Katherine Pelz is a 5th year MD/PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering Program at Oregon Health and Science University. She received her BA in Biology from Pomona College. Her doctoral research focuses on understanding how pancreatic cancer cells survive metastatic stress, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities. Her work integrates molecular biology, imaging, and in vivo modeling to better understand tumor biology. Her long-term career goal is to be a physician-scientist, working with and treating patients, while pursuing research that provides insight into their diseases and ultimately can translate into better treatment for them.