Kyley Burkey

Professional Background

I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and then completed my undergraduate education at the University of Kansas where I received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering. During this time, I worked in several labs (at KU and at other institutions) exploring the field of bioengineering.

After my admittance to the University of Kansas Medical Center’s MD-PhD program and my first two years of medical school, I decided to return to the research group of one of my undergraduate mentors, Dr. Jennifer Robinson, for my graduate training. My graduate research projects currently include the development and use of a mechanically tunable hydrogel system to model the native cellular microenvironment for the investigation of cell-extracellular matrix mechanotransduction.

When I’m not in the lab, you can probably find me reading, drinking coffee, or discussing pop culture with my friends.

Mentor: Jennifer Robinson, Univ of WA. Bioengineering Department, KU