Kayla Penta

Kayla Penta, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), with her office located at 1 LECOM Place, Elmira, NY 14901. Her academic profile bridges biomedical research and clinical applications through interdisciplinary investigations into environmental and physiological health factors.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Utica College
• Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine (awarded December 2016)

Dr. Penta's research program integrates environmental exposure science with chronic disease mechanisms, initially examining contaminant impacts during her doctoral work. Her postdoctoral fellowship at North Carolina State University expanded this focus to nutritional immunology, investigating how dietary components modulate immune responses. This dual expertise creates a unique research trajectory connecting environmental toxicology with metabolic and immune pathways, positioning her work at the intersection of public health and molecular pathophysiology.