CSB Spotlight: Katherine Stefanski, Sanders Lab

Posted by daviskd2 on Friday, April 25, 2025 in News.

Sanders Lab Postdoc Katherine Stefanski’s lab motto might be “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Outside the lab she likes to wreak a bit of havoc in Smashville! That is, when it doesn’t get in the way of a good book.

Meet Katherine …

What is the focus of your research?

I study ordered lipid domains and their constituent proteins. I also study mechanisms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

What tools/techniques do you use?

Mammalian cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, image analysis and classic biophysical techniques.

What was your path to this position?

I have always wanted to become a professor and PI. Toward the end of my Ph.D. work, I had decided I wanted to stay in the general field of membrane protein biochemistry. I met Chuck and several members of the lab at a Gordon Conference and realized that Vanderbilt and the Sanders lab were ideal environments for my postdoctoral work.

What is your favorite part of performing research within a lab?

Being creative and coming up with new ways to test my hypotheses. I love learning new techniques. Mentoring students is also one of my greatest joys as a scientist.

What do you think is the key to a cohesive lab environment?

The relationships between lab members are crucial. Kindness, encouragement, and offering help before being asked go a long way – science is hard enough on its own! Equally important is having a well-organized and properly maintained lab space. This is key everyone’s experiments being successful and reproducible.

What are some fun activities you like to do outside the lab?

Traveling, scuba diving, and fostering rescue dogs (alongside my own 3 rescue dogs) with my husband are my favorite things to do outside of the lab. I love hockey and am a loyal Nashville Predators fan. I am also an avid reader and spend many weekends curled up with a good book.