Raised in the verdant, rapidly expanding suburb that is Holly Springs, NC, Kennedy was a timid kid who was deeply frightened, yet intrigued, by human disease and the microbial world. Her budding curiosities followed her to New Haven where she graduated from Yale University in 2025 with a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, maintaining a zealous advocacy for underrepresented students in research and STEM. At Yale, Kennedy became absorbed in phage therapy research, investigating how phage-host coevolution impacts phage fitness with the Paul Turner Lab, and subsequently working with lung injury and refining a model to measure the inflammatory outcomes of various phage therapy treatments with the Jon Koff Lab. In 2023, Kennedy’s ever-expanding interests in translational research led her to Weill-Cornell’s Tri-I MD-PhD Gateways to the Laboratory summer program, where she first joined the Tobias Hohl Lab, working with alumna Dr. Kathleen Mills to uncover the GM-CSF-mediated microcircuit involved in the immune response against invasive Aspergillus fumigatus infections of the lung. Kennedy’s combined work and experiences throughout her undergraduate years equipped her with a secure motivation to become a physician-scientist, thus she sought out the MSK Bridge Program, eager to rejoin the Hohl Lab. Kennedy is currently working to better understand the pathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis in the central nervous system. When not thinking about pathogens, Kennedy enjoys testing new recipes, taking house and vogue dance classes, and assisting NYC high school students in their college preparation.