Kathryn L. Schwertfeger, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
612-626-9419
schwe251@umn.edu

Education:            

1991-1993  New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
1993-1996  University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico,  B.S. Biology
1996-2001  University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, Ph.D.. Molecular Biology

Present Position:
Post-doctoral fellow
Laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey M. Rosen, Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Previous positions: 
Post-doctoral fellow
Laboratory of Dr. Steven M. Anderson, Ph.D.
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

Graduate student in the Molecular Biology Program
Laboratory of Dr. Steven M. Anderson
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

Work-study position for molecular biology laboratory class
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1996)

Undergraduate research in molecular biology
Laboratory of Dr. Paul Kerkof, Ph.D.
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1995-1996)

Undergraduate internship in photomedicine
Laboratory of Dr. Donna Kusewitt, Ph.D.
The Lovelace Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1995)

Teaching Experience
Teaching assistant-Molecular cell biology laboratory (1996)
Supervisor-high school summer research program (1998)
Trained numerous summer students and graduate students (1998-present)

Committees/Community Service:
Admissions committee-Molecular Biology Program (1997-1999)
Faculty Search Committee-Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (1999-2000)
Seminar Committee-Molecular Biology Program Seminar Series(1999-2000)

Fellowships and Awards:
Graduate School Fellowship, University of Colorado Office of the President (1998-1999)
Student Research Forum Poster Award (2000)
Pre-doctoral Fellowship: Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (1999-2002)
Post-doctoral Fellowship (NRSA): NIH (2002-2005)
Merck Scholar-in-Training Award, AACR Annual Meeting (2005)

Publications:

Schwertfeger, K.L., Hunter, S., Heasley, L.E., Levresse, V., Leon, R.P., DeGregori, J., and Anderson, S.M. Prolactin stimulates activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Molecular Endocrinology. 14(10): 1592-1602, 2000.

Richert, M.M.^*, Schwertfeger, K.L.^* , Ryder, J.W., and Anderson, S.M. An Atlas of Mouse Mammary Gland Development. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia. 5(2), 227-241, 2000.
^*These authors contributed equally

Schwertfeger, K.L., Richert, M.M., and Anderson, S.M. Mammary Gland Involution is Delayed by Activated Akt in Transgenic Mice. Molecular Endocrinology. 15(6), 867-881, 2001.

Schwertfeger, K.L., McManaman, J.L., Palmer, C.A., Neville, M.C., and Anderson, S.M.  Expression of constitutively activated Akt in the mammary gland leads to excess lipid synthesis during pregnancy and lactation.  Journal of Lipid Research.  44(6), 1100-1112, 2003.

McManaman, J.L., Palmer, C.A., Anderson, S., Schwertfeger, K., and Neville, M.C.  Regulation of milk lipid formation and secretion in the mammary gland.  Adv Exp Med Biol. 554, 263-279, 2004.

Limesand, K.H., Quissell, D.O., Limesand,S.W., Schwertfeger, K.L., and Anderson, S.M.^. MDM2 is required for suppression of apoptosis by activated Akt1 in salivary acinar cells.  In revision.

Xian, W., Schwertfeger, K.L., Vargo-Gogola, T.C., and Rosen, J.M.  Pleiotropic effects of FGFR1 on cell proliferation, survival and migration in a 3D mammary epithelial cells model.  In revision.

Schwertfeger, K.L., Xian, W., Cohen, D. A., and Rosen, J.M. A critical role for the inflammatory response in a mouse model of breast cancer progression.  In review.

Abstracts:

Stack, K.L., Hunter, S., and Anderson, S.M. “Prolactin stimulates activation of c-jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK)”. 1998 Meeting on Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Cell Signaling.

Anderson, S.M., Stack, K.L., and Hunter, S. “Prolactin stimulates activation of c-jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK) and p38”. 1998 Gordon Conference on Prolactin.

Anderson, S.M., Stack, K.L., and Hunter, S. “Prolactin stimulates activation of c-jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK) and p38(HOG1) members of the MAP kinase family and p38 activation may be critical in mitogenic signaling”. 1998 80^th Meeting of the Endocrine Society. Abstract #OR18-5.

Anderson, S.M., Stack, K.L., and Wardell, S.E. “Src-like kinases are required to suppress apoptosis in response to prolactin stimulation by a Src-Cbl-PI 3-kinase-Akt pathway”. 1999 81^st Meeting of the Endocrine Society. Abstract #OR33-6

Schwertfeger, K.L., Wardell, S.E., and Anderson, S.M. “Src-like kinases are required to suppress apoptosis in response to prolactin stimulation by a Src-Cbl-PI 3-kinase-Akt pathway”. 1999 Gordon Conference on Mammary Gland Biology.

Schwertfeger, K.L., Hunter, S., and Anderson, S.M. “Prolactin stimulates activation of c-jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK)”. 2000 Gordon Conference on Prolactin.

Schwertfeger, K.L., Richert, M.M., Strange, R., and Anderson, S.M. “Delayed mammary gland involution in transgenic mice expressing activated Akt”. 2000 Gordon Conference on Prolactin.

Anderson, S.M., Schwertfeger, K.L., Richert, M.M., and Strange, R. “Delayed mammary gland involution in transgenic mice expressing activated Akt”. 2000 Gordon Conference on Mammary Gland Biology.

Anderson, S.M., Schwertfeger, K.L., Richert, M.M., and Strange, R. “Delayed mammary gland involution in transgenic mice expressing activated Akt”. 2000 82^nd Meeting of the Endocrine Society. Abstract #577.

Schwertfeger, K.L., McManaman, J.L., Richert, M.M. and Anderson, S.M. “Expression of Constitutively Active Akt in the Mouse Mammary Gland: Effects on Apoptosis and Lipid Synthesis”. 2001 83^rd Meeting of the Endocrine Society.  Oral presentation.

Schwertfeger, K.L., McManaman, J.L., Hanson, L., Richert, M.M. and Anderson, S.M. “Expression of Constitutively Active Akt in the Mouse Mammary Gland: Effects on Apoptosis and Lipid Synthesis”. 2001 Gordon Conference on Mammary Gland Biology.

Schwertfeger, K.L., McManaman, J.L., Palmer, C.A., Neville, M.C., and Anderson, S.M.  “Expression of constitutively activated Akt in the mammary gland leads to excess lipid synthesis during pregnancy and lactation”.  2002 Gordon Conference on Mammary Gland Biology      

Xian, W., Schwertfeger, K.L., and Rosen, J.M.  An Inducible dimerization system to study FGFR signaling in mouse mammary gland development and tumorigenesis. AACR Pathobiology Workshop, 2004.

Schwertfeger, K.L., Xian, W., and Rosen, J.M.  “Early FGFR mediated induction of the inflammatory response in breast cancer progression”. 2005 AACR Annual Meeting.  Oral presentation.