Catherine Blish, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
Catherine hails from the South Bay and went to college at UC Davis before moving to Seattle for her MD/PhD at the University of Washington. She remained for residency, fellowship, and an extended instructorship before moving back to the Bay Area in 2011 to join the Stanford faculty in the Department of Medicine. She has a joint appointment in the interdisciplinary Stanford Immunology Program, and is one of the directors of the Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), the NIH-funded MD/PhD training program. She is a dedicated mentor to her lab and the community more broadly, receiving the Stanford Immunology Mentor of the year award during her first full year at Stanford. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family, sporting activities of almost any sort, and cooking.
As a research mentor, Catherine strives to develop her trainee’s independence while remaining available as a sounding board. She encourages collaboration as a way to add new skills, and works closely with her students to develop clear communication—both oral and written. In addition to her own students, Catherine has served on thesis advisory/reading committees for students in Immunology, Biochemistry, Statistics, and Developmental Biology at Stanford, for Immunology at the Universite de Paris Sud, and for fellows in Medicine and Pediatrics.
As a SoLID faculty mentor, Catherine is available to talk to students who are seeking advice and perspective on their graduate school experience, particularly as it relates to navigating diversity and inclusion in science and medicine.
Students can email Catherine directly at cblish@stanford.edu to schedule a meeting.