Katie Duncan
Imaging Science
Where did you complete your undergraduate degree?
Tulane University
Please provide your lab and a description of research.
Imaging Science student in Dr. Sencan-Egilmez’s Biomedical Optics and Neurovascular Imaging Lab where we are working to visualize neurovascular dynamics in brain and in neurodegenerative disease non-invasively through the retina via 2-photon and wide-field microscopy, as well as with optical intrinsic signal imaging and optical coherence tomography (OCT).
What played into your decision to get a graduate degree?
While figuring out whether to pursue a neuroscience interest from the clinical or research side after undergrad, I landed in research at the Molecular Imaging Center at WashU headed by Dr. Sam Achilefu and then Dr. Monica Shokeen doing translational research with novel imaging probes and in fluorescence-guided surgery. The combination of this type of medical and engineering research was honestly just cool and I could see myself looking deeper into it, so here I am.
Why did you pick WashU?
I had a Neuroscience and Philosophy undergrad degree, but my clinical work experience was in emergency medicine and pathology, and research experience in optics and molecular imaging. WashU's Imaging Sciences program was the only one truly interdisciplinary in a way that combined all of those things.
Also, I loved working in WashU's Optical Radiology Lab and Biophotonics Center prior and wanted to continue being able to work with all of the cool Imaging Sciences and Engineering faculty and students I had come to know.
What is your favorite thing about St. Louis?
I love Forest Park and the free St. Louis Art and History museums, and you get to experience the best of all four seasons, sometimes in a single week.
What advice would you give to a new student?
Make sure you're passionate about something, you're about to dedicate a ton of time to one or two subjects and it's significantly more enjoyable if you love at least one aspect of it.
What campus activities or groups would you recommend to a new student?
WUSTL AGES, and the WashU Spectra Chapter.
What are your plans for the future?
Hope to continue working in the translational biophotonics or neurophotonics space, either via academic research or working in industry/with a start-up.