Dr Katherine Antel

Affiliations

1. Associate Member, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
2. 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

Comparison of whole-genome and immunoglobulin-based circulating tumor DNA assays in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

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.