Kathryn Ann Whitehead (born 1980) is an American chemical engineer who is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
[9] She is interested in the development of nanoparticle materials to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) to specific cells.
[13] She worked with Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman on the development of the lipid nanoparticles that enabled the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.
[15][16] In an attempt to better design drug delivery systems, Whitehead has investigated the cellular components of breast milk.
[17][18] She is interested in whether it is possible to genetically engineer cells to treat children's allergies, or orally administer vaccines to infants.