Postdoctoral Fellow - Ophthalmology, Microbiology, and Immunobiology
Harvard Medical School - 2012
Kelli Palmer
Fellow, Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science
Associate Professor - Biological Sciences
Professional Preparation
Ph.D. - Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
University of Texas at Austin - 2008
University of Texas at Austin - 2008
B.S. - Microbiology
University of Oklahoma - 2003
University of Oklahoma - 2003
Research Areas
Research Interests
I study antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. My current research focuses on: 1) mechanisms contributing to antibiotic resistance, with particular focus on the interactions of resistance plasmids with CRISPR-Cas systems, and 2) using in vivo-relevant growth substrates to characterize the physiology of pathogenic bacteria. The long-term goal of my research is novel antimicrobial development.Publications
A Type I Restriction-Modification System Associated with Enterococcus faecium Subspecies Separation 2018 - Other
Loss-of-Function Mutations in epaR Confer Resistance to ϕNPV1 Infection in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF 2018 - Journal Article
CRISPR-Cas blocks antibiotic resistance plasmid transfer between Enterococcus faecalis strains in the gastrointestinal tract 2018 - Other
An Attenuated CRISPR-Cas System in Enterococcus faecalis Permits DNA Acquisition 2018 - Journal Article
Loss of function mutations in epaR confer resistance to phage NPV1 infection in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF 2018 - Other
EfrEF and the Transcription Regulator ChlR Are Required for Chlorhexidine Stress Response in Enterococcus faecalis V583 2018 - Journal Article
Deep sequencing analysis of CRISPR-escaping plasmid transconjugants in Enterococcus faecalis 2017 - Other
Modulators of Enterococcus faecalis Cell Envelope Integrity and Antimicrobial Resistance Influence Stable Colonization of the Mammalian Gastrointestinal Tract 2017 - Journal Article
Awards
Outstanding NS&M Teacher Award - [2017]
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News Articles
Microbiologist Aims to Thwart Antibiotic Resistance
Dr. Kelli Palmer is running her own laboratory as an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at The University of Texas at Dallas. Her work focuses on a better understanding of how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics. One approach she is taking involves sequencing entire genomes of different bacterial species to identify and characterize genetic mutations that lead to antibiotic resistance. She also is investigating the role genetic material called plasmids and transposons play in conferring resistance. These tiny bits of DNA often encode antibiotic resistance genes, and they can be transferred from bacteria that are drug-resistant to bacteria that are not. Understanding this process might lead to more effective ways to curtail the spread of antibiotic resistance, Palmer said.
Biologist Investigates How Gene-Swapping Bacteria Evade Antibiotics
A scientific peek into bacteria boudoirs is revealing how “sex” among disease-causing microbes can lead different species or strains to become resistant to antibiotic medications.Dr. Kelli Palmer, assistant professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas, is conducting research aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms by which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance genes from one another.