Katerina Heran Darwin (née Hong) is an American microbiologist and professor of microbiology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

[1] Her research interests include the bacterial proteasome[2] and the antimicrobial effects of host-produced effectors including nitric oxide,[3][4] copper,[5][6][7] and aldehydes[8] Darwin received a bachelor's degree in microbiology and molecular genetics in 1992 and a PhD in microbiology and molecular genetics in 1999, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.

[1] Darwin earned her PhD studying type III secretion in Salmonella typhimurium with Virginia Miller,[9] who moved her lab to Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

[14] While functionally similar to eukaryotic ubiquitin, Pup's distinct biochemistry makes it a potentially attractive drug target.

[15] Darwin and her collaborators are currently investigating the extent to which host-derived aldehydes may contribute to infection control.