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
Samson and Tina Present in Research Showcase!
Samson Cantor and Tina Tailor presented their summer research on thermal bonding of microfluidic chips. They worked in the lab as part of the Young Scholars Program during their break before the start of their senior year in High School. They were advised by Adam Bindas. Congrats on the great work!
Minhal Presents a TEDx
Minhal presented a talk digging into some of the exciting new research into the gut microbiome. Details on the talk below: How does our gut speak to us? This talk explores the fascinating new evidence linking the bacteria in our gut to various unexpected aspects of our health, including psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. […]