Dr. Katherine Wagner completed her undergraduate degree at Wellesley College, where she majored in chemistry. Her undergraduate research focused on utilizing nanoparticles to remove metal ions from water and other solutions. She also spent a summer researching sea turtles in Mexico. 

Dr. Wagner earned her medical degree at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, where she helped manage a student run clinic and provided medical care at a homeless shelter. The New Jersey Medical School Alumni Association awarded her scholarships during her second, third, and fourth years. 

She completed her neurosurgery residency training at Hofstra/Northwell Health in Long Island, New York. She spent a year in a neuro-oncology fellowship that focused primarily on surgery for brain tumors, along with techniques like laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).  

As a senior resident she developed a strong interest in spine surgery, including neuro-navigation, exoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, and spinal instrumentation. After finishing residency Dr. Wagner moved to California for a fellowship in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery at Stanford University. At Stanford she treated a wide variety of spinal pathologies, including infections, tumors, and deformities, with both minimally invasive and open surgical techniques.

She recently joined Dr. David Westra at Ventura Neurosurgery. Dr. Wagner operates at and admits patients to Community Memorial Hospital, and her outpatient office is on North Brent Street.

Outside of the hospital Dr. Wagner enjoys hiking, gardening and traveling.