Entered Combined-Degree Program: Fall 2013 as entering DMD student.
Thesis Advisor: Robert A Burne, Ph.D.
Graduated Program: Summer 2020 with a PhD in Microbiology/Immunology.
Biography
Kyulim received her Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Prior to starting her graduate studies in the DMD/PhD program, Kyu conducted research in Dr. Ozlem Yilmaz’s laboratory, characterizing the intracellular trafficking mechanisms of the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis in human primary gingival epithelial cells. For her PhD studies, Kyu continued her passion in molecular microbiology in Dr. Robert Burne’s laboratory and explored the antagonistic strategies employed by beneficial commensals against Streptococcus mutans in the oral cavity, which was funded through the F30 NIH/NIDCR NRSA Fellowship. As a DMD/PhD candidate, Kyu stayed very active in the service arena, holding national leadership positions in the AADR National Student Research Group and being involved in advocacy as a AADR Gert Quigley Fellow. Kyu is now a postdoctoral fellow in the Burne Lab and continuing her research, while she also spends time teaching DMD students and treating patients as a faculty member in the dental school.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
| Lee K, Walker AR, Chakraborty B, Kaspar JR, Nascimento MM, Burne RA. Novel Probiotic Mechanisms of the Oral Bacterium Streptococcus sp. A12 as Explored with Functional Genomics. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2019; 16;85(21). PMID:31420345 |
| Shields RC, Kaspar JR, Lee K, Underhill SAM, Burne RA. Fluorescence tools adapted for real-time monitoring of the behaviors of Streptococcus species. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2019; 18;85(15). PMID: 31101614 |
| Lee K, Roberts JS, Choi C, Atanasova KR, Yilmaz O. Porphyromonas gingivalis Traffics into Endoplasmic Reticulum-Rich-Autophagosomes for Successful Survival in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells. Virulence. 2018; 9:1,845-859. PMID: 29616874 PMCID: PMC5955440 |
| Atanasova K R, Lee JN, Roberts J, Lee K, Ojcius D, Yilmaz O. Nucleoside-Diphosphate-Kinase of P. gingivalis is Secreted from Epithelial Cells In the Absence of a Leader Sequence Through a Pannexin-1 Interactome. Scientific Reports. 2016; 6:37643. PMID: 27883084 PMCID: PMC5121656 |
| Spooner R, Weigel K, Harrison PL, Lee KL, Cangelosi G, Yilmaz O. In situ Anabolic Activity of Periodontal Pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis And Filifactor alocis In Chronic Periodontitis. Scientific Reports. 2016; 6:33638. PMID: 27642101 PMCID: PMC5027532. |
| Spooner R, DeGuzman JV, Lee KL, Yilmaz O. Danger Signal Adenosine via Adenosine 2a Receptor Stimulates Growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis in Primary Gingival Epithelial Cells. Molecular Oral Microbiol. 2014; 29:67-78. PMCID: PMC3960722. |
Peer-Reviewed Articles
| Chakraborty, B, Lee KL, and Burne, R.A. Biofilm Battles: Beneficial Commensals vs. Streptococcus mutans. Journal of California Dental Association. 2017; 45 (10): p.547-564. *Co-first author |
| Yilmaz O, Lee KL. “The Inflammasome and Danger Molecule Signaling: At the Crossroads of Inflammation and Pathogen Persistence in the Oral Cavity”, Invited Review. Periodontology 2000. 2015; 69: 83-95. PMCID: PMC4530468. |