Katherine Gallagher

Katherine Gallagher, MD is a Professor of Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan, where she holds the John R. Pfeifer Professorship and the Leland Ira Doan Research Professorship of Vascular Surgery. She serves as Vice Chair of Basic and Translational Science in the Department of Surgery and is internationally recognized for her work on epigenetic regulation of immune cells in tissue regeneration and cardiovascular disease.

• Education: B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology (Highest Honors) from the University of Maryland (1998), MD summa cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (2002), general surgery residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center (2009), vascular surgery fellowship at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (2011), and a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gallagher’s research focuses on the intersection of epigenetics and immune cell phenotypes in wound repair, vascular inflammation, and diseases like aneurysms, sepsis, and COVID-19. Her work has established epigenetic reprogramming of immune cells as a critical mechanism in normal and pathological tissue repair.

She is an exceptionally well-funded researcher with multiple R01 grants and support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Wylie Scholars Program. As Chair of the NIH BTSS study section and an original member of the NIH-NIDDK Wound Consortium, she leads national efforts in wound healing and vascular science.

• Scientific Awards & Memberships:
  • James IV International Scholar
  • Taubman Scholar
  • Distinguished Fellow of the Society of Vascular Surgery
  • 2022 MICHR Mentor of the Year
  • Member, National Academy of Medicine
  • Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation
  • Member, American Surgical Association
  • Member, Society of Clinical Surgery

Dr. Gallagher actively mentors junior faculty and trainees, including postdoctoral residents who have secured major funding from the NIH, AHA, and other organizations. She leads the Gallagher Lab and oversees research opportunities for rotating students in vascular inflammation and metabolic regulation of innate immune cells.