Dr Katherine Antel
Dr Katherine Antel, MBChB, MMed (UCT), FCP (SA), Cert Clin Haem (Phys) SA, PhD
Senior Scientist, Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, Harvard University; Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Division of Haematology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town.
Katherine Antel is a clinical haematologist who specialises in diagnosing and treating patients with leukaemia and lymphoma. As an associate member of the IDM, she is establishing an independent laboratory seeking to define and characterize the genomic landscape and pathogenesis of HIV-associated lymphomas and to identify molecular methods to diagnose lymphoma in the Sub-Saharan African context. This research is funded by an NIH K43 grant and ASH Global Scholar Award.
Katherine has a dual appointment as a Senior Scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where she works in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Murakami. She works on molecular diagnostic initiatives, including liquid biopsy assays, to detect lymphoma and identify minimal-residual disease. Bringing together a deep clinical knowledge of the needs and context in South Africa with access to technologies and expertise at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Katherine aims to develop regional molecular diagnostic capabilities and spearhead future technical innovations using cell-free DNA for clinical and investigative use.
Key areas of expertise: lymphoma, lymphoid genomics, HIV-associated lymphoma
Selected publications:
Katherine has published on factors causing diagnostic delay in lymphoma, the epidemiology and pathology of HIV-associated lymphomas and interventions that the Groote Schuur Lymphoma team have piloted to reduce the time taken to diagnose lymphoma, including a pragmatic strategy to initiate lymph node biopsy clinics.
See publications on National Library of Medicine.
Contact details:
Wernher & Beit Building
Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
Anzio Road
Observatory, 7925
South Africa
Email: Katherine.antel@uct.ac.za / katheriner_antel@dfci.havard.edu
Group members:
| Member | Position |
| Dylan Cheddie | MSc Student |
| Courtney Smit-Wright | MSc Student |
| Nina Xiong | Biostatistician (DFCI) |
| Alexander Zhang | Research technician (DFCI) |
Collaborations:
International:
- Dr. Mark Murakami and the Lymphoma Group, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Dr. Scott Rodig (Brigham Women’s Hospital Pathology group)
- Dr. Vikor Adalsteinsson (The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard).
- Dr. Ed Murphy (University of San Francisco, California)
- BostonGene (Boston, Industry collaborator)
Local:
- Dr. Estelle Verburgh (UCT Clinical Hematology and BloodSA)
- National Health Laboratory Service Division of Pathology (Dr Dharshnee Chetty)
Affiliations
- Associate Member, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
- Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology Oncology
Key Expertise
Biomarker Discovery, Genomic & Precision Medicine, HIV
Main Research Focus
Dr. Katherine Antel is a physician-scientist and hematologist-oncologist whose research bridges genomic science and clinical care in lymphoma. Based at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center, she leads translational studies focused on circulating tumor DNA diagnostics (ADLiB platform) and precision approaches to aggressive lymphomas. Trained at the Univeristy of Cape Town and Dana-Farber, Harvard, she integrates genomic, clinical, and health-system perspectives to improve access to advanced diagnostics in resource-limited settings, including ongoing collaborations in South Africa. Her work exemplifies data-driven innovation with a strong commitment to equitable, patient-centered oncology.
Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024
Merryman, R. W., Rhoades, J., Xiong, K., Redd, R. A., Antel, K., An, H. H., McDonough, M., Guerrero, L., Crnjac, A., Sridhar, S., Blewett, T., Cheng, J., Dahi, P. B., Nieto, Y., Joyce, R. M., Chen, Y.-B., Herrera, A. F., Armand, P., Murakami, M., & Adalsteinsson, V. A. (2024).
The ADLiB study establishes a sensitive, low-cost cell-free DNA assay for lymphoma detection and monitoring, optimized for both high- and low-resource settings. Using adaptive digital library barcoding and deep sequencing, it demonstrates strong concordance with tissue genotyping and accurately tracks treatment response and minimal residual disease. The work highlights the feasibility of implementing advanced genomic diagnostics without proprietary reagents or complex infrastructure, addressing a major equity gap in cancer care. Beyond technical performance, ADLiB represents a scalable model for democratizing liquid biopsy technology—bringing precision oncology closer to real-world, global clinical application.