Andrea Schorn

Andrea Schorn is an Assistant Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), where she leads the Schorn Laboratory and is a member of the Cancer Center and the School of Biological Sciences. Her research centers on transposable elements and the role of small RNAs—particularly tRNA fragments—in genome regulation and defense.

• Ph.D., Biochemistry, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin (2004–2009)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (2009–2019)
• Research Assistant Professor, CSHL (2019–2021)
• Assistant Professor, CSHL (2021–present)

Her research focuses on how transposable elements—remnants of ancient retroviruses—interact with host genomes. She investigates how tRNA-derived small RNAs silence these elements during early development and in diseases like cancer. Her lab discovered that a conserved 18-nucleotide motif in retroelements is targeted by tRNA fragments, revealing a key mechanism in genome stability and epigenetic regulation. This work connects to broader themes in gene regulation, evolutionary biology, and antiviral defense.

Her recent publications span high-impact journals such as Cell, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, and Nature Communications, with a consistent focus on small RNAs, epigenetics, and transposon control. Her work shows a strong trend toward understanding RNA modifications, intergenerational inheritance, and the dual roles of transposable elements as both threats and essential genomic components.

• Fellowship of the International PhD Program of the Helmholtz Graduate School (2004–2007)
• Associate Faculty Member, Faculty of 1000 (2010–2016)

Schorn mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students and has served on examination committees. Her lab actively participates in national and international conferences, delivering invited talks on epigenetics and transposable elements. She is involved in the Gene Regulation and Inheritance program at CSHL and collaborates extensively within the institution and beyond. Her lab develops transposition assays to visualize and quantify transposon activity, contributing to both basic science and potential therapeutic applications in cancer and reproductive health.