Nylen first came to the United States from her native Denmark in the summer of 1949 on a two-month visit to a friend in Washington, DC.

As a result, she applied for and received a postdoctoral fellowship in dentistry from NIDR and trained here from 1950 to 1951 in the use of electron microscopy and diffraction in studies of calcified tissues of the mouth.

This component consisted of three categorical branches which fund research in periodontal and soft tissue diseases, craniofacial anomalies, pain control and behavior, and caries and restorative materials.

Her work in this field led to the publication of an atlas, reporting one of the first embryological studies of dental tissues made at the electron microscope level.

She has also contributed to the scientific literature in related areas, including basic studies of the mechanism of mineralization, using other calcifying systems such as tendon, reconstituted collagen, and calculus.

[1] Nylen's dental studies have added to scientific knowledge in areas such as the ultrastructural morphology of teeth and bones, and the calcification of tissue.

Her findings of the effects of tetracycline on dental enamel of experimental animals contributed to restrictions on the use of this antibiotic in humans.

[citation needed] When she returned to NIH in 1955 she settled in Washington, DC with her husband Aage Nylén, a former Norwegian citizen.

[1] Aage Nylén was vice president of the hospitality division of Guest Services Inc., a quasi-public firm that operates government cafeterias and recreational facilities.

[3] On December 3, 1975, Nylen was 1 of 6 who presented with the Federal Woman's Award from the International Association for Dental Research for her contribution to the field of crystallization and mineralization.

[3] In 1979, Nylen received a DHEW Distinguished Service award, the highest departmental honorary recognition conferred on civilian employees.