Michael Sandel

Michael Sandel is an assistant professor of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University and a commissioned public health officer in the Air National Guard. His research interests involve molecular surveillance for aquatic pathogens and invasive species, conservation of endangered species, and molecular phylogenetics. He is currently funded to investigate the role of aquatic reservoirs for Buruli ulcer (caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans) and to detect new invasive animal and plant species in the Tenn-Tom Waterway. His work is supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Sandel contributes to the Department of Defense Global Health Engagement, which involves course instruction through the Defense Institute for Military Operations and humanitarian medical service through the International Health Specialist program.

Sandel is chair of the Southeastern Fishes Council, a member of the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association and the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society. At Mississippi State, Sandel serves as the faculty sponsor for the Wildlife Disease Association and as a member of the FAO Aquatic AMR Steering Committee. Sandel maintains funded collaborations with researchers in the North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and his research has involved fieldwork in Siberia, the Amazon Rainforest, and islands of the Caribbean.

Sandel earned an AS from the Community College of the Air Force, a BS degree from Ohio State University, and a PhD from the University of Alabama. His postdoctoral training was through the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.