Katherine E. Travis

Katherine E. Travis, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Director of the Laboratory for Language Development and Recovery at the Burke Neurological Institute. She holds a B.A. in Neuroscience from Colorado College (2003) and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego (2011). Her postdoctoral training at Stanford University focused on translational and clinical pediatric neuroscience.

Dr. Travis's research investigates therapies to promote brain, language, and cognitive development in children at-risk for learning disabilities. She employs advanced MRI techniques (e.g., diffusion and quantitative T1-mapping) to study brain development in neonates, infants, and children. Her current work explores how sensory experiences and parenting behaviors in neonatal intensive care units and home environments shape neurocognitive outcomes in preterm infants.

Key achievements include a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from NIH (2016) and recruitment to the Burke Neurological Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine in 2023. Her lab focuses on translational research bridging neuroimaging and clinical interventions to improve developmental outcomes.

Recent publications highlight studies on pediatric melanoma risks, neuroinflammatory modulation via brain stimulation, and glucocorticoid effects in preterm brain development. Her work intersects multiple disciplines including neuroimaging, pediatric oncology, and neonatal care.