Description:

Kate Rubins, PhD
Professor of Computational and Systems Biology
School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Kate Rubins is a world-renowned expert in molecular and cellular biology for use in low-Earth orbit and lowresource environments. At Stanford, she co-developed the first smallpox animal model and genomic tools for high-consequence viral diseases. At MIT, she mapped the poxvirus transcriptome and led mpox fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since becoming a NASA Astronaut in 2009, she has led the development of molecular techniques for human health in space and served as Deputy Director for NASA
Health and Human Performance. She is a Major in the Army Reserve and regularly collaborates across government agencies. Her 300 days on the International Space Station included four spacewalks, the first DNA sequencing in space, and microgravity research on cardiomyocytes, organoids, and synthetic biology.
University of Pittsburgh Faculty Profile