Dr. Kristy McDowell is an experienced scientist with an extensive research background in oncology, molecular biology, genetics, and infectious diseases. She completed her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Biology and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri) in 1997. She obtained her Ph.D. in Microbiology/Immunology from Meharry Medical College in 2007, completing her dissertation research at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland.

Currently, Dr. McDowell is an adjunct Professor at NVCC in the MSTB department and is the founder and CEO of BabyScientist, Inc., (www.babyscientist.org). BabyScientist is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in order to educate, motivate, and inspire children, preK-12, from underserved communities and underrepresented populations to pursue careers in STEM.