Katherine Pulaski Commander Katherine Pulaski , MD , was chief medical officer aboard the in 2365 while Dr . Beverly Crusher was serving as head of Starfleet Medical . Service record . Early career . Pulaski was part of the rescue team responding to a Tholian attack on a Federation starbase in 2353 . There was only one survivor , Kyle Riker , and it was at this time the two met . ( ) Prior to her posting to the " Enterprise " , Pulaski served as chief medical officer on the USS " Repulse " under the command of Captain Taggert . Like her predecessor eighty years before , Dr . Leonard McCoy , Dr . Pulaski had a transporter phobia . She rarely used the transporter while posted to that vessel , preferring to use shuttlecraft whenever possible . Taggert was fond of Pulaski , and said he would have given her a personal shuttlecraft if she had agreed to remain aboard the " Repulse " . ( ) USS " Enterprise " - D . By 2365 , when she transferred to the " Enterprise " , Pulaski carried the rank of commander . Unlike Dr . Crusher , however , she was not considered a bridge officer . ( ) Pulaski joined Lieutenant commander Data and Lieutenant La Forge on a holodeck simulation of a Sherlock Holmes mystery . La Forge had unwittingly given the simulated Professor , Holmes ' s nemesis , sentience by giving the computer the directive to create an adversary which could defeat Data , not Holmes . Moriarty took control of the program and abducted Pulaski . She was held captive but unharmed until Captain Picard was able to convince Moriarty to release control of the holodeck . ( ) The " Enterprise " was sent to investigate the disappearance of the and discovered that the entire crew had died as a result of premature aging . The " Enterprise " backtracked the " Lantree " s course and ended up at the Darwin Genetic Research Station on Gagarin IV . The scientist s on the station , led by Dr . Sara Kingsley , were attempting to genetically engineer several children and accidentally caused their antibodies to become overzealous . The antibodies were designed to seek and destroy harmful organisms before they entered the bodies of the children . The " Lantree " first officer had been treated for the Thelusian flu prior to visiting Darwin Station , which triggered the immune systems of the children . The antibodies mutated and became airborne , attacking the " Lantree " crew as well as the scientists on the station . Dr . Kingsley was adamant that the children could not be carriers of the disease , given their isolation since the infection , plus the fact they have shown no signs . She pleaded with Dr . Pulaski to examine one of the children to rule out the possibility . Pulaski eventually convinced Captain Picard to let her beam one of the youths , encased in styrolite , aboard for examination . She was not content with scans of the child in stasis , and later had Commander Data take her and the teenager onto a shuttlecraft for revival in order to avoid risk to the " Enterprise " . Unfortunately , the children were indeed the source of the disease , and Pulaski was infected once the youth was removed from the styrolite . She and Data returned to the surface of Gagarin IV , where she worked to find a cure . Fortunately , a cure was devised by Picard and Data , with the help of Commander Riker , La Forge , and Chief O ' Brien involving the transporter . Her DNA from before she was infected was obtained from a strand of hair , and it was used to instruct the biofilter on what elements were part of her normal genetic structure . The procedure was perilous ; if the disease could not be removed via transporter , Pulaski ' s pattern would have been dispersed in space to prevent contamination of the " Enterprise " crew . The procedure was ultimately successful , and used to treat the station staff . ( ) While visiting the Mariposan colony in 2365 , Pulaski , along with Commander Riker , was briefly abducted . The Mariposans took epithelial cell s from both , intending to use them to preserve their colony which was being affected by replicative fading . Once she and Riker learned of this , they returned to the planet and destroyed the two clones . ( ) Dr . Beverly Crusher decided to return to the " Enterprise " in 2366 . Pulaski transferred off the ship sometime prior to Crusher ' s return . ( ) Medical research . Early in her career , Pulaski authored a groundbreaking research paper called " Linear Models of Viral Propagation " . It was still the standard on the subject many years later . ( ) She also performed two successful operations involving ocular implant s . She offered the procedure to Lieutenant Geordi La Forge in 2365 , although he turned down the opportunity . ( ) She had an expertise in heart surgery , and when Picard initially tried to refuse her medical order to proceed to Starbase 515 for a cardiac replacement surgery , she said then that her and her staff would be able to perform the surgery on " Enterprise " . He refused because of his pride , saying it would be inappropriate for Pulaski to do so . Picard eventually did accompany Wesley Crusher to the starbase ( Wesley was going to undergo testing to see if he could continue his Starfleet Academy studies aboard " Enterprise " ) , but when complications developed that put his life in jeopardy , the surgeons , who were unqualified to perform risky techniques that might save Picard ' s life , called for Katherine Pulaski , who was so qualified . When Picard awoke to see Pulaski in the OR , he was annoyed that she was there . When she says she was saving his life , he says that this was a routine operation but Pulaski says Picard