Dr. Kathleen Schmainda is Professor of Radiology and Vice-Chair of Radiology Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).  She received a BSE in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University, a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as well as a Ph.D. in Medical Engineering jointly awarded by MIT and Harvard University.   After completing a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital she returned to the Midwest and MCW where she has been since.

The primary focus of Dr. Schmainda’s research is the advancement of imaging technologies to improve the diagnosis, monitoring and development of new treatments for brain and other cancers.  Dr. Schmainda has served on numerous National Institutes of Health grant review panels, has mentored many graduate and medical students and served on several national advisory boards for imaging and clinical trials.  In early 2016, Dr. Schmainda was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.  Most recently she was named as a Distinguished Investigator of the Academy of Radiology Research, Radiological Society of North America.

Dr. Schmainda has embraced recent opportunities to speak out against use of abortion-derived fetal tissue for research with opinion pieces published in both local and national journals including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA Today. On this topic she has granted interviews to National Public Radio and given testimony at the Wisconsin State Senate hearings as well as for the U.S. House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.  Dr. Schmainda continues to assist with various legislative actions in defense of human life.