Kyle Brawner
Biology
Assistant Professor
Biography
Kyle Brawner joined the Lipscomb Biology Department in August 2020 as an assistant professor. He received his Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from Lipscomb in 2012 and his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2017. Dr. Brawner’s doctoral work centered on the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori, the leading cause of stomach cancer worldwide. Specifically, he studied why children who are infected with H. pylori have much less severe disease than infected adults. Dr. Brawner also completed postdoctoral research at UAB. He studied how diet affects the gut microbiota and gut immune system and also investigated how maternal psychological stress during pregnancy impacts gut health of the offspring. While a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Brawner also served as an adjunct instructor of biology at a local community college and taught in UAB’s undergraduate immunology program.
A Nashville area native, Dr. Brawner is excited to be back at Lipscomb. He enjoys running, traveling, reading, and hiking. He has been married to his wife, Cristin, since 2016.
Academic Degrees
B.S. in Molecular Biology, Lipscomb University (2012); Ph.D. in Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2017)
Academic Department
Department of Biology
- BY 2424: Introductory Microbiology
- BY 3333: Molecular Basis of Human Disease
- BMS 5103: Introduction to Research and Experimental Design
- BMS 5113: Biomolecular Laboratory I
- BMS 5143: Applied Laboratory Methods
- BMS 5493: Immunology
- BMS 5A13: The Microbiota
During my time as a postdoc, I developed an interest in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an acute gastrointestinal inflammatory disease of premature infants. The mortality rate in low birth weight infants can be nearly 50%, and this mortality rate has remained unchanged for decades. The current focus of my laboratory is to identify NEC biomarkers, which are molecular signatures that could help predict which infants will develop NEC and how severe the NEC will be. This information would allow at-risk infants to receive earlier preventative care and might also reveal novel therapeutic targets. My lab is also investigating possible molecular mechanisms of how candidate NEC biomarkers might be contributing to disease.
- Mohamad M. Moughnyeh, Kyle M. Brawner, Bethany A. Kennedy, Venkata A. Yeramilli, Neha Udayakumar, Jessica A. Graham, Colin A. Martin. (2021) “Stress and the Gut-Brain Axis: Implications for Cancer, Inflammation, and Sepsis.” Journal of Surgical Research 266 (336-344).
- Kyle M. Brawner, Venkata A. Yeramilli, Bethany A. Kennedy, Riddhi K. Patel, Colin A. Martin. (2020) “Prenatal stress increases IgA coating of offspring microbiota and exacerbates necrotizing enterocolitis-like injury in a sex-dependent manner.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 89 (291-299).
- Venkata A. Yeramilli, Kyle M. Brawner, David K. Crossman, Scott R. Barnum, Colin A. Martin. (2020) “RNASeq analysis reveals upregulation of complement C3 in the offspring gut following prenatal stress in mice.” Immunobiology 225(4).
- Kyle M. Brawner, Venkata A. Yeramilli, Lennard W. Duck, William Van Der Pol, Lesley E. Smythies, Casey D. Morrow, Charles O. Elson, Colin A. Martin. (2019) “Depletion of dietary aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands alters microbiota composition and function.” Scientific Reports 9, 14724.
- Juhi Shah, Sara Beth Deas, Jon Neilson, Changchun Ren, Tamas Jilling, Kyle M. Brawner, Colin A. Martin. (2018) “The Effects of Gestational Psychological Stress on Neonatal Mouse Intestinal Development.” Journal of Surgical Research 235, 621-628.
- Colin A. Martin, Mikita Patel, Sparkle Williams, Hamish Arora, Kyle M. Brawner, Brian Sims. (2018) “Human breast milk-derived exosomes attenuate cell death in intestinal epithelial cells.” Innate Immunity 24(5): 278-284.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Ranjit Kumar, Carolina A. Serrano, Travis Ptacek, Elliot Lefkowitz, Casey D. Morrow, Degui Zhi, Kondal R. Kyanam-Kabir-Baig, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith. (2017) “Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with an altered gastric microbiota in children.” Mucosal Immunology 10, 1169-1177.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Casey D. Morrow, Phillip D. Smith. (2014) “Gastric microbiome and gastric cancer.” The Cancer Journal 20(3): 211-216.
- Christian Scholars Foundation/Emerging Scholars Network Research Grant Recipient ($25,000), 2021
- Associate Certificate in Undergraduate Teaching, Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, University of Alabama at Birmingham, April 2017
- National Institutes of Health T32 pre-doctoral training grant, October 2013-November 2015
- Lipscomb University Outstanding Biology Graduate, May 2012
- Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, Lipscomb University
Notable oral presentations:
- “Prenatal stress alters offspring microbiota-IgA interactions and exacerbates necrotizing enterocolitis-like injury.” Academic Surgical Congress. Orlando, FL. February 6, 2020.
