Sonja Christensen

Sonja Christensen serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife within Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Her research focuses on wildlife disease ecology, particularly in cervid populations (deer, moose, elk), examining disease emergence drivers, population impacts, and management efficacy.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from Michigan State University (2018), M.S. from The Pennsylvania State University (2010), and B.S. from Minnesota State University (2005). She leads the Christensen Lab for Wildlife Population Health, which investigates ecological and climatic determinants of disease processes through empirical and spatial analysis.

Research emphasizes four interconnected themes:

• Ecological/climatic drivers of wildlife disease
• Methodological innovations in population estimation and surveillance
• Climate change-disease risk quantification
• Evaluation of disease control strategies, particularly for Chronic Wasting Disease

Her work bridges wildlife conservation, hunting sustainability, and socio-ecological systems.

Recent publications analyze CWD's implications for deer population management and its threats to Michigan's hunting traditions and conservation efforts. In 2023, she received significant recognition through appointment to the National Academies' Chronic Wasting Disease Committee.

She actively recruits graduate students for her lab and engages in teaching and outreach activities related to wildlife health. Her research has direct applications for wildlife management agencies and conservation policy development.