BBS PhD earned 2023
Faculty Mentor: Praveen Sethupathy
 

Brief Biography:
Kieran grew up in the Greater Philadelphia area and attended the University of Pennsylvania.  There, she balanced her passions for veterinary medicine and translational research by working as a technician in both a small animal general practice and a research laboratory.  As a DVM-PhD student, Kieran hopes to combine these interests to ultimately help improve the health and welfare of a multitude of species. Outside of the clinic and the lab, she enjoys playing ice hockey, cooking and baking (more so eating), exploring new places and cuisines, and spending time with her friends, family, husband, and dog.

Education:
B.A. in Biological Basis of Behavior (Neuroscience) with a minor in Nutrition, University of Pennsylvania, 2016

Research Interests:
Kieran became interested in translational research while working in laboratories in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine.  As both an honors undergraduate researcher, and later as a research technician, she worked on projects investigating the neuroendocrinology of feeding behavior and energy balance to identify novel therapeutic strategies for obesity and type II diabetes. She is beyond excited to have the opportunity to explore her scientific interests in metabolic disorders at Cornell University.

Publications:
·  Mietlicki-Baase EG, Liberini C, Workinger J, Bonaccorso R, Reiner DJ, Koch-Laskowski K, McGrath LE, Lhamo R, Stein L, De Jonghe B, Holz G, Roth C, Doyle R, Hayes MR. A vitamin B12 conjugate of exendin-4 improves glucose tolerance without associated nausea or hypophagia in male rats. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018 May; 20(5):1223-1234. doi: 10.1111/dom.13222. Epub 2018 Feb 20.

·  Chen X, Mietlicki-Baase EG, Barrett TM, McGrath LE, Koch-Laskowski K, Ferrie JJ, Hayes MR, Petersson EJ. Thioamides suppress dipeptidyl peptidase cleavage of therapeutic peptide hormones without disrupting biological activity. J Am Chem Soc. 2017 Nov 22; 139(46): 16688-16695. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b08417. Epub 2017 Nov 13.

·  Reiner DJ, Leon RM, McGrath LE, Koch-Laskowski K, Hahn JD, Kanoski SE, Mietlicki-Baase EG, Hayes MR. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor signaling in the lateral dorsal tegmental nucleus regulates energy balance. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018 Feb; 43(3):627-637. doi: 10.1038/npp.2017.225. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

·  Mietlicki-Baase EG, McGrath LE, Koch-Laskowski K, Krawczyk J, Reiner DJ, Pham T, Nguyen CT, Turner C, Olivos DR, Wimmer ME, Schmidt HD, Hayes MR. Amylin receptor activation in the ventral tegmental area reduces motivated ingestive behavior. Neuropharmacology 2017 Sep 1; 123:67-79. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.024. Epub 2017 May 25.

·  Mietlicki-Baase EG*, Koch-Laskowski K*, McGrath LE, Krawczyk J, Pham T, Llamo R, Reiner DJ, Hayes MR. Daily supplementation of dietary protein improves the metabolic effects of GLP-1-based pharmacotherapy in lean and obese rats. Physiol Behav. 2017 Aug 1; 177:122-128. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.017. Epub 2017 Apr 19. (*co-first author)

·  Reiner DJ, Mietlicki-Baase EG, Olivos DR, McGrath LE, Zimmer DJ, Koch-Laskowski K, Krawczyk J, Turner C, Noble, EE, Hahn JD, Schmidt HD, Kanoski SE, Hayes MR. Amylin acts in the lateral dorsal tegmental nucleus to regulate energy balance through GABA signaling. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Dec 1; 82(11):828-838. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.12.028. Epub 2017 Jan 10.

·  Mietlicki-Baase EG, McGrath, LE, Koch-Laskowski K, Krawczyk J, Pham T, Lhamo R, Reiner DJ, Hayes MR. Hindbrain DPP-IV inhibition improves glycemic control and promotes negative energy balance. Physiol Behav. 2017 May 1; 173:9-14. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.01.038. Epub 2017 Jan 22.

Presentations: 
·  Koch-Laskowski K, Garibay D, Zaborska K, Sloop K, Cummings BP. Inducible hGlp-1r knockout in the mouse hypothalamus promotes feeding and body weight gain. (2018) Poster presentation at the Boehringer Ingelheim National Veterinary Scholars Symposium and Combined Degree Colloquium, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

·  Koch-Laskowski K, McGrath LE, Shaulson E, Krawczyk J, Pham T, Lhamo R, Ghidewon M, Ling T, Hayes MR. Amylin and GLP-1-combination pharmacotherapies for obesity treatment. (2017) Poster presentation at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior annual meeting, Montreal, Quebec

·  Mietlicki-Baase EG*, Koch-Laskowski K*, McGrath LE, Reiner DJ, Hayes MR. Dietary protein improves the metabolic effects of GLP-1based pharmacotherapy in lean and obese rats (2016) Poster presentation at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior annual meeting, Porto, Portugal

·  Koch-Laskowski K, Mietlicki-Baase EG, Hayes MR. Milk protein consumption and GLP-1-based pharmacotherapy attenuates blood glucose levels in hyperglycemic rats (2015) Oral defense of honors thesis presented at the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Student Research Symposium, Philadelphia, PA