Gael Sanchez
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Graduate Assistant/Wildlife Science
Landscape Genetic Analysis of Mule Deer to Guide Management for Chronic Wasting Disease
I am originally from New Mexico and obtained an undergraduate degree in Conservation Ecology at New Mexico State University in 2014. I then traveled around the country working with numerous state and federal agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Idaho Game and Fish. I began pursuing my master’s degree at Texas A&M University—Kingsville in the spring of 2016. My thesis is focused on the use of landscape genetics to predict the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in mule deer through Texas. In addition to this, we are sequencing the prion protein gene to search for mutations which have been linked to a partial resistance to the disease. Over 2000 tissue samples have been collected from CWD check stations across Texas and into New Mexico to analyze genetic relationships and susceptibility to the disease. The results of this study will have implications for management of CWD in populations of Texas mule deer.
I am an avid supporter of hunting and a new hunter myself after growing up in a family that partook in this sport. I believe fully in the importance of hunting for wildlife management and conservation. I am honored to be a part of the hunting community and to have received this award from the Houston Safari Club.
