Katherine Waugh

Katherine Waugh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She holds joint appointments in Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, and Pediatrics. Her research integrates immunogenetics and developmental biology to study the clinical impacts of inflammatory signaling cascades in Down syndrome.

• Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome
• Former Instructor in Cytokine Signaling at the University of Colorado School of Medicine

Dr. Waugh’s research emphasizes team-based systemic approaches to analyze immune gene variants affecting organ development, particularly in chromosome 21 triplication. Her recent publications focus on interferonopathies in Down syndrome and JAK inhibition as a therapeutic strategy.

She actively mentors trainees across diverse career trajectories and advocates for personalized mentorship programs using tools like myIDP and StrengthsFinder 2.0.