My name is Katharine and I am a second year PhD student at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) at ANU.

I completed my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) at ANU in 2015, and subsequently commenced a PhD, continuing the research I did in my honours. My research focuses on the immune system, specifically how long lasting high-affinity antibodies are produced in response to invading pathogens. I am also trying to understand how defects in the production of these antibodies results in autoantibodies (antibodies that react against self-tissues rather than foreign pathogens), which can lead to autoimmune diseases such as lupus, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

In my downtime, you can find me on long walks around the lake with my dog, reading with a glass of wine in the sunshine, or hanging out with my family and friends. My current goals, aside from graduating with a PhD next year, include closing the gender gap in STEM by inspiring young women to pursue careers in science, and breaking down some of the misconceptions about being a scientist.