Kate obtained a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Tasmania in 2007. Her thesis investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in gene activation. During her post-doc at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne (2007-2008), Kate looked at the role of transcription in centromere formation. This was followed by a post-doc at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (2008-2010) in Melbourne where she investigated the potential of pre-treatment transcriptional biomarkers in predicting response to chemoradiotherapy. Kate returned to the University of Tasmania in 2010 and is now a lecturer in the School of Medicine. Her current research focus is profiling the molecular mechanisms of chemo/radiotherapy resistance.

Kate's research aligns to the University's research theme of Better Health. Her research interests lie in personalised medicine and uncovering functionally relevant biomarkers to predict response to cancer therapies. Tumour resistance and disease recurrence are significant problems following chemo/radiotherapy for cancer patients. These patients also experience the side-effects associated with such treatment. Ideally a predictive marker in the patient tumour could help predict which patients are unlikely to respond to treatment and help direct them towards a more successful treatment option. In terms of searching for a predictor of response, the most successful predictive tests rely on the marker being functionally relevant and involved in the therapeutic mechanism. Current work is focussed on radiation resistance in prostate cancer and profiling the molecular differences in resistant versus sensitive cells.