Education/Experience:
- BS, Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 2024
- MS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2026
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Interests: crocheting, hiking, and skiing
Biography: Kaitlyn received her Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering in Spring 2026, during which she studied how reproductive hormones impact the size of vascular smooth muscle cells. Before joining the University of Minnesota, she worked on a mandible bone graft project where she analyzed graft biomechanics and contributed to a drug delivery model at Purdue University. Following her master's, Kaitlyn will continue at the University of Minnesota as a PhD student in Dr. Victor Barocas' lab.
Thesis: Investigating Pregnancy Hormone-Induced Morphometric Changes in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in vitro Using High-Throughput Image Analysis
PREG Publications:
- P. Nielsen, K. Reagen, N. Awasum, P. Alford, K. Yoshida, "Pregnancy hormones reversibly dampen single cell vascular smooth muscle traction force and f-actin alignment", Journal of Biomechanics (2026) [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113315]
