Kylie Burke

I received my B.S. in Biology and minor in Chemistry from the College of Charleston and the Honors College. My research in the Levin lab has been in collaboration with the Emory Hospital Department of Infectious Diseases and Healthcare Human Factors Lab.  My research focuses on tracking the spread of diseases in a healthcare setting by tracking how healthcare workers contribute to the spread of infections while caring for patients. This project uses lambda bacteriophage as a proxy for infectious agents on simulation patient dummies, and nurses are asked to complete patient care on the simulated patient.  The project emphasizes quantifying contamination events and identifying the original source of the contamination. The goal of this study is to assess and improve healthcare policies, practices, and training of personnel to limit the spread of hospital acquired infections.