Katherine E. Prater

Katherine E. Prater stands as a distinguished neuroscientist and science communication advocate who has significantly shaped how researchers engage with the public. As co-founder of RELATE (Researchers Expanding Lay-Audience Teaching and Engagement) at the University of Michigan in 2013 with Elyse Aurbach, she developed a groundbreaking program that has trained approximately 175 graduate students and early career researchers in science communication through intensive summer workshops. Her scientific career began at Scripps College, followed by research at Stanford University, before earning her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan, where she studied individual differences in vulnerability to developing PTSD. Currently serving as a senior research fellow at the University of Washington, she investigates how microglia, the brain's immune cells, respond to Alzheimer's Disease while maintaining her commitment to science communication. Her impact on public engagement is evidenced through initiatives like BrainsRule!, where she introduced over 1,000 fifth and sixth graders to brain research, and her receipt of the NSF Innovation in Graduate Education Challenge Community Choice Award. Through RELATE, she has revolutionized science communication training by emphasizing conversation over lecture, implementing this approach through partnerships with various university departments and organizations, while continuing to expand these efforts at the University of Washington and beyond.