Autumn J. Schulze

Autumn J. Schulze, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine and Senior Associate Consultant I-Research at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota. She is a leading researcher in oncolytic virotherapy, focusing on the development and optimization of RNA-based picornavirus therapeutics for cancer treatment. Dr. Schulze directs the Virology and Gene Therapy Graduate Program and previously led the Gene and Virus Therapy Shared Resource at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Kansas Medical Center and a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Schulze's research centers on enhancing the safety and efficacy of oncolytic picornaviruses through strategies such as microRNA-detargeting, internal ribosome entry site switching, and combination therapies involving immunomodulatory genes, chemotherapeutics, and immune checkpoint blockade. Her team utilizes murine models to evaluate therapeutic outcomes in vivo, with a focus on cancers like multiple myeloma and malignant glioma. Key areas include developing clinical-grade infectious RNA, nonviral delivery systems, and understanding host-virus interactions that influence therapeutic success.

Her recent publications (2021–2023) highlight advances in optimizing the therapeutic index of oncolytic Mengovirus, structural analysis of enterovirus-antibody complexes, and assessments of graduate student well-being. These works reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus spanning molecular virology, immunology, and translational cancer research.

Dr. Schulze is actively involved in professional service, including membership in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy and various Mayo Clinic wellness and governance committees.

She has secured research funding as Co-PI on a National Cancer Institute project focused on Mengovirus replicon-based virotherapy. Her research program is embedded within the David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapeutics Program at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she contributes to core research infrastructure and graduate training.

Dr. Schulze leads a research team conducting preclinical investigations and is deeply involved in the academic and wellness development of graduate students through multiple institutional roles.