Dr. Kyla Nichols
Effects of bacterial metabolite-derived neurotransmitters on visceral pain
Up to 25% of the population experiences visceral pain at any one time, but the underlying mechanisms of this pain remain poorly understood. Kyla’s work aims to investigate the connection of neurotransmitter signaling, specifically gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), to visceral nociception (feeling of pain) within the gut. The project includes developing a neural microphysiological system to model the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Kyla joined ABNEL in the Fall of 2019 as a Chemical Engineering PhD student. Prior to starting graduate school at Northeastern University, Kyla was working at GE Healthcare Life Sciences in the Upstream Product Management and Operations Department. Kyla completed her BS in Biomedical engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) the spring of 2017. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in an NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates at Syracuse University’s Biomaterials Institute. Her project studied astrocyte motility on tunable hydrogels which sparked her interest in neuroengineering.
B.S. Biomedical Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ’17
Worcester, MA
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering
Northeastern University ’24
Boston, MA
Abby Featured in Northeastern University Feature Article
Abby is featured in a News@Northeastern article titled, “If cells could talk … actually, they do. But what are they saying?” Details included below: Abigail Koppes, assistant professor of chemical engineering, is isolating cell groups on tiny plastic chips, enabling her team to observe the specific roles of cells that have gotten lost in the noise […]
ABNEL Welcomes New PhD Students Kyla and Kirstie
ABNEL welcomes Kyla Nichols and Kirstie Belanger as new PhD students. Kyla comes from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (B.S. Biomedical Engineering) and Kirstie is joining on rotation from the University of Maine (B.S. Biomedical Engineering).