Catherine Whittington

Dr. Catherine F. Whittington is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). At WPI, her research group uses biomaterials to capture complex changes in the tissue microenvironment during disease (e.g., pancreatic cancer, lymphedema) and tissue regeneration (e.g., craniofacial bone and muscle; blood and lymphatic vasculature). They focus on how spatiotemporal mechanical and microstructural changes associated with fibrosis contribute to disease risk factors, malignant transformation, disease progression, and tissue growth and function. Similar elements can be used to design scaffolds for engineered tissues and platforms used to explore mechanisms of regeneration. Prior to joining WPI, Dr. Whittington completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Cancer Cell Signaling at Eli Lilly and Company that was a partnership with the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. She received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University and BS in Biomedical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University.