Dr. Katherine T. Schmeidler

Professor of Biology,  Grievance Chair
School of Life Sciences & Technologies at Irvine Valley College

PhD., Case Western Reserve University
Thesis: "Quantitative and Qualitative Effects of Translational Machinery Components on Transcription by Isolated Chick Liver Nuclei"

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology
Research involved isolating and characterizing enzymatic and other components of cellular protein synthesizing machinery.

A.B., Smith College
Major: Biology (Cell and Molecular Biology)

Since completing her graduate work and post-doctoral fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Schmeidler has held numerous teaching and research positions. She has taught a wide range of biology courses such as Human Anatomy, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Physiology at Whittier College, UCLA, USC School of Pharmacy, and Cal State Long Beach.  Dr. Schmeidler was honored twice with the Teacher of the Year Award while teaching Human Anatomy and Biochemistry at USC School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Schmeidler joined Irvine Valley College in 1995.  At IVC, she teaches or has taught  Zoology (Bio 5), Cell Biology (Bio 6), Genetics (Bio 7, now Bio 82), Molecular Biology & Biochemistry (Bio 8, now Bio 83), Human Anatomy (Bio 11), Biology of Human Sexuality (Bio 44), Stem Cells and Society (Bio 71), Human Genetics (Bio 72), and Brain Health and Wellness for Senior Adults in the Saddleback College Emeritus Institute (EHEA536).

When not in her office or in class, Dr. Schmeidler can often be seen on campus with an entourage of students trailing after her asking genetics or biochem questions. With a well-timed joke and an analogy or an anecdote, she will patiently and generously do whatever she can to assist any earnest students who need help.

Dr. Schmeidler is a compulsive and knowledgeable computer user, whizzing through Excel and WordPerfect with complete mastery.  She lives with her husband and their four children, Rachel, Deborah, Naomi, and David. She also has a pet snake named Snakey. Update: the children and snake have moved on, and Goose (a dog) has joined the household.


Awards and Fellowships
1994Teacher of the Year, USC - School of Pharmacy
1992Teacher of the Year, USC - School of Pharmacy
1989Marilyn Veich Award in Recognition of Exceptional Service and Devotion to the Associated Students of Whittier College
1989Award for Outstanding Service to the Science Academy of Whittier
1985Faculty Development Grant, Whittier College
1982-84Post-doctoral Fellowship:  Roche Institute of Molecular Biology
1982Arthur F.W. Hughes Memorial Award for Outstanding Original Research in Developmental Biology
1976-81NIH Predoctoral Fellowship in Developmental Biology


Research Interests
Dr. Schmeidler's research interests have been in the areas of how developing and differentiating systems alter their patterns of gene activity in response to external stimuli. Her doctoral dissertation addressed the question of how cells can abruptly begin to make large quantities of new gene products, going from a relatively quiescent to a very active state.  In more recent collaborative work, Dr. Schmeidler has been involved in investigating the role of coagulation factor XII as a putative growth factor.

Recently she has started studying the frequency of Wormian (sutural) bones in different populations.



Research Publications

Gordon, E., Venkatesan, N., Salazar, R., Tang, H., Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Buckley, S., Warburton, D., and Hall, F.  1996.  "Factor XII-Induced Mitogenesis is Mediated Via a Distinct Signal Transduction Pathway that Activates a Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase."  Proc Natl Acad Sci 93:2174-2179. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Johnson, T.R., Ilan, J., and Ilan, J. 1992. "Regulation of Transcription by Translational Components in a Coupled Translation-Transcription Cell-Free System."  Biochemie, in press. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Johnson, T.R., Ilan, J., and Ilan, J. 1991.  "Regulation of RNA Polymerase I, II, and III by Specific Translational Components in a Eukaryotic Transcription-Translation Coupled Cell-Free System."  submitted for publication. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Ratnoff, O.D., and Gordon, E.M. 1991. "Mitogenic Effects of Coagulation Factor XII and Factor XIIa on HepG2 Cells." Proc Natl Acad Sci 88:4382-4385. 

Gordon, E.M., Johnson, T.R., Ramos, L.P., and Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T. 1991. Enhanced Expression of Factor XII (Hageman Factor) in Isolated Livers of Estrogen- and Prolactin-Treated Rats.  J Lab Clin Med 117(5):353-358. 

