Natalie M. Kirk is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota and a board-certified veterinary anatomic pathologist. She received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in microbiology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Colorado State University and her Master's degree in Veterinary Clinical Medicine from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include virology, host-pathogen interactions, and immunology.