Taylor Bugbee has been passionate about cancer research, science communication and medicine since high school. Bugbee earned her B.S. in Biology at Kansas State University and started working in the lab of Dr. Nicholas Wallace. In the Wallace Lab, she researched human papillomavirus (HPV) and cancer. Specifically, her project examined the effects of beta-genus HPV on DNA double-stranded break repair pathways and its potential to aid developing non-melanoma skin cancers. Bugbee received recognition from the Johnson Cancer Research Center and Kansas INBRE program as a cancer research awardee.
While in the lab, Bugbee explored her passion for science communication by presenting her findings at conferences and writing publications. From these experiences, Bugbee sought opportunities to share her knowledge with first-year students as a teaching assistant. She mentored students by guiding them through their first research projects and developing their presentation skills.
Altogether, these experiences have led to her commitment to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences in molecular cancer biology and targeted therapy. She hopes to use this opportunity to combine her interests in medicine, cancer research, and science communication.
Hometown: Wichita, KS
Publications
Hu, C., Bugbee, T., Palinski, R., Akinyemi, I. A., McIntosh, M. T., MacCarthy, T., Bhaduri-McIntosh, S., & Wallace, N. (2023). Beta human papillomavirus 8E6 promotes alternative end joining. eLife, 12, e81923. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.81923
Hu, C., Bugbee, T., Dacus, D., Palinski, R., & Wallace, N. (2022). Beta human papillomavirus 8 E6 allows colocalization of non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair factors. PLoS pathogens, 18(2), e1010275. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010275