Kate L.

About Kate L.

Kate graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in the College of Chemistry studying Chemical Biology (BSc). She completed the four-year undergraduate program in two years (August 2019-May 2021). Kate\'s interests lie in drug development and gene therapy in neurological and psychiatric research areas. She was hired as a part time lab researcher at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, working for Dr. John Flannery. She worked on Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) gene therapy, mainly targeting specific cell types in the retina to express opsins to restore vision in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa. Kate also assisted in the completion of the laboratory\'s unique and patented AAV gene plasmid library and maintained the integrity of the plasmids through quality control.Kate now works as a lab manager at Weill Cornell Medicine for Dr. Harold Varmus, researching lung adenocarcinoma in multiple projects funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Health Institute, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and New York Genome Center. She is well versed in gene therapy, cancer and translational research techniques. Whilst performing benchwork molecular biology experiments, she is also responsible for the lab’s mouse colonies, necropsies, and other live procedures to create complex Genetically Modified Mouse Models to understand lung cancer subtype histological transformation. Furthermore, she assists in microscopy, training all new staff for BSL2+/- experiments and providing orientation. Kate also organizes and attend meetings on behalf of Dr. Harold varmus himself.Working as a pharmacy assistant, orthodontic and dental assistant, as well as medical assistant and receptionist at multiple primary care clinics and pharmacies, Kate also has extensive experience working in clinical and pharmaceutical medicine. Most importantly, scientific integrity and responsibility/ownership is extremely highly regarded,

Experience

1. Science Research Specialist

   Weill Cornell Medicine

   Jul 2025 — Present

Education

• Pukekohe Christian School

  Cambridge International Examinations

  2016 — 2016

• Kristin School

  New Zealand Certificate of Achievement Level 2 with Excellence Endorsed

  2015 — 2016

• Kristin School

  International Baccalaureate Diploma

  2016 — 2018

• UCLA

  Certificate, Accounting

  2019

• University of California, Berkeley

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Chemical Biology at College of Chemistry

  2019 — 2021