Katheryn Rothenberg

Katheryn Rothenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her research investigates how cells integrate mechanical and biochemical signals through adhesions to regulate collective migration, tissue formation, and wound repair using Drosophila embryos and human cell lines.

Education:

• PhD, Duke University

Her laboratory employs spinning disk confocal microscopy, time-lapse imaging, and custom computational tools to study Rap1 GTPase signaling, cell-ECM interactions, and mechanotransduction. Key questions address how migrating epithelial cells interact with extracellular matrices in vivo, how mechanical information is sensed at adhesions, and implications for cancer metastasis and regenerative medicine. The lab utilizes genetic, pharmacological, and biophysical manipulations with fluorescent protein tagging for live-cell visualization.

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on Drosophila wound healing mechanisms, computational image analysis tools (ReSCU-Nets, PyJAMAS), and molecular players in adhesion (Rap1, vinculin, integrins). Her work bridges cell biology, biophysics, and bioimage informatics, with emerging applications in vascular calcification and stem cell mechanobiology.

Dr. Rothenberg actively mentors undergraduate researchers including Nyla and Christian (joined August 2025), and Annadelle and Tate who presented at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference. She participates in regional and national conferences such as the Midwest SDB Meeting (September 2025) and CellBio Meeting (December 2025).

The Rothenberg Lab, based in Biology Building East, collaborates with the Carver Center for Imaging and leverages advanced microscopy facilities to study cell dynamics across subcellular to tissue scales, with ongoing projects in collective migration initiation and progression.