Dr. Kathryn Whitehead

Professor

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Biography

Kathryn Whitehead is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where she also serves as the Director of Graduate Studies within the College of Engineering. Her research focuses on the development of drug delivery systems, particularly utilizing RNA and proteins to address challenges in maternal and infant health. Whitehead has obtained both her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in Chemical Engineering, awarded by the University of Delaware and the University of California, Santa Barbara, respectively. She completed a NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at MIT. Her contributions to the field have earned her numerous accolades, including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the DARPA Director’s Fellowship, and the ASEE Curtis W. McGraw Research Award. In addition, she received the Controlled Release Society’s Young Investigator Award and has served on its Board of Directors. Whitehead has been elected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Controlled Release Society. In 2021, she delivered a TED talk discussing the role of lipid nanoparticles in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Her publications have been cited approximately 15,000 times, and she holds patents that are licensed for therapeutic use.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2015-08-01 — Present

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

Conducting advanced research in drug delivery systems and leading graduate studies.

Awards

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NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

2018-01-01
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DARPA Director’s Fellowship

2019-01-01
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ASEE Curtis W. McGraw Research Award

2020-01-01
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Controlled Release Society’s Young Investigator Award

2021-01-01

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.