KB Butler went to Drake University and earned her BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with minors in Chemistry and Biology. She got her research start in Analytical Chemistry and slowly made her way into the world of Immunology! In the Cyndari lab, she investigates inflammatory arthritis and the changes it makes to the synovium. The synovium is a thin deformable tissue surrounding the joint, also known as the joint capsule. Synovitis (inflammation of the synovium) causes cartilage damage. Cartilage damage can cause significance decrease in quality of life, impaired movement and chronic pain. She aims to investigate the underlying signaling pathways in synovitis with the overall goal of preventing cartilage damage.

Publications:

Mulford KE, Johnson RM, Oleson ES, Dennis JL, Butler KL, Draayer TJ, Elkins JM, Petersen CA, Cyndari KI. B. burgdorferi infection alters synovial macrophage responses in a human ex vivo model of Lyme Arthritis. Front Immunol. 2026 Aug 18;17:1819452. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1819452. PMID: 42682422; PMCID: PMC13529478.

Cyndari KI, Elkins JM, Coleman MC, Mulford KE, Johnson RM, Butler KL, Parlet CP, Huston HC, Draayer T, Naveen P, Petersen CA. A Pre-Clinical Model of Synovitis Using Ex vivo Human Synovial Tissue with Preserved Function and Architecture. J Vis Exp. 2026 Mar 20;(229):10.3791/69734. doi: 10.3791/69734. PMID: 41941390; PMCID: PMC13085773.

Cyndari KI, Scorza BM, Zacharias ZR, Pessôa-Pereira D, Strand L, Mahachi K, Oviedo JM, Gibbs L, Butler KL, Ausdal G, Hendricks D, Yahashiri R, Elkins JM, Gulbrandsen T, Peterson AR, Willey MC, Fairfax KC, Petersen CA. Resident synovial macrophages in synovial fluid: Implications for immunoregulation. Clin Immunol. 2025 Feb;271:110422. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2024.110422. Epub 2024 Dec 17. PMID: 39701169; PMCID: PMC12515479.