<Katherinne Herrera-Jordan> — HTGAA Spring 2026
About me
Born and raised in Guatemala with the dream of becoming a scientist, I'm currently an M.Sc. student of Molecular Biology at the Université de Montréal, in Montreal, Quebec. My thesis project focuses on the optimization of an automated process for immunoprecipitation for the development of cancer vaccines, as well as understanding the effects of different drugs on the MHCI and II presentation on AML cells. My background is in space biology and microbiology, having worked in two different NASA-funded projects: 1) Space Biofilms -sent to the ISS, and 2) Simulated Micro-, Lunar and Martian gravity Microbial Research. I also have my own startup on Microgravity Simulators called Verne Technologies, which made me holder of the Forbes 30 under 30 award in 2025. My goal is to study my Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering and work in the development of technologies for early diagnosis of different diseases, to help health approaches in developing countries (like mine).
One fun fact about me is that I love spiders, and my first published paper was actually about the spiders of Guatemala. 🕷️