Cathleen (Cat) Lutz, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Vice President, Rare Disease Translational Center
Researches mice as a model for human neurodegenerative disease, with an emphasis on best practices for research and preclinical drug testing.
Cat Lutz, Ph.D., M.B.A. is the Vice President of the Rare Disease Translational Center at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). With 25 years of experience in mouse genetics, Dr. Lutz has focused her research efforts on patient organizations and families diagnosed with rare diseases. The JAX Rare Disease Translational Center incorporates precision mouse models and broad-based drug efficacy testing to support IND enabling studies. She serves as the Principal Investigator of multiple NIH sponsored programs including the Center for Precision Genetics, The Somatic Cell Genome Editing Center, and Mouse Mutant Research and Resource Center. As a neuroscientist by training, Dr. Lutz has worked on models of the central nervous system such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Friedreich’s Ataxia. Dr. Lutz was recently awarded a 2021 Rare Impact Award by the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Education and experience
Education
1997
Ph.D., biochemistry
University of Maine, Orono, ME
1990
B.S., biochemistry
The University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Experience
2012-
Director, Rare and Orphan Disease Center, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
2011-
Director, Repository, and Research Scientist, Genetic Resource Science, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
2008-2011
Associate Director and Research Scientist, Genetic Resource Science, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
2004-2008
Mouse Repository Operations Manager and Associate Research Scientist, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
1998-2004
Senior Scientific Curator, Mouse Genome Informatics, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
1996-1998
Postdoctoral Associate, Laboratory of Dr. David Hosford, Duke University, Durham North Carolina
1993-1996
Predoctoral Associate, Laboratory of Dr. Wayne Frankel, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
1991-1993
Senior Research Assistant, Laboratory of Dr. Wayne Frankel, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
1990-1991
Research Assistant, Laboratory of Dr. Benjamin Taylor, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
1987-1990
Research Technician, Laboratory of Dr. Mary Edmonds, The University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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Featured ArticleApril 05, 2024JAX receives $8 million in federal funding to expand research capacity in rare diseases
The funding will support construction of a dedicated facility for rare disease research, marking the first expansion of the Bar Harbor research footprint in seven years. -
Press ReleaseDecember 19, 2023JAX's 2023 achievements
JAX is celebrating important research breakthroughs, new faculty and leadership appointments, and crucial advancements in legislation. -
Featured ArticleNovember 17, 2023Spreading ALS awareness and changing patient outcomes
Members of the RDTC and Bar Harbor Preclinical Services participated in a walk to raise awareness for ALS. -
Featured ArticleJune 16, 2023The rare disease odyssey of the Panwala family
Parents of a child with INAD, a rare nervous-system disorder, partner with the JAX Rare Disease Translational Center to test therapies.
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Blog PostJanuary 16, 2024Moving genomics-based therapies closer to the clinic
Increasingly powerful research methods and technical capabilities carry important medical implications as genomics-based therapies and cures move ever closer to the clinic. -
Featured ArticleNovember 27, 2023Important new ALS insights
About 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year in the United States, and most people with ALS live for only two to five years after diagnosis. -
Featured ArticleAugust 24, 2023New FDA-approved treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia patients
For the first time, there's an FDA approved treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). This is a major step forward for the FA community, but is something even better on the horizon? -
Research HighlightJune 02, 2023Bringing preclinical genome editing to the clinic
Supported by an NIH grant, Cat Lutz will lead a multi-institutional team to develop and validate new gene editing-based therapeutic approaches for four neurological conditions lacking effective treatments.