Kathryn Milligan-Myhre is an assistant professor in Biological Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage with a focus on genetics.  Her research and publications explore genetic factors in host-microbe interactions and immune responses. After earning an undergraduate degree in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, she received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin.  An Inupiaq raised in Kotzebue, she works to foster diversity in her field by recruiting and mentoring Alaska Natives and Native Americans.  Her honors include funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation and a blanketing ceremony from the University of Oregon Native American community.