Who We Are
Our Office for Research Support team members are located on each floor of the Medical School, Duluth campus. We invite you to reach out to our Office as a one-stop-shop for all research-related questions and activities.


219 SMed
Duluth, MN 55812
Bio
Catherine A. McCarty, PhD, MPH, RD, was born and raised in Duluth, MN. She received her B.S. and MPH degrees in nutrition from the University of Minnesota and her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She recently completed a master’s degree in bioethics with an emphasis in clinical ethics at Clarkson University. After completing her PhD, she was the Head of the Epidemiology Research Unit in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne, Australia for eight years. During that time, she directed a population-based study of eye disease in Victoria, Australia and collaborated on similar projects in Hyderabad and Chennai, India and on Hong Kong. Dr. McCarty returned to the US in 2001 as a Senior Research Scientist at Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation where she was the Principal Investigator for the Personalized Medicine Research Project, a population-based biobank with more than 20,000 adult participants and 20 active research projects. She was the Director of the Research Division at Essentia Institute of Rural Health prior to taking up the position of Associate Dean for Research at the Medical School, Duluth campus, in February 2017. Dr. McCarty's awards include the Gwen Sebold research award at Marshfield Clinic, Alumni of the Year from her undergraduate college at the University of Minnesota and Silver and Gold Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. She has published more than 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts, earned more than $12 million in research grants, been invited to give many scientific talks, and mentored many students. She leads community engagement efforts for a PCORI-funded research network and has active research projects in the areas of trauma, genetic epidemiology and pharmacogenetics. Dr. McCarty is a member of two clinical ethics committees at Essentia Health and teaches medical ethics.
Education
Licensures and Certifications
Honors and Recognition
Media Appearances
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations
Grants and Patents
Patents


SMED 255
Duluth, MN 55812
Research Summary
Whole genome sequencing has become increasingly straightforward in recent years, though our understanding of the regulatory genome – the noncoding portion of the genome dictating where, when, and to what level genes are expressed – remains incomplete. Research in the Slattery lab explores the mechanisms by which transcription factors interact with noncoding regulatory DNA elements, also known as enhancers, to influence cell fate decisions. We use an integrative approach centered on three major themes – DNA binding specificity, context-specific genomics, and cis-regulatory element dissection – to characterize gene regulatory networks controlling the response to environmental stress. Importantly, this approach also allows us to identify and test noncoding DNA variants linking the response to cell stress with various disease states.
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Honors and Recognition
Professional Memberships


157 SMed
Duluth, MN 55812
Bio
Ryan Harden, MD, MS, joined the faculty in 2015 and currently serves as course director for Community Clinical Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus. Dr. Harden has a clinical practice at Gateway Clinic in Sandstone, Minn., where he serves as Medical Director, including a hospital practice at Essentia Health Moose Lake, Minn.Dr. Harden also teaches Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Medical Genetics, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics to students preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). He has given lectures all over the world, including Debrecen, Hungary, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, St. George's University, Grenada and Toronto, Canada. He has also been a guest lecturer with the Montana State University WWAMI program and he has delivered CME lectures on the Ethics of Genetic Testing. He has been a panelist and host for WDSE-TV's(PBS North) television program "Doctors On Call."Dr. Harden has been involved in community programs to prevent and treat prescription drug abuse. He has also worked closely with pharmacists to improve patient compliance with prescription medicines. Dr. Harden enjoys spending his free time with his family. His recreational interests include fly fishing, cross-country skiing, marathon running, motorcycling, scuba diving, waterskiing and ice hockey.