Research Assistant Professor
North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Caroline McKinney-Aguirre is a Research Assistant Professor and Clinical Trials Fellow at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Caroline is originally from Ridgefield, Connecticut though did most of her growing up in Naperville, Illinois. Caroline attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies (B.A. in Medicine, Health, and Society), where she also met her now husband, Joe. Following Vanderbilt, Caroline simultaneously completed her doctorate in veterinary medicine (DVM) and masters in public health (MPH) at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine, respectively (2016). She then returned to Nashville, TN for a one year-rotating internship at Tennessee Equine Hospital before making the trip back to Massachusetts to complete her Large Animal Internal Medicine Residency at Tufts. Inspired by her research during residency, Caroline then pursued her PhD training with Dr. Liara Gonzalez in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences program at NC State. Caroline is passionate about the role of intestinal stem cells and their interaction with elements of the intestinal microenvironment, like bacteria. Caroline aspires to remain in academia for her career with appointments in research, teaching, and clinical service. When not in the laboratory, Caroline enjoys riding horses, exploring new bakeries, and spending time outside with her husband, son, and dog.
