NIDCD scientist Katie Kindt receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) at White House ceremony

Katie Kindt, Ph.D., acting chief of the Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) on May 5. This award is the highest honor bestowed by the federal government on scientists and engineers who are in the early stages of their careers. Dr. Kindt was one of 20 scientists supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to receive the award from President Obama at a White House ceremony.

“These early-career scientists are leading the way in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness,” President Obama said. “We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people.”

Dr. Kindt received a B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California-San Diego. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Vollum Institute. Dr. Kindt joined the NIDCD as an investigator in 2013. Her laboratory focuses on the study of hair cells—the sensory cells of the auditory and vestibular systems that are required for proper hearing and balance. Read more about Dr. Kindt and her research.

The NIDCD congratulates Dr. Kindt on this outstanding achievement.

View the White House statement on the PECASE recipients.

View the NIH press release on the PECASE recipients.