The Hope Center for Neurological Disorders is pleased to announce that Anneliese Schaefer, JD, PhD, research assistant professor of neurology, has accepted the position of Deputy Director.

Dr. Schaefer is one of the founding scientists of the Hope Center.  Before joining the Hope Center administration, she was an Instructor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology.  Her laboratory studies focused on axonal degeneration in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the childhood disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) using high resolution imaging.  In research funded in part by the Hope Center, she was one of the first investigators to document early axon degeneration in mouse models of ALS.

Dr. Schaefer was awarded her Ph.D. in 2001 for her studies of the genetic basis of synapse formation, working with mentor Michael Nonet.  For her postdoctoral training, she worked in the lab of Jeff Lichtman. She is recipient of a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the Viktor Hamburger Prize in Developmental Biology. 

Prior to entering the field of neuroscience, Dr. Schaefer received her J.D. from Washington University, then practiced intellectual property litigation with Pennie and Edmonds in New York.

In her new role, Dr. Schaefer will work closely with the Hope Center Director, Mark Goldberg, together with the Hope Center Executive and Steering Committees and Hope Happens partners. She will help to set strategic directions for the Hope Center, oversee internal and external communications, and provide administrative supervision for Hope Center funds, projects and core facilities.

Dr. Schaefer was selected following an extensive national search and we are exceptionally fortunate that she is joining the Hope Center's leadership team.