About

Dr. Will Sander is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, where he joined the faculty in August 2018. He specializes in preventive medicine and public health, with a focus on the interface of wildlife, domestic livestock, and humans, particularly in the context of emerging infectious diseases. His research interests include the characterization and epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases in developing countries, aiming to improve human and animal health capacities across species. Locally, his work emphasizes the interactions between environmental, human, and animal health within Illinois, especially in Champaign County, aligning with the One Health approach. Dr. Sander is the director of the DVM/MPH joint degree program, guiding 10-15 students pursuing both degrees. He also serves as a clinical faculty member at the Wildlife Medical Clinic, assisting with case management, triage, and rehabilitation of native wildlife species. His educational background includes a BA in Biology from Colby College, a DVM from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Yale University, and certifications as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a Project Management Professional. His professional experience encompasses work at the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing on water pharmaceuticals, health impacts, and biological engagement programs. Dr. Sander's academic interests include the One Health interface, infectious disease emergence, environmental contamination, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He is actively involved in professional organizations such as the AVMA, ACVPM, APHA, and others, and has held leadership roles including chairing the Council on Public Health for the AVMA and serving on various committees related to public health and zoonotic diseases.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Biology
• Pathology
• Internal medicine
• Anesthesia
• Virology
• Veterinary medicine
• Dermatology
• Genetics
• Ecology
• Zoology
• Environmental health

Selected publications

• Does the DVM–MPH Dual-Degree Program Effectively Prepare Veterinarians for Public Health Roles in the United States? Gaps Identified From a National Survey

  Journal of Veterinary Medical Education · 2025-07-16

  articleSenior author

  Veterinarians bridge the critical gap between animal and human health and can alert health agencies to potential health risks in cases of emergencies or disease outbreaks, making them a crucial ally in the fight against infectious diseases. Thus, training veterinarians in public health provides them with additional skills, knowledge, and the necessary tools in disease and hazard prevention. We conducted a national survey in the United States to determine the efficacy of doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM)-master of public health (MPH) and veterinariae medicinae doctoris (VMD)-MPH dual degrees, and we identified gaps and shortcomings in the curricula in order to improve the career outcomes of enrolled veterinary students. The survey was sent in 2020 to alumni of all the DVM-MPH and VMD-MPH programs and administered through Qualtrics. Key findings include that most participants were women (83.2%), the predominant age group was 30-39 years (61%), and 50.4% considered the MPH beneficial. The majority of respondents work in veterinary medicine or public health. Qualifications and veterinary networks were identified as the most useful for securing employment. About 31.1% felt their program prepared them moderately well for these jobs, while 68.9% indicated that the MPH did not affect their salary. Respondents also highlighted areas needing improvement in DVM-MPH programs, such as increased practical work-skill opportunities, mentoring, career support, and access to nonveterinary courses and students. These findings can be useful for veterinary and public health schools in developing curricula and opportunities that strengthen the preparation of veterinarians in public health.

  PublisherDOI

• Global One Health and Infectious Diseases

  2025-01-13 · 2 citations

  bookOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  For optimal health and wellbeing, the body needs to be nourished with a complement of essential macro and micronutrients, obtained from the habitual consumption of appropriate quantities of safe, affordable and culturally appropriate diverse foods. Nutrition security is dependent on food security, and together, they are defined as existing when “all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to food, which is safe and consumed in sufficient quantity and quality to meet their dietary needs and food preferences, and is supported by an environment of adequate sanitation, health services and care, allowing for a healthy and active life” (Committee on World Food Security, 2012).

