SUSAN SANCHEZ
Associate Professor

Research interests include antimicrobial resistance and its spread both in animals and people. Main bacteria of interest are Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus with great emphasis in MRSA. Work includes development of new and enhanced diagnostic tests for zoonotic diseases as well as for diseases also present in animals.

TEACHING INTERESTS

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.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Search PubMed for "sanchez, s"

Zamperini K, Vivek S, Waltman D, Sanchez S, Theriault EC, Bray J, Maurer JJ (2007) Molecular characterization revelas Salmonella enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- from poultry is a variant Typhimurium serovar. Avian Diseases (accepted, in press).

Wiggins M C, Woolums A R, Sanchez S, Hurley D J, Cole D N, Ensley D T, Pence M, (2006) The prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis in a subpopulation of Georgia backgrounding and stocker cattle operations. JAVMA (accepted, in press).

Smith JL, Drum DJV, Dai Y, Kim JM, Sanchez S, Maurer JJ, Hofacre CL, Lee MD. (2007) Impact of antimicrobial usage on antimicrobial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli colonizing broiler chickens. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73:1404-1414.

Sieber-Ruckstuhl NS, Sessions JK, Sanchez S, Latimer KS, Greene CE (2007) Long-term cure of disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection in a cat. Vet Rec 160:131-132.

Martabano AM, White SL, Sanchez S. Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia. Compendium, November 2006.

Stiffler KS, Stevenson MA, Sanchez S, Barsanti JA, Hofmeister E, Budsberg SC. (2006). Prevalence and characterization of urinary tract infections in dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion. Veterinary Surgery. 35 (4):330-336.

Idris U, Lu J, Maier M, Sanchez S, Hofacre CL, Harmon BG, Maurer JJ, Lee MD. (2006). Dissemination of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter within an integrated commercial poultry production system. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72 (5): 3441-3447.

Weinstein WL, Moore PA, Sanchez S, Dietrich UM, Wooley RE, Ritchie BW. (2006) In vitro efficacy of a buffered chelating solution as an antimicrobial potentiator for antifungal drugs against fungal pathogens obtained from horses with Mycotic keratitis. American Journal of Veterinary Research 67 (4):562-568.

Fairchild AS, Smith JL, Idris U, Lu J, Sanchez S, 2Purvis LB, Hofacre CL, Lee MD. (2005) Effects of orally administered tetracycline on the intestinal community of chickens and tet determinant carriage by commensal bactera and Campylobacter jejuni. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71(10): 5865-5872.

McGarvey JA, Miller WG, Sanchez S, Silva CJ, Whitehand LC. (2005) Comparison of bacterial populations and chemical composition of dairy wastewater held in circulated and stagnant lagoons. Journal of Applied Microbiology 99: 867-877.

Middleton JR, Fales WH, Luby CD, Oaks JL, Sanchez S, Kinyon JM, Wu CC, Maddox CW, Welsh RD, Hartman F. (2005) Staphylococcus aureus in veterinary teaching hospitals. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 43 (6): 2916-2919.

Email
ssanchez@vet.uga.edu

Office
Athens Diagnostic Laboratory
Room 137
706-542-5568

Degrees
MSc, PhD, MIBiol, CBiol