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Kayleigh O'Keeffe: Ph. D. in Biology
Kayleigh O'Keeffe: Ph. D. in Biology
KAYLEIGH O’KEEFFE
Department of Biology • The University of Pennsylvania • Philadelphia PA 19104
kokeeffe@sas.upenn.edu • 516-205-8000 • krokeeffe.wordpress.com • @KOKeeffe12
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL 2019
Ph. D. in Biology
Dissertation: Within-host microbial interactions and plant parasites:
from pairwise interactions to the microbiome (Advisor: Charles Mitchell)
APPOINTMENTS
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Dr. Dustin Brisson) 2019-Present
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
PUBLICATIONS
O’Keeffe, K.R., Halliday, F.W., Jones, C.D., Carbone, I., Mitchell, C.E., (2021). Parasites,
niche modification, and the host microbiome: A field survey of multiple parasites. Molecular
Ecology, 30: 2404-2416 (https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15892)
Oppler, Z.J., O’Keeffe, K.R., McCoy K.D., Brisson D. (2020) “Evolutionary genetics of
Borrelia.” In Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and Pathogenesis. Eds. D. Scott
Samuels and Justin D. Radolf. Caister Academic Press.
(https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.042.097).
O’Keeffe, K.R., Oppler, Z.J., Brisson, D. (2020) Evolutionary Ecology of Lyme Borrelia.
Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 85:104570 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104570)
O’Keeffe, K.R. and Jones, C.D. (2019) Challenges and Solutions for Analyzing Dual RNA-seq
Data for Non-Model Host/Pathogen Systems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10:401-414
(http://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13135).
*Highlighted in the Methods in Ecology and Evolution blog:
https://methodsblog.com/2019/02/20/dual-rna-seq-limited-genomic-resources/
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O’Keeffe, K.R. and Bain, R. (2018) ComSciCon-Triangle: Regional Science Communication
Training for Graduate Students. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 19(1)
(http://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v19i1.1420).
Hansen, W.D., Scholl, J.P., Sorensen, A.E., Fisher, K., Klassen, J., Calle, L., Kandlikar, G.,
Kortessis, N., Kucera, D., Marias, D., Narango, D.L., O’Keeffe, K.R., Planas, A., Recart, W.,
Ridolfi, E., and Shay. M. (2018). How do we ensure the future of our discipline is vibrant?
Student reflections on careers and culture of ecology. Ecosphere, 9(2):e02099
(http://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2099).
O’Keeffe, K.R., Carbone, I., Jones, C.D., Mitchell, C.E. (2017). Plastic Potential: how the
phenotypes and adaptations of pathogens are influenced by microbial interactions within
plants. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 38:78-83 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2017.04.014).
Bowman, T.A., O’Keeffe, K.R., D’Aquila, T., Yan, Q.W., Griffin, J.D., Killion, E.A., Mashek,
D.G., Buhman, K.K., and Greenberg, A.S. (2016). Acyl CoA synthetase 5 (ACSL5) Ablation in
Mice Increases Energy Expenditure and Insulin Sensitivity and Delays Fat Absorption.
Molecular Metabolism, 5(3) (http://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2016.01.001)
PUBLICATIONS IN PREP
(drafts available upon request; underlining indicates undergraduate under my mentorship)
O’Keeffe, K.R., Wheeler, B., Mitchell, C.E. A systemic endophyte affects population dynamics
of infectious disease.
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
2021: Gettysburg College (Department of Biology)
2020: Scripps Institution of Oceanography
2020: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
2020: Duke University (Department of Biology)
2019: Bryn Mawr College (Department of Biology)
2018: UNC-Chapel Hill Biology Symposium (one of two invited graduate student speakers)
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Halliday, FW, & K. O’Keeffe, 2019. Drivers of foliar parasite metacommunity structure in
California grasslands. Wild Plant Pathosystems, Schmitten, Germany (Poster presentation).
O’Keeffe, K., F.W. Halliday, C.D. Jones, I. Carbone, and C.E. Mitchell, 2019. The fungal
microbiome of a grass host under natural infections by diverse parasites. Ecology & Evolution
of Infectious Disease Conference (17th annual), Princeton University (Poster presentation)
O’Keeffe, K., B.T. Wheeler, and C.E. Mitchell, 2018. A symbiont may decrease the spread of
a parasite through a host population but not within hosts. Ecological Society of America, New
Orleans LA (Oral presentation).
O’Keeffe, K., B.T. Wheeler, and C.E. Mitchell, 2018. A defensive symbiont decreases the
spread of a fungal plant pathogen through a host population but not within hosts. Ecology &
Evolution of Infectious Diseases Conference (16th Annual), University of Glasgow (Poster).
O’Keeffe, K. and C.E. Mitchell, 2017. Effects of endophyte symbiosis and pathogen
intraspecific variation on the growth of a fungal plant pathogen. Ecological Society of America,
Portland OR (Poster presentation).
O’Keeffe, K., C.E. Mitchell, C.D. Jones, 2017. Challenges for analyzing dual RNA-seq data
for non-model host/pathogen systems. Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Diseases Conference
(14th Annual), UC Santa Barbara (Poster presentation).
O’Keeffe, K., C.E. Mitchell, C.D. Jones 2016. Analyzing Mixed Transcriptomic Samples of
Hosts and Pathogens: A Comparison of Reference-based Mapping Methods. Ecology and
Evolution of Infectious Disease Conference (14th Annual), Cornell University (Poster)
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Guest Lecturer for Global Change Ecology, UNC Chapel-Hill 2020
Lecture: “Infectious Disease and Global Change” (delivered online)
Instructor for Modern Biological Concepts, Meredith College Fall 2018
Introductory non-majors course; 17 students
Guest Lecturer for Global Change Ecology, UNC Chapel-Hill 2016 & 2017
Lecture: “Infectious Disease and Global Change”
Guest Lecturer for Disease Ecology and Evolution, UNC-Chapel Hill 2016
Lectures: “Pathogens in Multi-Species Host Communities”
“Multi-Parasite Systems”
Guest Lecturer for Ecology and Evolution, UNC-Chapel Hill 2015
Lecture: “Population Growth”
Teaching Assistant for Ecology and Evolution, UNC-Chapel Hill 2015
Teaching Assistant for Evolutionary Biology, Amherst College 2011
MENTORING EXPERIENCE
Emma Torija, Independent Study Student, University of Pennsylvania 2020-Present
Summer 2021-Onward: Research technician at the University of
Alabama-Birmingham
Bonnie Mendelson, Master’s student, University of Pennsylvania 2019-2020
Currently: Research specialist at the University of Pennsylvania
Brandon Wheeler, Independent Study Student, UNC-Chapel Hill 2017-2019
Currently: Master’s student, Western Carolina University
Anita Simha, Honors Thesis Student, UNC-Chapel Hill 2016-2017
Graduated with highest honors
Recipient of UNC R.E. Coker Award for excellence in research in organismal biology
and ecology
Currently: NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Duke University
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
Regional Liason, ComSciCon 2021-Present
Advise organizers of local science communication workshops in the Northeast
Participant, Introduction to science storytelling, The Story Collider 2020
Chair of Organizing Committee, ComSciCon-Triangle 2017 & 2018
Science communication workshop for graduate students, Research Triangle, NC
Organizing Committee, ComSciCon-Triangle 2016
Selected Participant, ComSciCon-National 2016
National science communication workshop for graduate students, Cambridge, MA
Science Writing Intern, Genetics Society of America 2015
Selected Participant, ComSciCon-Triangle 2015