Katerina Trachtova is a PhD student in the Computational and Systems Biology program within the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2024 with a degree in Microbiology and minor in Computational Biology. Hoping to advance her knowledge of computational applications in biomedical research, Katerina completed a two-year Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, and Regenerative Medicine Postbaccalaureate Program at WashU. There she developed a single cell multiomic and spatial atlas of the pediatric kidney, which is being used to resolve spatiotemporal dynamics of development and disease across the pediatric lifespan. In her PhD research, Katerina aims to further explore environmental organ system interfaces to decipher the genetic and cellular mechanisms influencing human health in development and disease. She aims to utilize the cellular level to inform population level action, using her passion for interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific communication to ensure her work positively serves the local and global community.