Kathleen  Hall, PhD

Kathleen Hall, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Kathleen Hall, PhD earned a bachelor of science in microbiology/immunology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  Ten years later, she graduated with a PhD in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and went on to a postdoctoral position (Brendeis, Harvard) that led to her current position in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at WashU School of Medicine. She notes that the ten-year gap between her bachelor’s and doctorate included “a happy relocation to California, a withdrawal from her first graduate program, five years in biotech, a serious study in vocal music,  a year in the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and a short gig at the opera”, and finally a return to graduate school .

She describes her path in scientific research as circuitous, made possible with support from friends and advisors who were willing to take a chance on an unconventional student. Her experiences have informed her science and lab environment, where she tries to encourage members to explore new ideas and challenge themselves to try something different.