Kelly McKinnon is an experienced research professional and scientific communicator with a passion for improving healthcare and scientific understanding through innovative research, and effective communication and education.

Kelly has an atypical scientific background, having worked for an advertising agency doing both sales and graphic design before pursuing her Ph.D. Looking to combine her talent for communications and her passion for science and education, Kelly came to Northwestern University in 2013 to study interdisciplinary life sciences in the Driskill Graduate Program at Feinberg School of Medicine.

While earning her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, Kelly received additional Science Writing and Communications training through Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Here she excelled at using principles of journalism to communicate science and medicine to multiple audiences.

Kelly has worked with the Women’s Health Research Institute, Center for Reproductive Science and Oncofertility Consortium to develop content for patient and clinical education, clinical trials, public outreach, press relations, posters, grants, patents, manuscripts and more.

As a skilled educator, Kelly has mentored numerous technicians, undergraduates, graduate and medical students, as well as taught graduate level classes and clinical education workshops. She now leads classes, lectures and panels teaching scientists and clinicians how to communicate their findings more effectively.

Kelly is a recognized expert in science communication and has won awards for both her academic work, such as the NIH/NCI Carcinogenesis Training grant, National Science Foundation Honorable Mention and Constance Campbell Research award, as well as her communication and outreach, such as the Science and Society Class Distinction Award, and Mentor of the Year.

Kelly is skilled in clinical/translational research, medical writing and communications, graphic design, narrative structure, press relations, outreach, clinical/medical education, slide decks, poster presentations, grant writing, patent applications, clinical evaluation reports and more. She is always looking for new intellectual and creative challenges!

Therapeutic areas of expertise: women’s health, reproductive health and disease, oncology, fertility/oncofertility, cancer/cell biology, genetics/genomics, precision medicine, and general life sciences.

Please contact Kelly and let her know how she can help meet your clinical research and science communication needs!

Contact