Dr. Vander Schaaf joined Olivet’s Biological Sciences department in the fall of 2020. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Van Andel Institute Graduate School, where she investigated the epigenetics of colon cancer. Prior to graduate school, she researched cold-adapted bacteria from Antarctica during her studies at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Now at ONU, Dr. Vander Schaaf teaches lecture courses and labs in Microbiology, Advanced Genetics, Cancer Biology and Research. She loves sharing her enthusiasm for science with students and helping them discover more about God’s handiwork through study of the molecular and microscopic details of his creation.
Dr. Vander Schaaf is passionate about scientific research, especially projects pertaining to human health–locally or globally. For example, she has taken ONU Biology students on research trips to Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea to try to combat cervical cancer through human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. You can read more about her research on her lab’s webpage.
Outside of science, some of her favorite activities are hiking, playing pickleball, spending time with family/friends and worshipping the Lord through music.
