Professional Bio
Laura Kennedy, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
After receiving her BS degrees in chemical engineering and biochemistry from University of Maryland, she then attended Baylor College of Medicine as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).? She completed a PhD in bioengineering at Rice University with thesis advisor Dr. Rebekah Drezek.? Her thesis work focused on the in vivo biodistribution and delivery of gold nanoparticles for the treatment of breast cancer and melanoma.? During her time at Baylor, she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and volunteered her time caring for homeless patients in Houston with the HOMES clinic.
Dr. Kennedy completed her internal medicine residency and hematology-oncology fellowship at the University of Washington where she served as a fellowship representative (chief fellow) and worked in the laboratory of Dr. VK Gadi.? Her fellowship research focused on the practical applications of circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic cancer receiving checkpoint inhibitor therapy and correlating MRI features with tumor immune response.
At Vanderbilt, Dr. Kennedy’s clinical focus is breast cancer. Her research interests include developing biomarkers that will guide treatment decisions for women with triple-negative and invasive lobular breast cancers.? ?She is an active member of ASCO, the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC), and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Breast Cancer Working Group.
Relevant Links
Education
PhD - Bioengineering - William Marsh Rice University, 2011
MD - Baylor College of Medicine, 2012
Contact
Email
Kimryn.Rathmell@Vumc.Org
Address
777 Preston Research Building
2220 Pierce Ave
Nashville, TN 37232-6307