J Wildl Dis. 2009 Jul;45(3):637-52.
  • Hernandez-Divers SM, Villegas P, Jimenez C, Hernandez-Divers SJ, Garcia M, Riblet SM, Carroll CR, O’Connor BM, Webb JL, Yabsley MJ, Williams SM, Sanchez S. Backyard chicken flocks pose a disease risk for neotropic birds in Costa Rica. Avian Dis. 2008 Dec;52(4):558-66.

We’re UGA Vet Med, and our

passion powers our commitment.