Sonia Cheetham, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor, Veterinary Virology
Department of Pathobiology, SVM
Biography
Dr. Sonia Cheetham is a Professor in the Department of Pathobiology and the Associate Dean of Research at the School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University (SGU). With a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Cheetham-Brow brings expertise in molecular virology, zoonotic diseases, and veterinary education. Dr. Cheetham-Brow received the Zoetis Research Award, and is a member of the Phi Zeta Honor Society. She also serves as a reviewer for leading scientific journals and grant panels. She mentors students in both field and laboratory settings.
Dr. Cheetham earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with a specialization in Public Health from the University of Buenos Aires, followed by a Ph.D. in Veterinary Preventive Medicine from The Ohio State University, where she studied human norovirus pathogenesis in gnotobiotic pigs under Dr. Linda J. Saif. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Cancer Agency, focusing on gastrointestinal cancer.
Contact Information
Areas of Interest
- Studies on antibiotic resistance and viral detection in wastewater in Grenada.
- Contributions to rabies epidemiology and bat-associated zoonoses in the Caribbean.
- Editorial and research articles on genetics and viral pathogenesis.
- Investigations into mosquito-borne viruses, wildlife microbiomes, and sea turtle diseases.
- Foundational research on norovirus pathogenesis and immune responses in animal models.
- Educational Research
Affiliations
Selected Publications
- M. Matthew-Bernard, K. Farmer-Diaz, G. Dolphin-Bond, V. Matthew-Belmar, S. Cheetham, K. Mitchell, C. Macpherson, M. E. Ramos-Nino. Title: Phenotypic Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli Isolates from Clinical UTI Samples and Municipal Wastewater in a Grenadian Community. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010097
- K. Farmer-Diaz, M. Matthew-Bernard, S. Cheetham, K. Mitchell, C. N.L. Macpherson, M. E. Ramos-Nino. Title: Optimized Aluminum Hydroxide Adsorption-Precipitation for Improved Viral Detection in Wastewater. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Manuscript ID: ijerph-3345773
- G. Metz, M.S. Serena, P.E. Pineyro, S. Cheetham, G. Giovambattista. Editorial: The role of genetics studies in the discovery of new viruses in the analysis of pathogeny of viral infections. Front. Genet.04 July 2023 Sec Statistical Genetics and Methodology Volume 14-2023 https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1240812
- Ramos-Nino, M.E.; Anash, G.; Fitzpatrick, D.M.; Dragon, J.A.; Cheetham, S. Antiviral RNAi Mechanisms to Arboviruses in Mosquitoes: microRNA Profile of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus from Grenada, West Indies. Appl. Microbiol. 2022, 2, 381-396. https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol2020029
- Ramos-Nino ME, Fitzpatrick DM, Eckstrom KM, Tighe S, Dragon JA, Cheetham S. The Kidney-Associated Microbiome of Wild-Caught Artibeus spp. in Grenada, West Indies. Animals (Basel). 2021 May 27;11(6):1571. doi: 10.3390/ani11061571. PMID: 34072244; PMCID: PMC8227013.
- James A, Page-Karjian A, Charles KE, Edwards J, Gregory CR, Cheetham S, Buter BP, Marancik DP. Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 Prevalence and First Confirmed Case of Sea Turtle Fibropapillomatosis in Grenada, West Indies. Animals (Basel). 2021 May 21;11(6):1490. doi: 10.3390/ani11061490. PMID: 34064092; PMCID: PMC8224268.
- Ramos-Nino ME, Fitzpatrick DM, Eckstrom KM, Tighe S, Hattaway LM, Hsueh AN, Stone DM, Dragon JA, Cheetham S. Metagenomic analysis of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes from Grenada, West Indies. PLoS One. 2020 Apr 13;15(4):e0231047. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231047. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32282857
- Ramos-Nino ME, Fitzpatrick DM, Tighe S, Eckstrom KM, Hattaway LM, Hsueh AN, Stone DM, Dragon J, Cheetham S. High prevalence of Phasi Charoen-like virus from wild-caught Aedes aegypti in Grenada, W.I. as revealed by metagenomic analysis. PLoS One. 2020 Jan 31;15(1):e0227998. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227998. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32004323
- Bevans AI, Fitzpatrick DM, Stone DM, Butler BP, Smith MP, Cheetham S. Phylogenetic relationships and diversity of bat-associated Leptospira and the histopathological evaluation of these infections in bats from Grenada, West Indies. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(1):e0007940. Published 2020 Jan 21. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0007940
- Daniel M. Fitzpatrick1, Lindsey M. Hattaway1, Andy N. Hsueh1, Maria E. Ramos-Nino2, Sonia Cheetham1 PCR-based bloodmeal analysis of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes in St. George Parish, Grenada. J Med Entomol. 2019 Jun 27;56(4):1170-1175. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjz037.
- Diana Stone1, Amy C. Lyons2, Yan-Jang S. Huang2, Dana L. Vanlandingham2, Stephen Higgs2, Bradley J. Blitvich3, Abiodun A. Adesiyun4, Sharlene E. Santana5, Leith Leiser-Miller5, Sonia Cheetham1. "Serological evidence of widespread exposure of Grenada fruit bats to chikungunya virus" Zoonoses Public Health. 2018 Aug;65(5):505-511. doi: 10.1111/zph.12460. Epub 2018 Mar 25.
Selected Projects
- Her research at SGU and the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) centers on emerging zoonoses, vector-borne diseases, and One Health approaches. She has led and collaborated on numerous grants investigating arboviruses, wastewater pathogen surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and bat-borne pathogens in the Caribbean. Dr. Cheetham is currently collaborating with Stanford University, Colorado State University and University of Chester.
SVM Research Faculty
View the SVM faculty involved in research and SVM Adjunct and Cooperating faculty who collaborate with SVM researchers. SVM faculty also collaborate with many other researchers at institutions in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. These collaborations are reflected within the individual SVM faculty research profile.
