Badin graduate’s medical research earns her ‘Wunderkind’ title

Badin High School graduate Katherine Lintner Miller (Class of 2005) has been named a “2017 Wunderkind” by STAT, a national publication based in Boston that focuses on “finding and telling compelling stories about health, medicine and scientific discovery.”

Miller, a PhD from the Ohio State University in molecular biology, is a researcher in genetics and bioinformatics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. She was one of only 26 “Wunderkinds” named by the publication.

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Her work involves creating a common space — known as CGX — where researchers can share genomic sequences and their findings. Its goal is to enhance the understanding of genome variations that contribute to heart disease.

“We have worked hard to acquire grant funding from the American Heart Association to help further develop a software application for the analysis of human genome sequencing data, ” said Miller, in her first year of postdoc work. “The Wunderkind award feels great — I think STAT saw that I was a young researcher who was the primary author of the grant proposal, and they felt like that was a major accomplishment. To get this kind of recognition is awesome.”

STAT wrote that it went through more than 300 nominations from across the country as it “set out to find the next generation of scientific superstars. … All are blazing new trails as they attempt to answer some of the biggest questions in medicine.”

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Miller, 31, is the daughter of Rodney and Noel Lintner of Hamilton. She was a standout in the Class of 2005 at Badin — a Top 10 student who received the Archbishop Leibold graduation medal for service to the school and community, and earned a scholarship to play softball at Walsh University in North Canton.

“My experience at Badin was enjoyable, fun, encouraging, inspiring and just downright joyful, ” Miller said. “So much of Badin has had a lasting impact on my life. Whenever I get bogged down with real-world life and work stressors, I jokingly say, ‘I wish I could be in high school at Badin again.’ It was such a memorable experience.”

Following her graduation from Walsh with a degree in biology, she did scientific research in Columbus before transitioning into the doctoral program at Ohio State, where she earned her PhD in 2016.

“Katie is an unforgettable student who left a special mark on the Badin community during her four years here, ” said Kay Collins, chair of the Science Department at BHS. “Her success is a combination of skill, personality, effort, and all of the things that go into being a difference-maker. This is quite an honor for her, and well-deserved based on all the ability she brings to the table.”

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Miller said she has always been interested in science, telling STAT that it was a field that could make a difference. “It felt meaningful, and that was important to me, ” she said.

She was the only 2017 Wunderkind named from a pediatric research hospital.

“It’s exciting to see that Nationwide Children’s Hospital is making a name for itself and can compete with other research institutions that might have a bigger name, ” Miller said, noting that many people are involved in the human genome sequencing work. “We all have a common research goal – discovery and innovation that improves the health and quality of life for patients across the nation.”

Miller has not lost her love of sports, as she coaches a middle school softball team and still plays herself. She and her husband, Anthony Miller, were married in 2016. He will graduate in December, also with a PhD in molecular biology from the Ohio State University.

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