  PublisherDOI

• 2025 AAHA One Health Guidelines: Navigating Cross-Disciplinary Partnerships

  Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association · 2025-08-28

  articleOpen access

  Veterinary medicine is centered on the animal patient, and similarly, human medicine is centered on the human patient. Yet animal health, human health, and the environment intersect in myriad ways. Despite this intersection, there are few resources that take a family-centered, collaborative approach to human, animal, and environmental health. To help address this gap, AAHA has brought together a task force of human and veterinary medical professionals with the goal of improving collaboration between professions to facilitate better outcomes for families with pets. These guidelines address common scenarios (e.g., zoonotic disease, disability, intimate partner violence) that intersect with human and animal health and provide strategies for greater communication and collaboration between the professions. The guidelines cover (1) terms and definitions to establish a common language between professions; (2) how to determine if a case requires a One Health approach; (3) how and when to reach out to other professionals for a case (e.g., social worker, physician, other medical professionals); and (4) how and when to follow up and close cases. These guidelines also offer case studies illustrating One Health scenarios that connect with human/family health, with supplemental materials available on the AAHA website at aaha.org/one-health.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Socio-economic opportunities and challenges of seaweed (Gracilaria sp.) farming in polyculture systems in Brebes regency, Indonesia

  Aquaculture · 2025-07-15 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Indonesia accounts for nearly 30 % of seaweed production worldwide and is one of the primary global producers. Part of Indonesian production is done in polyculture, defined as the joint cultivation of two or more species. This can improve pond productivity and increase environmental quality in the pond. Despite the potential benefits of polyculture, the socio-economic elements of the polyculture practices remain largely understudied. Investigated by means of literature review, interviews and survey of 101 farmers, this article aims to better understand the socio-economic aspects of polyculture seaweed ( Gracilaria sp.) farming in Brebes regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia. The results presented illustrate that – from a financial perspective – there is no obvious incentive for farmers to switch to polyculture as there is no significant impact on operating profit. Two key considerations that influence adoption of polyculture practices are the relationship to other household productive activities and the benefits of polyculture. From societal perspective, polyculture is an alternative supporting farmers food resilience and offering the possibility to generate higher revenues per m 2 . Farmers and farmer organizations need support for adopting polyculture practices. This can be done by increasing their bargaining power vis-à-vis the middlemen and/or financial support that enables farmers to do upfront investments in polyculture practices. • This paper investigates the understudied socio-economic aspects of polyculture. • There is no significant difference in operating profit between poly- and monoculture farming. • The higher cost incurred from polyculture practices are compensated by higher revenue. • Polyculture offer the opportunity to generate comparable revenues as for monoculture with smaller area in use. • Farmers have no resources to invest in ponds and switch to polyculture.

  PublisherDOI

• Integrating Climate Change into Competency-Based Veterinary Education

  Journal of Veterinary Medical Education · 2025-02-13 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  There is an urgent need for the expansion of climate change education for all health professionals, including veterinarians. Recognizing this, the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges released a position statement in 2023 urging the incorporation of climate change education into veterinary curriculums. However, there are currently no guidelines on how to implement this. Here we propose an educational framework, developed through a review of the literature and expert input, upon which to build veterinary-specific climate content. The framework includes four complementary domains: animal health management, resilient veterinary systems, mitigation of veterinary-related climate hazards, and broad community engagement on climate change. These domains are connected by two important threads, foundational knowledge and continuous learning, that highlight the dynamic nature of climate science and current and anticipated health impacts. The framework aims to serve as a starting point for developing, and sharing, climate change educational resources in veterinary medicine.

  PublisherDOI

• THE EFFECTS OF ANTICOAGULANT AND TIME ON HEMATOLOGIC VALUES IN RED-TAILED HAWKS (BUTEO JAMAICENSIS)

  Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine · 2025-03-10 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  ) commonly present to wildlife facilities and veterinary clinics for injury or illness, and bloodwork is often an essential tool in their diagnostic workup. However, the type of anticoagulant used and the sample storage time prior to processing may potentially impact hematological values. This study evaluated differences between EDTA and lithium heparin (HEP) preserved blood samples in packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), estimated WBC counts by smear, and WBC differential counts. Additionally, differences in estimated WBC counts and WBC differential counts between anticoagulant-free (AF) and anticoagulant preserved blood smears were evaluated. Values were compared at time of blood collection and again after refrigeration for two, six, and 24 hours. Packed cell volume and TS were not significantly different between type of anticoagulant or time stored. Statistically significant differences in estimated WBC counts between AF samples and ETDA samples were found at all time points after time of collection (p = 0.025, 0.021, 0.010 for t = 2, 6, 24, respectively), while no differences were noted between AF samples and HEP samples. White blood cell differential count was impacted with variable significance by both time and anticoagulant. Clinically, HEP should be considered the anticoagulant of choice in this species and consideration should be taken to evaluate samples as close to collection time as possible.

  PublisherDOI

• BLOOD LEAD CONCENTRATION ANALYSIS BETWEEN REHABILITATION FACILITY AND PERI-URBAN ENVIRONMENT VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS (DIDELPHIS VIRGINIANA) OF ILLINOIS

  Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine · 2024-09-05

  article

  ) is the only marsupial in North America with a natural range north of Mexico. Its range is widespread throughout the United States, including Illinois. Virginia opossums are opportunistic omnivores that will eat a variety of fruits, grains, insects, and even carrion. They are a ground-foraging species, with frequent soil contact allowing for potential exposure to heavy metal contaminants in terrestrial environments. They are also opportunists that thrive in human-altered ecosystems, including peri-urban environments. Lead is a naturally occurring element and highly toxic metal that is abundant in the soil, primarily due to anthropogenic factors such as fossil fuel use, paint, industrial production waste, and battery recycling. Furthermore, carrion and offal piles containing lead bullet fragments remaining from hunting result in environmental contamination of this heavy metal. Few studies exist on lead exposure in the Virginia opossum. This pilot study evaluates the blood lead burden of 16 free-ranging Virginia opossums presented to a wildlife rehabilitation facility, compared with 16 wild-caught Virginia opossums trapped in grassland, maintained forest, or mixed ecotones. In other species, lead toxicosis has been associated with cognitive dysfunction that may increase the likelihood of trauma or injury in a free-ranging setting. In addition, a high incidence of Virginia opossums presenting for wildlife rehabilitation do so as result of human-animal conflict. Therefore, it was anticipated that individuals presenting for wildlife rehabilitation would have significantly higher blood lead concentrations than their free-roaming counterparts. In this study, every Virginia opossum had measurable blood lead concentrations and the average blood lead concentration of the rehabilitated group was 2.7 times higher than that measured in wild-caught Virginia opossums. These results suggest that Virginia opossums are exposed and susceptible to lead toxicosis due to their diet and foraging behaviors, making them more prone to subsequent injury and presentation to wildlife rehabilitation centers.

  PublisherDOI

• Sociodemographic factors associated with Kyasanur forest disease in India - a retrospective study

  IJID Regions · 2024-02-15 · 10 citations

  articleOpen access

  Objectives: Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne disease in India affecting humans and two local non-human primate species. A critical knowledge gap in the scientific literature is the lack of information on how people's sociodemographic factors influence KFD occurrence. Methods: We analyzed available data on KFD from three data sources: (a) 104 peer-reviewed articles using keyword searches on PubMed Central and Google Scholar, (b) 116 Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases reports, and (c) an acute febrile illness surveillance data set on KFD from a report by the government of India. We performed statistical analyses to calculate the prevalence of KFD by state and differences in KFD cases by sex and age group. Results: All three data sets used indicate that KFD cases and deaths have occurred predominantly in the 15-64 years age group (literature: 87% cases and 95% deaths, Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases: 78% cases and 78% deaths, acute febrile illness: 96% cases [no breakdown for acute febrile illness death data]). Data reporting varies across states and is non-standardized. Conclusions: The inconsistent reporting of sociodemographic data on KFD in India has created a gap in our understanding of its impact on different social groups. Collecting and reporting data on sociodemographic factors is critical to understanding the epidemiology of KFD and designing effective public health interventions.

