Dr. Catherine Brahe was born in Irvine, California, but grew up in a diverse variety of locations as her father retired after 20 years of service as a Marine Corps aviator. Her mother is originally from Saigon and initially immigrated to the USA as a refugee in 1975. Dr. Brahe was raised with a strong sense of service, given her father’s time in the Marine Corps and her mother’s connection to the military as well, with her Ong Ngoai (grandfather) having served in the South Vietnamese Army alongside the US Army during the war.

Her family finally settled in Williamsburg, Virginia, where Dr. Brahe graduated from Bruton High School and went on to graduate summa cum laude with a degree in Biology and Public Health from the College of William & Mary. She went on immediately to earn her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine, as an HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) scholar for the US Navy Medical Corps. Thereafter, she completed her Transitional Year Internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, where she was selected as Transitional Year Intern of the Year.

Following internship, Dr. Brahe subsequently served as Battalion Surgeon for 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, an infantry unit within 2d Marine Division in Camp Lejeune, NC for two years. As the Battalion Surgeon, she was the lead medical advisor, medical provider, and medical planner for her unit of over 1,000  Marines and Sailors. While there, she earned her Fleet Marine Force qualification, completed cold weather mountain warfare training in Bridgeport, California, and deployed to Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, all while managing the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. She was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Award for her efforts and was highly regarded across the Division and MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force).

Following her tour in Camp Lejeune, Dr. Brahe was selected as one of three Dermatology residents, Navy wide, and began her specialty training as a Dermatology resident at Naval Medical Center San Diego. She has numerous medical publications and has received multiple research and patient satisfaction awards. During her residency she was selected for early promotion from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander and was also selected to serve as chief resident in her senior year.

Currently, Dr. Brahe spends the majority of her time serving as an active duty staff Dermatologist at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. She and her husband David, an active duty Marine, enjoy living in Eastern North Carolina with their children and pets. They are thrilled to return to Chapin full time following Dr. Brahe’s Naval service, where David lived while attending the University of South Carolina. Outside of work, Dr. Brahe can be found at the baseball field, cheering on her two school age boys, at the barn with her paint quarter horse Sunny, or playing fetch with her three dogs Brewster (a Doberman), Rip (a Belgian Malinois), and Liberty (a Labrador Pitbull mix).