Team

Kate Wofford, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Wofford grew up in Tennessee, graduated from Austin College with B.A. in Psychology and Biophysics, and graduated from Drexel University with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been recognized with receipt of multiple awards including the K99 Career Development Award, F32 National Research Service Award, Koerner Award, Outstanding Scholar in Neuroscience Award, Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Research Excellence Fellowship, Anthony Marmarou Award, Sanjeev Kumar Memorial Award, and the Wan Shih Translational Research Award. 

Dr. Wofford and her team use advanced preclinical models to study behavioral, neuropathological, and immunological consequences of brain injury. Her scientific interests include neurotrauma, regenerative medicine, and immunotherapies. Outside of lab, Kate loves to spend time hiking, biking, playing games, and spending time with family.

Tammi Coleman

Tammi has 32 years of experience as a certified animal health technician. She specializes in anesthesia, clinical care, in vivo research experiments, and behavioral training. During her 25 years at Penn, she has collaborated with and helped five successful laboratories focused on research in Gene Therapy, Neuroscience, Otolaryngology, and Neurosurgery. As a laboratory manager for the Wofford Lab, she assists staff and students with the study of traumatic brain injury and neuroinflammation. Tammi oversees all preclinical research as well as pathological characterization of brain tissue.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, walking with her two dogs, and making art.

Caela Long, Ph.D.

Caela grew up in Latrobe, PA and graduated with a B.A. in Honors Neuroscience from Swarthmore College, where she played varsity soccer and lacrosse. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from University of Pennsylvania. During her Ph.D., her work was honored with a F32 National Research Service Award and numerous travel awards to present oral presentations at conferences across the country.

In the Wofford Lab, she aims to investigate the role of glia following a traumatic brain injury and develop a potential therapeutic to mitigate impairment following a traumatic brain injury.

Outside of lab, Caela loves to spend time with her partner and their pets, either exploring local trails with the dogs or relaxing at home with the cats. You’ll also find her playing ice hockey, competing in triathlons, or racing in outrigger canoe races.

Susan Shin

Susan is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania from Brookline, MA. She is studying Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry, Healthcare Management, and Medical Sociology. She is interested in neurotrauma and the neuroimmune responses. Outside of the lab, Susan loves to spend time dancing, volunteering, and exploring the city.