I currently call Birmingham, Al. home and have lived here since I was 16 years old after my father, Jeffery Lanier, lost his battle with cancer. Once my father was diagnosed with brain cancer, I decided to dedicate my professional life to help eradicate this disease. I personally believe that the only "cure" to cancer is early detection. If we can develop a point of care diagnostics that is simple, cheap and accurate then we can detect cancer at its earliest stages dramatically increasing the likelihood of survival.
When I am not working in the lab, I am blessed to spend time with my wonderfully supportive husband, Patrick, and my rambunctious 10 month old son, Wesley. We love to spend time outdoors, going out to eat, and taking weekend trips. And in my spare time I also enjoy photography (http://katehayden7.zenfolio.com/), reading non-science related books, and knitting.