Katherine Pulaski

Doctor Katherine Pulaski was a female human introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Child.

She was portrayed by Diana Muldar.

Pulaski served a number of years in the Federation Starfleet. She was one of the finest medical minds in the Federation. Early in her medical career Pulaski she authored Linear Models of Viral Propagation, which became the standard in Federation medicine.

Much like Leonard McCoy before her, Pulaski was not a fan of transporter technology, preferring to use shuttlecraft instead.

In the aftermath of a Tholian raid, she met Kyle Riker, father of noted Starfleet officer William Riker and his transporter duplicate Thomas Riker. She had a relationship with the elder Riker and after breaking it off still remained friends with him.

By the 2360s she was serving on the USS Repulse under the command of Captain Taggart. Taggart was very fond of Pulaski, and would have given her a personal shuttle if she had been willing to stay.

When Doctor Beverly Crusher was reassigned to Starfleet medical, from the USS Enterprise-D, Pulaski learned of the opening for chief medical officer. Pulaski jumped at the chance to serve on the Enterprise under Captain Jean-Luc Picard, an officer she had admired for a very long time. Her request was accepted and she was posted to the Enterprise in 2365.

She became friends with many of the senior staff, even though she butted heads with Picard. At first she didn't think much of Data, but later came to view him as a sentient being and an equal. Pulaski had a bit of a fascination with the Klingon culture, and once participated in a Klingon tea ceremony with Worf.

Pulaski saved the residents of Darwin station when their genetic engineering experiments exposed them to a deadly antibody that caused rapid aging. Infected herself, she and the other residents were cured through the transporter.

She later saved Riker's life from a deadly vine on Surata IV.

Sometime before 2366 Pulaski had transferred back to the Repulse, which was now under the command of Taggart's daughter Ariel. Crusher returned back to the Enterprise as CMO a short time later. Pulaski continued her career on board the Repulse for several years before going to work at the Phlox institute.

In 2379, Picard offered the position of Enterprise-E CMO to Pulaski when Crusher again left the Enterprise to take a position at Starfleet Medical. Describing her as a "stubborn, acerbic, cantankerous replacement who I firmly believed was sent specifically to drive me mad," Picard said he would have loved to have Pulaski back as CMO. Pulaski turned Picard down, stating that her days of Starship medicine were behind her.

At great risk to her career and her freedom, Pulaski helped Julian Bashir resolve the Andorian reproductive crisis by using forbidden genetric research from the 23rd century when President Ishan refused to help the Andorians. She was placed under house arrest for her actions, but when Ishan was exposed as Baras Rodiyra and his assassination of President Nanietta Bacco was uncovered, she was released and given a commendation for her work.

As a member of the Daystrom Institute successfully lobbied the Federation to provide a research vessel named Athene Donald. She helped select a very diverse crew, hoping the ship's mission would help with easing galactic political tensions. Pulaski decided her days of Starship medicine weren't behind her after all, and took the CMO position on the vessel.

In 2388 she visited Cardassia Prime and delivered to the catatonic Julian Bashir his childhood teddy bear.