About us

The long-term objective of our research program is to develop breast cancer preventive and therapeutic strategies targeted to specific windows of breast development. The mammary gland is unique in that it goes through several distinct developmental states, such as pubertal or lactational. Our research shows that these distinct windows of mammary gland development are hot spots of risk for breast cancer development and progression. Specifically, our lab identified developmentally regulated stromal-epithelial remodeling programs as the underlying mechanism driving cancer progression during these windows of breast development. While the inherent plasticity of the normal breast microenvironment contributes significantly to breast cancer risk and outcomes, it also provides unique opportunities for life-cycle specific prevention and treatment strategies. By interrogating these windows of development and the impact they have on breast cancer, we hope to develop clinical prevention and control strategies that will reduce breast cancer incidence and improve survival. 

Accolades

  • June 2024:  Hatun Duran Cete, MD, postdoctoral scholar, and Abby Liberty, PhD, WRHR scholar, both in the Schedin Lab, presented at the 2024 Gordon Research Conference in Mammary Gland Biology earlier this month held in Barga, Italy:
    • Dr. Cete gave two oral and one poster presentation titled "Effects of Childbirth on Clinical Findings of Breast Cancer Metastasis".
    • Dr. Liberty presented a poster titled "A protocol to prospectively study the effect of androgenic progestins on mammary tissue in people assigned female at birth: sampling, histologic and molecular strategies".
  • June 2024: Congratulations to Michelle Ozaki, graduate student in the Schedin Lab, who has received the GSO Student Engagement Award for her exceptional engagement in furthering the welfare of graduate students at OHSU.
    • Michelle has served as a GSO vice president and president two times. Alongside her sidekick Ben, Michelle reinvigorated GSO to be a thriving program as students were dispersed through the pandemic. She is a leader who has built community, engaged students in rectifying union contracts, recruited students to OHSU both virtually and in-person, she has built trust with administration, and is never afraid of tackling the hard stuff.

Lisa Coussens, Pepper Schedin, Brian Druker at the Schnitzer Investiture event

Dr. Pepper Schedin, Professor of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, has been appointed the inaugural recipient of the Leonard Schnitzer Chair in Breast Oncology. The Leonard Schnitzer Family established this endowed chair in Leonard’s memory to help advance clinically relevant cancer research and the work of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute to end cancer as we know it. An investiture ceremony will be held later this summer to honor the family and Schedin. Read more here.