Kaitriana (Katie) Colling is a third-year Cancer Biology PhD candidate under the mentorship of Dr. Kristi Thiel. Her thesis project focuses on identifying the most effective fertility-sparing treatments for uterine cancer. Currently, Katie is utilizing 3D cell cultures generated from patient tumor tissue to evaluate the effects of different hormone therapies.

Before starting graduate school at the University of Iowa, Katie earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and a certificate in Professional and Visual Communication from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. Her undergraduate research experiences with Dr. Megan Ealy at Drury and Dr. Mamta Tahiliani at New York University sparked her passion for biomedical research and inspired her to pursue a graduate education.

Katie’s decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology was profoundly influenced by her grandmother’s battle with metastatic breast cancer. She is dedicated to improving treatment outcomes for cancer patients through the “bench to bedside” approach, which emphasizes translating laboratory discoveries into effective clinical therapies.

Outside of the lab, Katie enjoys hand embroidery, hiking with her husband, Mathew, and spending time with her two birds, Cookie and Otis.