75 Years of Exceptional Care and Innovation | Celebrate with Zoom backgrounds, email signatures and more!

Benjamin N. Sacks

Benjamin N. Sacks

Adjunct Professor

Population Health & Reproduction
Veterinary Genetics Laboratory

Office
249 CCAH, Davis, CA 95616

Education
2002, PhD, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
1996, MS, University of California, Berkeley, CA,
1991, BS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Active Research Grants
Principal Investigator, North Coast Range fecal pellet analysis (deer genotyping and metabarcoding), (Principal Investigator), California Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Principal Investigator, Fecal genotypes for carnivore scats, (Principal Investigator), California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Principal Investigator, San Joaquin kit fox genomics to characterize effects of disease outbreaks on metapopulation connectivity with implications for containment of sarcoptic mange and canine distemper, (Principal Investigator), Central Valley Project Conservation Fund, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Principal Investigator, Noninvasive genetic monitoring of the Sonora Pass core area of the Sierra Nevada red fox DPS, (Principal Investigator), US Fish and Wildlife Service
Co-Principal Investigator, CA CESU DNA Metabarcoding tools for the endangered Blunt Nose Leopard Lizard , Statham (Principal Investigator), DoI Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Principal Investigator, Whole genome sequencing of historical museum red wolf specimens to obtain unbiased ancestry informative markers to quantify red wolf ancestry in southeastern Canis, (Principal Investigator), National Academy of Sciences and US Fish and Wildlife Service
Research Focus
Application of genomic and field-based methodologies to understand ecology and evolution of mammals and relate findings directly to their conservation.
Specialty Focus
Genetics
Ten Recent Publications

2022
Sacks BN, Bush JP, Batter TJ
Testing a single-visit sampling approach for fecal DNA abundance estimation of tule elk in the Lake Pillsbury Basin

2022
Statham MJ, Aylward CM, Barthman-Thompson L, Kierepka EM, Sacks BN^
Landscape genetics of an endangered salt marsh endemic: Identifying population continuity and barriers to dispersal

2022
Plassais J, vonHoldt BM, Parker HG, Carmagnini A, Dubos N, Papa I, Bevant K, Derrien T, Hennelly LM, Whitaker DT, Harris AC, Hogan AN, Huson HJ, Zaibert VF, Linderholm A, Haile J, Fest T, Habib B, Sacks BN, Benecke N, Outram AK, Sablin MV, Germonpré M, Larson G, Frantz L, Ostrander E
Natural and human-driven selection of a single non-coding body size variant in ancient and modern canids

2022
McDevitt AD, Coscia I, Browett SS, Ruiz-González A, Statham MJ, Ruczynska I, Roberts L, Stojak J, Frantz AC, Norén K, Ågren EO, Learmount J, Basto M, Fernandes C, Stuart P, Tosh DG, Sindicic M, Andreanszky T, Isomursu M, Panek M, Korolev A, Okhlopkov IM, Saveljev AP, Pokorny B, Flajšman K, Harrison SWR, Lobkov V, Cirovic D, Mullins J, Pertoldi C, Randi E, Sacks BN, Kowalczyk R, Wójcik JM
Next-generation phylogeography resolves post-glacial colonization patterns in a widespread carnivore, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in Europe

2022
Aylward CM, Statham MJ, Barthman-Thompson L, Kelt DA, Sacks BN^
Dietary characterization of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and sympatric rodents using DNA metabarcoding.

2022
Quinn CB, Preckler-Quisquater S, Akins JR, Cross PR, Alden PB, Vanderzwan SL, Stephenson JA, Figura PJ, Green GA, Hiller TL, Sacks BN^
Contrasting genetic trajectories of endangered and expanding red fox populations in the western U.S.

2022
Owen-Ramos JD, Sanchez CJ, Blair S, Holm S, Furnas BJ, Sacks BN^
Use of fecal DNA to estimate black bear density in an urban-wildland interface

2022
Buchalski MR, Sacks BN, Ahrens KD, Gustafson KD, Rudd JL, Ernest HB, Dellinger JA
Development of a 95 SNP panel to individually genotype mountain lions (Puma concolor) for microfluidic and other genotyping platforms

2022
Bolas EC, Quinn CB, Van Vuren DH, Lee A, Vanderzwan SL, Floyd CH, Jones KL, Shaskey L, Sacks BN^
Pattern and timing of mitochondrial divergence of island spotted skunks on the California Channel Islands

2022
Batter TJ, Bush JP, Sacks BN^
Robustness of fecal DNA spatial capture-recapture to clustered space-use by tule elk