- “Aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands shape the composition and function of intestinal microbiota.” Academic Surgical Congress. Houston, TX. February 6, 2019.
- “Gastric Stromal Cells Regulate the Immune Response to Helicobacter pylori in an Age-dependent Manner.” University of Montevallo Senior Capstone Course. Montevallo, AL. April 24, 2017.
- “The Effect of Age on the Gastric Stromal Cell-Dendritic Cell-T Cell Axis during Helicobacter pylori Infection.” Lipscomb University Department of Biology Seminar Series. Nashville, TN. January 27, 2017
- “Bacterial and Host Determinants of Gastric Cancer”. Lipscomb University Department of Biology Seminar Series. Nashville, TN. February 28, 2014.
Notable poster presentations:
- Riddhi Patel, Kyle M. Brawner, Colin A. Martin. “Corticosterone and Lipopolysaccharide Synergize to Promote Cell Death in Human Epithelial Stem Cells.” National Conferences on Undergraduate Research. Kennesaw, GA. April 10-13, 2019.
- Jasmin Ayivor, Brian Sims, Kyle M. Brawner, Colin A. Martin. “Synergistic Effects of Immunologic Breast Milk Components on Cell Viability and Protection.” Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Indianapolis, IN. November 14-17, 2018.
- Jasmin Ayivor, Brian Sims, Kyle M. Brawner, Colin A. Martin. “Synergistic Effects of Immunologic Breast Milk Components on Cell Viability and Protection.” Science and Technology Open House. Montgomery, AL. September 7-8, 2018.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Ming Y. Jian, Judy R. Creighton, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith, Colin A. Martin. “Utilization of the Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing System to Characterize the Development of Primary Epithelial Cell Monolayers Derived from Stem Cell Spheroids.” Mucosal Immunology Course and Symposium, Society for Mucosal Immunology. Oxford, United Kingdom. July 17-20, 2018.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Venkata Yeramilli, Leonard Duck, William Van Der Pol, Lesley E. Smythies, Casey D. Morrow, Charles O. Elson, Colin A. Martin. “Environmental Influence on Intestinal Microbial Development and Function.” Digestive Disease Week. Washington, DC. June 2-5, 2018.
- Juhi Shah, Sara B. Deas, John H. Neilson, Changchun Ren, Kyle M. Brawner, Tamas Jilling, Colin A. Martin. “The Effects of Gestational Psychological Stress on Neonatal Mouse Intestinal Development.” Academic Surgical Congress. Jacksonville, FL. January 30-February 1, 2018.
- Sara B. Deas, John H. Neilson, Kyle M. Brawner, Casey D. Morrow, Colin A. Martin. “Psychosocial Stress and Dysbiosis Depress Intestinal Immunity in C57BL/6 Mice.” Academic Surgical Congress. Jacksonville, FL. January 30-February 1, 2018.
- John H. Neilson, Kyle M. Brawner, Sara B. Deas, Alex Chen, James A. Bibb, Colin A. Martin. “Serotonin-Mediated Neuro-Intestinal Regulation of Immune Development.” Academic Surgical Congress. Jacksonville, FL. January 30-February 1, 2018.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith.“Gastric Stromal Cells Regulate the Immune Response to Helicobacter pylori in an Age-dependent Manner.” Mucosal Immunology Course and Symposium, Society for Mucosal Immunology. Toronto, Canada. July 27-30, 2016.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Ranjit Kumar, Casey D. Morrow, Carolina A. Serrano, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith. “Gastric Microbiota in Helicobacter pylori Infection is Associated with Age- and Gender-specific Gastric Disease Sequelae.” Mucosal Immunology Course and Symposium, Society for Mucosal Immunology. Toronto, Canada. July 27-30, 2016.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith.“Gastric Stromal Cells Regulate the Immune Response to Helicobacter pylori in an Age-dependent Manner.” UAB Department of Medicine Trainee Research Symposium. Birmingham, AL. March 22, 2016.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Ranjit Kumar, Casey D. Morrow, Carolina A. Serrano, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith.“Gastric Microbiota in Helicobacter pylori Infection is Associated with Age- and Gender-specific Gastric Disease Sequelae.” UAB Department of Medicine Trainee Research Symposium. Birmingham, AL. March 4, 2015
- Kyle M. Brawner, Ranjit Kumar, Casey D. Morrow, Carolina A. Serrano, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith. “Age- and Gender-associated Differences in the Gastric Microbiota in Helicobacter pylori Infection.” American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. Boston, MA. May 17-20, 2014.
- Kyle M. Brawner, Ranjit Kumar, Casey D. Morrow, Carolina A. Serrano, Lesley E. Smythies, Phillip D. Smith. “Age- and Gender-associated Differences in the Gastric Microbiota in Helicobacter pylori Infection.” UAB Department of Medicine Trainee Research Symposium. Birmingham, AL. March 5, 2014.
