In my PhD, I used biochemical approaches to dissect mechanisms of host pathogen defense.  As a postdoc, I used mouse genetics to first show that epithelial stem cells modulate the activity of dendritic epidermal T cells for wound repair, which underscored the importance of epithelial-immune crosstalk.  Next, I delineated an innate immune-like signaling pathway in wound repair that resembles the role of innate immunity in pathogen defense.

As a biochemist at heart, I have a deep desire to study basic, physiological processes that is conserved throughout evolution.  Tissue injury repair is one such fascinating process that is essential for organismal survival.  In our new lab, we will combine biochemistry and mouse genetics to understand physiological tissue repair through in-depth probing of molecular & cellular mechanisms, to better understand the associated pathologies such as cancer. 

Kathleen earned her B.A. in Biology with a double minor in Chemistry and Psychology from University of North Texas in 2021- graduating alongside her 17-year-old daughter. Prior to pursuing a career in science and medicine, she had been a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. When she is not working or studying, she enjoys spending time with her three kids, family, friends, and pets. Her hobbies include reading, genetic genealogy, playing games, doing puzzles, and listening to music.