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
Bryan Schellberg – Quickest turn around review publication
Congratulations to our PhD student, Bryan Schellberg, on his recent review publication in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research! Bryan's publication not only marks the lab's first in 2025 but also set a new record for fastest turn around review publication in...
What a tiny, 3D gut can tell us about gastrointestinal disorders
Principal investigators of ABNEL and LNNR, Dr. Abigail Koppes and Dr. Ryan Koppes, recently made headlines on Northeastern Global News. This recognition arises from their collaborative efforts on the development of microphysiological systems aimed at investigating the...