Ms. Kayla Socarras

I am a PhD candidate in Garth Ehrlich’s lab within the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine. Prior to joining Drexel University, I received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at the University of Saint Joseph and then attained my Master's of science at the University of During my master’s I participated in several ongoing studies on the pathogenesis of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis. This infectious disease is globally one the most common bacterial vector-borne diseases and has become more prevalent due to climate and ecological changes over the past decades. For her master’s thesis, I tested several antimicrobials for their efficiency on destroying B. burgdorferi in vitro as well as their potential efficacy as a therapeutic treatment. After completing that thesis I also did a post-graduate research fellowship at the same university in which I investigated the pathogenesis of Borrelia spp in causing Borrelial lymphocytoma, a cutaneous infection that occurs primarily within individuals infected with Borrelia spp in Europe. Currently at Drexel University, I'm continuing research on Borrelia spp pathogenesis with an emphasis on the tick microbiome and the Borrelial pangenome.