The telomerase enzyme adds repetitive DNA sequences to the ends of human chromosomes, assuring genome integrity and providing unlimited proliferative potential to continuously dividing cells. Importantly, 90% of all cancers require telomerase activity for their survival. Mutations that activate the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the major protein subunit of telomerase, are the most frequent mutations in a number cancers and are strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes for patients carrying them. Telomerase is therefore an attractive target to potentially treat a wide range of aggressive cancers. Dr. Schmidt has developed techniques to study telomerase trafficking in vivo, as well as single-molecule assays to analyze telomerase catalysis and its modulation in vitro. He is able to visualize enzymatic action of telomerase in real-time at nucleotide resolution. He aims to understand the enzymatic mechanism of telomerase catalysis to identify potential weaknesses that can be targeted to inhibit telomerase action in cancer cells.