Cecilia A. Sánchez, PhD

Dr. Cecilia Sánchez is a Data Scientist in the Carlson Lab and is affiliated with the Verena Institute. She works collaboratively with Verena investigators and external scientists to support and expand Verena's open data infrastructure, and also conducts research on areas related to viral ecology, wildlife health, and emerging infectious diseases. Prior to joining Verena, she was a Senior Research Scientist at EcoHealth Alliance, where her work focused on understanding socio-ecological factors that precipitate pathogen spillover from wildlife to humans in Southeast Asia. Dr. Sánchez earned a Ph.D. in Ecology from the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. Her dissertation work examined the effects of urban landscapes on wildlife behavior, health, and disease, and involved extensive fieldwork with flying foxes in Australia. She also holds a B.S. in Biology from Yale University and has conducted internships at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory and Lincoln Park Zoo. She is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in science, particularly through her involvement with women in science organizations.