My name is Kate Van Pelt, and I'm a molecular neurobiologist who is passionate about identifying and characterizing novel, druggable targets to treat neurodegenerative diseases. I am especially interested in trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases, such as Huntington's disease, and other inherited neurodegenerative diseases. 
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I was born in Chicago, IL and raised in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI. I received my B.A. in Neuroscience from Oberlin College and my Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan. I conducted my doctoral research in the lab of Dr. Matthias Truttmann, where I studied the post-translational modification, AMPylation, as a disease-modifying target in models of polyglutamine expansion diseases. As a Ph.D. candidate, I was supported by an F31 Individual Predoctoral Fellowship through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. For more information, check-out my peer-reviewed publications.
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When not in the lab, I enjoy rock climbing, skiing, scuba diving, knitting, and consuming science fiction media in all formats. I currently live in Ann Arbor, MI with my fiancé, our two cats (Zia & Momo), and an aquarium containing approximately ~200 neocaridina shrimp.
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I'm currently on the job market! I am seeking opportunities in preclinical neurodegenerative disease research. Download the most recent version of my CV tailored for either industry or academic opportunities on this page, and then visit my Contact page to get in touch!