Cara Schafer

Dr. Cara Schafer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine and a Staff Scientist at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF) supporting the Murtha Cancer Center Research Program and the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR). Her work bridges military medicine and cancer research with a focus on prostate cancer in military populations.

Dr. Schafer's educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
• M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Georgetown University
• B.S. in Biology & Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Dr. Schafer's research focuses on immuno-oncology, particularly the immunologic and genetic underpinnings of prostate cancer. Her work examines the tumor microenvironment, with special emphasis on myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tryptophan metabolism pathways. She utilizes preclinical mouse models and clinical samples from military cohorts to investigate mechanisms of cancer progression and potential therapeutic targets. Her research has important implications for understanding racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes and developing novel immunotherapeutic approaches.

Analysis of Dr. Schafer's publication record reveals a research trajectory that began with lung cancer immunology during her doctoral work and evolved toward prostate cancer research with military applications. Her recent publications demonstrate increasing interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly at the intersection of cancer biology, immunology, and computational methods for cancer diagnostics. The consistent focus on tumor microenvironment and immune cell function connects her earlier lung cancer work with current prostate cancer research.

Dr. Schafer has received several prestigious awards:

• CDMRP PCRP Fellowship Award
• USUHS VPR Intramural Discovery Award
• Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award

Dr. Schafer maintains active involvement in mentoring students and fellows across multiple levels including summer students, graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows. She serves in professional leadership roles including Chair of the APOLLO New Platforms Working Group and as a Member of the NIH/NCI Cancer Screening Research Network Technology Evaluation Committee. Her research is supported by multiple grants that enable translational work connecting basic science discoveries with clinical applications in prostate cancer. Dr. Schafer also serves as a Scientific Peer Reviewer for the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Dr. Schafer is deeply integrated with the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) where she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams of clinicians, pathologists, and basic scientists. Her laboratory work focuses on characterizing immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment and identifying novel biomarkers for prostate cancer progression. She has contributed to multiple CPDR research projects including p53 and lymphatic vessel invasion, ETV antibody characterization, and genomic sequencing of aggressive Renal Medullary Carcinoma.