After receiving her B.S. in Biology from Wheaton College, Kelly A. McLaughlin completed her Ph.D. (1996) in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) for her work examining the underlying mechanisms regulating programmed cell death during the development of the immune system. She completed her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School (1996-2000), where she received awards from the National Institutes of Health (NRSA), National Kidney Foundation, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (Harvard University) to study the genetic cascades used to direct the creation of functional organs during embryonic development. In 2001 she joined the Department of Biology at Tufts University, received tenure in 2007, and is currently an Associate Professor of Biology. McLaughlin's research team uses the amphibian model system, Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) as a model organism to elucidate how complex structures such as tissues and organs are formed during development and repaired after injury. Research in the McLaughlin lab has been supported by awards from the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association. In addition to her research, Dr. McLaughlin has been awarded several honors for teaching and mentoring including: Undergraduate Initiative in Teaching Award (Tufts University), Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (Derek Bok Center; Harvard College), and the Excellence in Teaching Award (UMass, Amherst).
