Nataliia Shchotkina joined the Knight Campus in July 2022 as a research assistant and later in May 2023 became the inaugural Rosaria Haugland Postdoctoral Fellow within the Center for Translational Biomedical Research postdoc fellow program in the Lindberg Lab. 

Shchotkina’s research interests lie in applied science with a focus on translational medicine. Her primary research areas encompass bioengineering and biomedical sciences, including regenerative medicine, immunology, cell biology, and tissue engineering. She is currently working on the investigation of patient-specific factors in joint injuries, focusing on stratifying immune signatures, tissue degradation, and repair. The key emphasis is on patient variability, aiming to uncover how cellular responses may be associated with long-standing healthcare disparities. One of Shchotkina’s notable contributions involves collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to advance the field of biomedical engineering, partnering with numerous hospitals, with the aim of improving patients' lives.

Shchotkina holds a Bachelor's degree in biology (2005) and a master’s degree in immunology from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University (2011). Her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering science has resulted in the development of a tissue-modified biocompatible matrix for application in cardiac surgery, addressing congenital and acquired heart defects. This innovative matrix has been certified as a medical device in Ukraine and utilized in various fields such as cardio surgery, general surgery, and dermatology. Beyond academia, Shchotkina enjoys wakeboarding, hiking, cycling, and spending time with her family.