Dawn Wenzel

Dawn Wenzel, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms regulating cell division, particularly the abscission checkpoint and ESCRT-mediated membrane severing. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington (2010) and a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2004).

Research Interests:

• Regulation of the abscission checkpoint during cytokinesis
• ESCRT protein phosphorylation and ubiquitination signaling
• Cell division errors and genome instability in cancer
• Mechanisms of membrane fission and cellular compartmentalization

Her laboratory employs biochemical and biophysical techniques including X-ray crystallography, enzymatic assays, and fluorescence polarization to study protein interactions and signaling pathways. Recent work has identified key regulators like ULK3 kinase and Aurora B in ESCRT inhibition, advancing understanding of how cells prevent catastrophic mitotic errors.

Awards:

• American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015-2018)

Advising & Grants: Dr. Wenzel mentors students and postdocs interested in cell biology and biochemistry. Her lab actively collaborates on NIH-funded projects investigating cancer-associated ESCRT mutations. The Wenzel Lab is currently expanding studies to explore therapeutic targeting of abscission dysregulation in tumors.

Labs/Teams: Wenzel Lab at MCW's Department of Biochemistry, focusing on structural and mechanistic cell biology.