Kathryn Whitehead
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Kathryn Ann Whitehead | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 (age 45–46) |
| Alma mater | University of Delaware University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research Carnegie Mellon University |
| Thesis | Safe and effective methods for improving the oral delivery of macromolecules (2007) |
| Website | http://whitehead.cheme.cmu.edu |
Kathryn Ann Whitehead (born 1980) is an American chemical engineer who is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research focuses on the engineering of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems for gene therapy,[1] oral macromolecular delivery systems,[2] and maternal and infant therapeutics.[3] She was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2021[4] and as Fellow of the Controlled Release Society.[5]
Whitehead is from Allentown, Pennsylvania.[6] She earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware,[6] then moved to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied methods to improve the oral delivery of macromolecules.[7] Whitehead was a postdoctoral researcher at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, where she worked alongside Robert S. Langer on RNA interference therapeutics.[8]
Research and career
Whitehead's research included the development of drug delivery systems for gene therapies.[9] She is interested in the development of nanoparticle materials to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) to specific cells.[10] Targeted mRNA delivery provides physicians with a personalized strategy to treat genetic disorders.[11] Alongside mRNA, Whitehead has studied small interfering RNA, which can be used to control gene expression.[12] In general, mRNA promotes gene expression, whilst siRNA is used to silence over-expressed genes.[13] She focuses on the development of delivery systems for leukocytes (including B cells) and intestinal epithelium.[6][14] A challenge with using mRNA for therapeutic purposes is that the body often recognizes foreign mRNA and attacks it, triggering an immune response.[13] She worked with Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman on the development of the lipid nanoparticles that enabled the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.[15][16]
In an attempt to better design drug delivery systems, Whitehead has investigated the cellular components of breast milk.[17][18] She is interested in whether it is possible to genetically engineer cells to treat children's allergies, or orally administer vaccines to infants.[17]
Whitehead is passionate about science communication and improving public trust in science.[19] In 2021, she delivered a TED talk on lipid nanoparticles and how mRNA will transform biology.[20] In 2022, Whitehead delivered the convocation address at the Carnegie Mellon University.[21]
