Kara McKinley is an accomplished scientist and academic leader, currently serving as the Head of the McKinley Laboratory at Harvard University. Dr. McKinley is an Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and a Principal Faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. She is also an Associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. As a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, she has excelled in her research and scientific contributions. Beyond her academic achievements, Dr. McKinley is the visionary founder of Leading Edge, an initiative aimed at promoting gender equity among life sciences faculty. Her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering a more inclusive and diverse research community is evident in her groundbreaking work and advocacy efforts.