Prof. Cara Lynne Schengrund | Biochemistry | Best Researcher Award
Professor Emeritus at Penn State College of Medicine | United States
Prof. Cara Lynne Schengrund, Professor Emerita of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State College of Medicine, is a renowned scientist whose career reflects a lifetime of impactful research and academic leadership. She completed her B.S. in Chemistry at Upsala College, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry at Seton Hall University, building a strong foundation in chemical and biochemical sciences. Her professional journey includes roles as a research associate at Columbia University and Penn State before progressing through faculty ranks to Professor and later Professor Emerita, where she also served in leadership roles such as Acting Department Chair and Chair of the University Faculty Senate. Prof. Cara Lynne Schengrund ’s research has focused on the biological role of glycosphingolipids and gangliosides, particularly their involvement in neuroblastomas, neural development, cholesterol metabolism, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autism. Her laboratory pioneered the synthesis of multivalent oligosaccharide inhibitors that block pathogen interactions, with implications for combating cholera, HIV, and other infectious diseases. possesses advanced research skills in neurochemistry, glycobiology, and biochemical analysis, with demonstrated expertise in lipid raft biology, receptor-ligand interactions, and therapeutic target identification. Her scholarly impact is evidenced by 2,563 citations across 2,054 documents, 87 publications, and an h-index of 28, highlighting both the breadth and depth of her scientific contributions. Prof. Cara Lynne Schengrund has been honored with prestigious recognitions including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Upsala College and the YWCA Tribute to Women of Excellence, and she has been elected to leadership positions in professional societies while serving on NIH and VA scientific review committees. With an enduring commitment to mentoring and international collaboration, she continues to influence biomedical research, and her groundbreaking work in glycosphingolipids and neurobiology positions her as a leader whose contributions will continue to shape advances in medicine and science globally.
Profile: Scopus
Featured Publications:
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Thompson, J. P., & Schengrund, C. L. (1997). Oligosaccharide-derivatized dendrimers: Inhibitors of the adherence of the cholera toxin B subunit and the heat labile enterotoxin of E. coli to GM1. Glycoconjugate Journal, 14(7), 837–845.
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Kensinger, R. D., Yowler, B. C., Benesi, A. J., & Schengrund, C. L. (2004). Synthesis of novel, multivalent glycodendrimers as ligands for HIV-1 gp120. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 15(2), 349–358.
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Petro, K. A., & Schengrund, C. L. (2009). Membrane raft disruption promotes axonogenesis in N2a neuroblastoma cells. Neurochemical Research, 34(1), 29–37.
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Schengrund, C. L. (2015). Gangliosides: Glycosphingolipids essential for normal neural development and function. Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 40(7), 397–406. Schengrund, C. L. (2023). The yin and yang of ganglioside function in cancer. Cancers, 15(22), 5362.