Catherine McDonald, PhD, RN

Catherine C. McDonald, PhD, RN is a Professor of Nursing and Chair in the Department of Family and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Co-Director of the Penn Injury Science Center. Dr. McDonald is a nurse scientist whose work centers on actionable pediatric injury prevention research. Her scientific inquiry focuses on the complex interplay of factors that contribute to pediatric morbidity and mortality associated with different types of intentional and unintentional injury. With injury the leading cause of death in children and adolescents, her program of research addresses a diverse array of mechanisms of injury in the pediatric population including motor vehicle crashes, child passenger safety, community violence, concussion, and opioids. She has also been funded through the NIH, CDC, AAA Foundation, and NHTSA. She seeks not only to conduct research but also translate findings to the public through science communication.