Gordon, E.M., Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Salazar, R.L., and Gomperts, E.D. 1991. Expression of Coagulation Factors XII (Hageman Factor), VIII, and IX in Primary Rat Hepatocyte Cultures:  Dose-Dependent Effects of Cycloheximide.  submitted for publication. 

Stultz, V.J., Sapiro, K.T.S., Clemens, R.A., and Adams, G.S. 1988.  "Evaluation of a Lingual Test for Vitamin C Status". J Oral Med 42(4):229-232. 

Weiss, J., Franson, R.C., Schmeidler, K., and Elsbach, P. 1976.  "Reversible Envelope Effects During and After Killing of Escherichia coli by a Highly-Purified Rabbit Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Fraction". Biochim Biophys Acta 436:154-169. 

Weiss, J., Franson, R.C., Beckerdite, S., Schmeidler, K., and Elsbach, P. 1975. "Partial Characterization and Purification of a Rabbit Granulocyte Factor That Increases Permeability of Escherichia coli ". J Clin Invest 55(1):33-42. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T. and Ilan, J. "A Coupled Translation-Transcription Cell-Free System" in Translational Regulation of Gene Expression II. J. Ilan, ed., Plenum Publishing Corp., N.Y., in press. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Kroman, R.A., and Klig, L.S. 1991. Genetics Laboratory Manual.  California State University - Long Beach. 



Other Publications

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T. 1993. "Gross Anatomy is Fascinating - Take Heart."  Am. J. Pharm. Ed. 57:168-172.

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Kroman, R.A., and Klig, L.S. 1991. Genetics Laboratory Manual.  California State University - Long Beach



Abstracts

Schmeidler, K.T.  2022.  “Prevalence of Wormian (Sutural) Bones in the Paris Catacombs Ossuary”  The FASEB Journal, 36: S1. https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.R5654

Schmeidler, K.T.  2021.  “Perinatal Lambdoidal Suture Wormian Bones’ Frequency Differs from the Adult”  The FASEB Journal, 35: S1. doi:10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.s1.03834

Schmeidler, K.T.  2020.  “Frequency of Skulls with Lambdoidal Suture Wormian Bones in Two English Historical Ossuaries.”  The FASEB Journal, 34: 1-1.https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.04029

Schmeidler, K.T.  2019.  “Prevalence of Wormian (Sutural) Bones in Three Italian Anthropological Collections”. The FASEB Journal, 33: 612.10-612.10. doi:10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.612.10

Schmeidler, K.T.  2018. “Preliminary Analysis of Sutural Bone Survey in the Paris Catacombs” HAPS, Human Anatomy and Physiology Society Annual Meeting.

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T, Johnson, T.R., Ilan, J. and Ilan, J. 1992.  "Involvement of the Translational Apparatus in Transcriptional Regulation".  Cold Spring Harbor Meeting on Translational Control.

Gordon, E.M., Tang, H., Salazar, R., and Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T. 1992.  "Mitogenic Effects of Coagulation Factor XII (Hageman Factor) on Endothelial Cells."  submitted. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T., Ratnoff, O.D., and Gordon, E.M. 1990. "Mitogenic Effects of Coagulation Factor XII and Factor XIIa on HepG2 Cells." J Cell Biol 111(5 part 2):1279a.  K. T. Schmeidler-Sapiro  p. 4 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T. and Sapiro, J.A. 1988. "Insulin Effects in Early Frog Embryos". J Cell Biol 107(6 part 3):4646a. 

Schmeidler-Sapiro, K.T. and Sapiro, J.A. 1988. "Insulin Effects in Early Frog Embryos". Third S. Calif. Diabetes Research Symposium. 

Sapiro, K.T.S. and Ilan, J. 1981. "Transcription-Translation Linked System: Effect of the Components of the Translational Machinery on the Rate and Quality of Transcription by Isolated Cockerel Liver Nuclei". J Cell Biol 9(2 part 2): 361a. 

Sapiro, K.T.S. and Ilan, J. 1981. " Effect of the Components of the Translational Machinery on the Rate and Quality of Transcription by Isolated Cockerel Liver Nuclei". Fed Proc 40(6): 1765a. 

Franson, R.C., Beckerdite, S., Weiss, J., Schmeidler, K., Mooney, C., and Elsbach, P. 1974. " A Rabbit Granulocyte Factor That Rapidly Causes Discrete Permeability Changes in Some Gram-Negative Organisms". J Clin Invest 53: 25a.