The Frontier of Lyme Disease Prevention: Q&A with Kee-Lee Stocks

By Mase Peterson

In the fight against Lyme disease, innovative research is crucial to developing effective treatment and prevention strategies. Kee-Lee Stocks, a PhD student in the Molecular Microbiology program at Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, is at the forefront of this effort as part of the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative, a group of Tufts University faculty, staff, and students who are working to eliminate the human health threat of Lyme disease by 2030.

Tufts has one of the most robust groups of tick-borne disease researchers in the world. The interdisciplinary team, led by co-directors Linden Hu, Paul and Elaine Chervinsky Professor of Immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine, and Robert P. Smith, a physician at Maine Medical Center and professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, recently secured yet more research funding, a $20.7 million federal grant that solidifies their standing as global leaders in the field.

In this Q&A, part of a new feature series highlighting members of the Initiative, Stocks shares insights into her research experience as a student and its potential impact on public health.

Can you share a bit about your background, your journey to Tufts, and your involvement in the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative?

“I am originally from Iowa and did my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. During my time at UMN, I did research in the Baughn Lab looking to understand how the drugs we use to treat tuberculosis work. This is where my interest in infectious diseases and particularly developing new ways to treat infections grew. I came to Tufts to do my PhD due to the amazing faculty in the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology. I joined the Hu Lab and the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative for the innovative and translational work that is being done to understand all aspects of Lyme disease. I am now in my 3rd year of my PhD program and hope to make significant progress on my research before the end of my PhD.”

Can you explain your research and your role in the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative?

“I am currently working on a project funded by an anonymous donation from a Tufts alumnus to the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative. My project aims to identify new drugs for the prevention of Lyme disease. The current methods for preventing Lyme disease, such as bug sprays and antibiotics after a tick bite, are not working to reduce incidence of disease. We hope to identify a drug that provides constant protection against infection, similar to how antimalarial drugs are taken before traveling to areas with a high prevalence of malaria. This project is being done by screening tens of thousands of compounds to identify drugs which inhibit the Lyme bacterium but are not harmful to other bacteria on our bodies, so that resistance doesn’t develop. We will then use artificial intelligence to take what we have learned to further screen tens of millions of compounds to help us identify the perfect precision compound for human use.”

What aspect of this research excites you the most?

“I am most excited about how this research may lead to the development of a drug to prevent Lyme disease. I’m also excited to have a chance to work on a project that could develop an antibiotic that would help many people and contribute to society in such a big way.”

What about your TUSM education has prepared you to be involved in this process?

“The Tufts Molecular Biology and Microbiology department is amazing and has provided a lot of support during my training to become a researcher. The collaborative environment of the department makes it easy to form collaborations and learn about new areas, greatly contributing to my education.”

What do you hope this research will achieve for Lyme disease patients and the medical community?

“I hope this research leads to a preventative measure that reduces the number of people contracting Lyme disease, and therefore decrease the number of people afflicted with the sometimes lifelong symptoms associated with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.”

What challenges do you foresee, and how are you addressing them?

“There will be many challenges with getting a new compound through the research process and into the clinic. Traditionally, many compounds fail this process because results observed in bacterial culture do not always translate into mice or humans. Additionally, we will face challenges with the AI portion of this project, as it is still a relatively new field and we’re continually learning more about how to incorporate AI into our research. We just have to persevere through a lot of these challenges and find new ways to look at things.”

Are there any untapped opportunities in Lyme disease research or perhaps within another public health initiative that you’re eager to explore in your career?

“There is a lot more to be explored in Lyme disease research. There is so much we don’t know about the Lyme bacterium compared to what we know about most other infectious bacteria. We primarily study the bacteria in isolation, but it doesn’t exist in nature alone. It is either found in the tick or small mammals, therefore studying the ecology and complex interactions the bacterium has with other organisms is crucial.”

Is there anyone you’d like to thank for their support and guidance in your research?

“I want to thank Pete Gwynne, research assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology, and Jeff Bourgeois, a postdoctoral scholar in the Hu Lab, for mentoring me and teaching me all about Lyme disease. I also want to acknowledge Bree Aldridge, professor of molecular biology and microbiology, for her advice on this project.”