is not a commonplace man and despite the fact that the entire crew now knows of what ' s happened , Pulaski tells Picard that he ' s still invincible in their eyes . ( ) Dr . Pulaski pioneered a technique used to selectively wipe memory engram s from humanoid species , one that Dr . Beverly Crusher was familiar with . ( ) Pulaski believed that traditional remedies were just as valuable as technological ones , perhaps even more so . When the " Enterprise " was affected by an Iconian software transmission , she instructed her staff to use splints and other primitive treatments while most of the ship ' s systems were down . ( ) She also had her own blend of chicken soup , called PCS ( Pulaski ' s chicken soup ) , which she prescribed to those with ailments such as the flu . ( ) " In an alternate timeline , by 2404 , Pulaski was working at Starfleet Medical . " ( ) Personal relationships . Romance . Pulaski entered a romantic relationship with Kyle Riker during his convalescence in 2353 . She later recalled that she would have married him " in a cold minute " , but quickly realized that his priorities were elsewhere and she would not have a stable place in his life . She did not hold this fact against him , though , and they remained amicable . Pulaski never mentioned this to his son Will Riker until Kyle came aboard the " Enterprise " in 2365 to brief Will on his promotion to captain of the , a position Will later turned down . After she and Kyle parted ways , Pulaski had been married and divorced three times . Like with Kyle , she remained good friends with all three men . ( ) Captain Picard . Pulaski and Jean - Luc Picard butted heads over a number of issues during her year aboard the ship . Picard was somewhat offended that her first destination upon boarding the ship was Ten Forward . ( ) Pulaski was also upset that the " Enterprise " was going to do nothing to help the dying civilization on Drema IV . ( ) He also argued with her over the surgery needed to replace his cardiac implant . Dr . Pulaski believed she could perform the surgery on the " Enterprise " , but Picard felt it would be inappropriate and a sign of weakness in front of the crew . She gave him the option of going to Starbase 515 , which he did . He nearly died on the operating table from complications , but the " Enterprise " rushed to the starbase and Pulaski transported down to complete the surgery . Her expertise saved Picard ' s life . ( ) Despite these conflicts , Pulaski had a deep respect for the captain . She admired him for some time prior to her assignment to the " Enterprise " , and jumped at the chance to transfer when the position became available . Picard did not learn of this until he spoke with Captain Taggert while Pulaski was affected by the virus on Gagarin IV . ( ) Data . Because of her discomfort with technology , Pulaski was not very kind towards Lieutenant Commander Data when she first boarded the ship . She saw him as no more than a machine , pronouncing his name " DAT - ah " rather than " DAY - ta " , and did not understand that , as Data pointed out , " One is my name . The other is not . " She was also confused when Counselor Troi decided to have Data with her during the delivery of her son , believing that the touch of a Human hand was better than that of an artificial lifeform . ( ) She was also condescending towards Data and often spoke to him through other crewmembers . ( ) She believed that Data ' s methodical way of looking at situations meant that he could never solve a traditional Sherlock Holmes mystery , which led to the creation of the program which brought about the sentient Professor Moriarty . ( ) Later during the year , however , she began to value Data and look upon him as an equal and as a sentient individual . The major turning point was during the crisis surrounding the Darwin Station children . Data stayed to support Pulaski for a long period of time after she had become infected , something for which she was very grateful . ( ) Pulaski even challenged master Zakdorn strategist Sirna Kolrami to a game of Strategema , believing that Data could win . When Data was unsuccessful , he interpreted it as a possible weakness and relieved himself of duty . Dr . Pulaski tried to encourage Data to return to duty , and make him realize that one letdown doesn ' t necessarily mean total failure , however she was unsuccessful . Finally Captain Picard told Data that a loss can be had with no mistakes made and convinced him to return to duty . Data later forced Kolrami to a stalemate , much to Kolrami ' s chagrin . ( ) Worf . Pulaski had a certain fascination with Klingon culture . When Lieutenant Worf was diagnosed with the Klingon equivalent of measles , Pulaski vowed that she would tell no one in order to spare Worf ' s pride . Worf , who later expressed disdain for any kind of doctors due to his Klingon heritage , considered that a friendly gesture on her part , an honorable act that won his friendship . In order to thank her , Worf had her partake in the Klingon tea ceremony . Pulaski had the presence of mind to give herself an antidote for a substance in the tea lethal to Humans . ( ) She did not find all parts of Klingon culture particularly appealing , however . She was not very interested in sampling Klingon cuisine ( ) and found the Second Rite of Ascension to be somewhat barbaric . Nevertheless , she honored Worf by her presence , proving her friendship to him . ( ) Pulaski was also an accomplished poker player , and joined the " Enterprise " crew for several poker games . She used to make fun of Worf , because of his icy look during the game . ( )