Catherine M. Klapperich

Catherine M. Klapperich is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University, with joint appointments in Materials Science & Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. She directs the Klapperich Laboratory, focusing on developing diagnostic technologies for women’s health and low-resource settings. Her work includes microfluidic devices, point-of-care diagnostics for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and hormone monitoring systems. Klapperich holds leadership roles as Director of the Precision Diagnostic Center and the Center for Future Technologies in Cancer Care, and she co-founded the Engineering for Women’s Health (Eng4WH) conference. She has received multiple accolades, including AAAS Fellowship and BU’s Societal Engineer Award.

Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering (UC Berkeley), S.M. in Engineering Sciences (Harvard), B.S. in Materials Science (Northwestern). Prior roles include postdoctoral research at Lawrence Berkeley Lab and industry experience at Aclara Biosciences. Her research integrates biomaterials, nanotechnology, and systems engineering to address global healthcare challenges, emphasizing accessibility and affordability.

• Awards: AAAS Fellow (2020), BU Teaching Excellence Award (2021), BMES Fellow (2018)
• Labs/Initiatives: Klapperich Lab, Precision Diagnostic Center, Eng4WH
• Grants/Funding: Kern Family Foundation Fellowships, Dorf-Ebner Faculty Fellowships

Her publications emphasize molecular diagnostics, biosensor innovation, and pandemic response strategies, with recent work on SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and novel CRISPR-based assays. Klapperich’s interdisciplinary approach bridges engineering, medicine, and public health to create impactful solutions for global healthcare equity.