  PublisherDOI

• Assessing Illinois companion animal veterinarians' antimicrobial prescription practices and the factors that influence their decisions when treating bacterial infections in dogs and cats

  Zoonoses and Public Health · 2024-07-23 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  AIMS: Judicious antimicrobial use in companion animal practice is critical for maintaining the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents against bacterial infections and reducing the selection of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to provide insights into companion animal veterinarians' antimicrobial treatment recommendations for common bacterial infections in dogs and cats and describe the factors influencing their prescription choices. METHODS AND RESULTS: An online survey using QualtricsXM® software was administered between September and November 2022 to companion animal veterinarians who were Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association members. Descriptive and text analyses were conducted to assess the participants' responses. A total of 78 surveys were included in the analysis. Skin infections were ranked as the most common bacterial infections for which veterinarians prescribed antimicrobial agents, followed by ear, urinary tract, respiratory, and enteric infections. The severity of clinical symptoms and the results of bacterial culture and susceptibility tests were the most influential factors for veterinarians when making antimicrobial prescription choices. Veterinarians were aware of the current antimicrobial prescription guideline recommendations when prescribing antimicrobials empirically to nine hypothetical scenarios of bacterial infections. According to the results of the text analysis that assessed veterinarians' responses to an open-ended question, regarding their challenges when prescribing antimicrobial agents, the pairwise correlation of word frequencies within each response showed the highest correlations between the words 'owner' and 'compliance', 'administration' and 'route', 'cost' and 'culture', and 'patients' and 'acceptance'. CONCLUSIONS: The study results can support animal health stakeholders in the development of antimicrobial stewardship programmes to promote appropriate antimicrobial use and limit the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Long‐lasting otic solution containing mometasone furoate can influence intradermal testing in dogs with healthy ears and otitis externa

  Veterinary Dermatology · 2024-07-22

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Topical therapy is preferred for otitis externa (OE) in dogs. Otic products commonly contain glucocorticoids that can be systemically absorbed and possibly interfere with diagnostic tests such as intradermal testing (IDT). HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of a long-lasting otic solution containing mometasone furoate (MF) on IDT immediate reactions and to determine withdrawal time before IDT. ANIMALS: Seventeen dogs with healthy ears (Group 1) and 12 with OE (Group 2). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intradermal injections of histamine, anticanine-immunoglobulin (Ig)E and saline were subjectively and objectively evaluated before treatment and weekly for 6 weeks, after a single application of a long-lasting otic solution containing MF. RESULTS: Statistically significant reductions in the mean subjective histamine scores after application of MF were observed at Weeks 1 (p = 0.012) and 2 (p = 0.028) in Group 1, and Weeks 1 (p = 0.00066), 2 (p = 0.02) and 4 (p = 0.034) in Group 2. Mean histamine objective scores were significantly reduced in Weeks 1 (p = 0.042), 2 (p = 0.0009), 3 (p = 0.001) and 5 (p = 0.018) in Group 1 only. The mean subjective anticanine-IgE scores were significantly reduced in Week 1 in both groups (p = 0.003, p = 0.0066), respectively. There were no significant changes in the mean anticanine-IgE objective score in either group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Application of a long-lasting otic solution containing MF can interfere with IDT immediate reactions in healthy and OE dogs. Based on the subjective evaluation, IDT can be performed ≥2 weeks after application of the otic solution in healthy dogs, and ≥4 weeks in dogs with OE.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Samantha J. Sander

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  16 shared

• Ellen Bronson

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  11 shared

• Danny Cohen‐Zada

  10 shared

• Kelsey M. Trumpp

  University of Georgia

  9 shared

• Dawn Zimmerman

  9 shared

• William A. Testa

  Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

  9 shared

• J. Scott Boone

  Mississippi State University

  4 shared

• Anthony C. Krautmann

  DePaul University

  4 shared

Awards & honors

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicin…
• Project Management Professional, 2016