Katie C. Coate

Katie C. Coate, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She is affiliated with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. Her laboratory focuses on mechanisms controlling human pancreatic islet cell activity and identity in health and disease, using advanced genetic, genomic, and physiological approaches.

Dr. Coate’s research integrates human cadaveric islets, genetic targeting of alpha/beta cells, RNA-sequencing, and in vivo transplantation models. She received a NIDDK Re-entry Supplement in 2019 to support her return to full-time biomedical research under mentors Drs. Al Powers and Roland Stein. Her lab emphasizes collaboration, scientific curiosity, and excellence, fostering an inclusive environment for trainees.

Key achievements include mentoring students like Grace Nickles and Neha Mohanty, and presenting work at conferences such as the Human Islet Research Network’s 10th Anniversary Meeting (2025). She also contributed to planning the Network’s Annual Investigator Meetings (2022–2023).