Ashlyn Bugbee’s fascination with science began at a young age; she spent significant time in her father’s high school biology classroom and absorbed his teachings. By the time she reached high school, her interest in biology had kindled a passion for medicine, and she knew that she wanted to pursue this further in college. While at Kansas State University, where she earned of Bachelor of Science degree in 2023, she garnered research experience and decided she wanted research to play a key role in her career.
Bugbee started in Dr. Kalyani Pyaram’s lab in the fall of 2020 as an undergraduate researcher. The lab focused on T-cell metabolism, and her project examined the effect of antioxidation on CD8 T-cell activation and effector functions. This project inspired her love of immunology, specifically T cells. During this time, she had the opportunity to learn how to communicate her research to other scientists and the public through oral and poster presentations; aside from mentorship, it has become one of her favorite aspects of research.
As one of the first members of the Pyaram lab, Bugbee was able to train multiple graduate students and a post-doc in lab procedures. Through her involvement with Biology Ambassadors, she mentored undergraduate students to become involved in research. Bugbee chose to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences because she wanted to continue growing her research skills and the opportunity to conduct translational and collaborative research.
Hometown: Wichita, KS