Antje Schaefer, PhD Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology and the MCW Cancer Center
Antje joined the Medical College of Wisconsin as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in September 2024.
Antje pursued her PhD in RHO & RAS GTPase biochemistry and structure in the lab of Dr. Alfred Wittinghofer at the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Physiology in Dortmund, Germany. Antje conducted her postdoctoral training in RHO GTPase cell biology in endothelial cells and leukocytes with Dr. Peter Hordijk at the Sanquin Blood Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As a Research Assistant Professor in the lab of Dr. Channing Der at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), USA, Antje discovered that the two most common RHOA mutations in gastric cancer are oncogenic cancer drivers and defined novel target-based therapeutic strategies for this lethal cancer. Her publications are one of the first comprehensive studies in the field elucidating the cancer-driving functions of RHOA alterations. Antje also studied the role of RHO GTPase-dependent cancer cell plasticity in driving therapy resistance in RAS-mutant pancreatic, colorectal and head-and-neck-cancers.
Outside of the lab you can find Antje likely biking or watching college basketball.
David graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Spring of 2020 with a degree in Genetics and Genomics. He started working as a research technician at the Medical College of Wisconsin in March of 2021. David worked for 3 years in the lab of Dr. Sang Lee (Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology), studying neuropharmacology related to Alzheimer’s Disease and other neuropsychological conditions. He joined the Schaefer Lab in December of 2024. In his free time, David enjoys making various soups. His favorite is Potato Leek.