Center Personnel

Meet our Leadership Team

The Center for Clinical and Translational Science has a multiple PI leadership team consisting of Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD, Robin Mermelstein, PhD, and Terry Vanden Hoek, MD.

Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD

Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD, is the J. Usha Raj Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, director of the Institute for Juvenile Research at UIC, and interim director of the AI.Health4All Center using ML/AI at UIC. A child psychiatrist and sociologist, he is committed to advancing health research and supporting the career development of junior investigators. Karnik is a leader in integrating clinical translational research into community settings and clinical trials, and his recent work increasingly focuses on data science, machine learning and clinical trial innovation. His expertise will strengthen the CCTS integration of informatics and AI tools across the translational spectrum and deepen collaboration with campus partners.

Robin Mermelstein, PhD

Robin Mermelstein, PhD, is distinguished professor of psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and research professor in the departments of Psychiatry (College of Medicine) and in the School of Public Health. She directs the Institute for Health Research and Policy at UIC, a universitywide research institute that advances cross-disciplinary work on complex health issues with an emphasis on research-to-practice and practice-to-policy translation, population health and community engagement. Her research spans the full translational spectrum, from basic science and methodological innovation to clinical trials using novel factorial designs and implementation efforts that drive population-level impact. Mermelstein led the first NIH transdisciplinary team science initiative, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the NIH that funded the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers. At UIC, her faculty roles and service on high-level administrative committees strengthen her ability to build connections across disciplines and secure broad institutional support for the CCTS.

Terry Vanden Hoek, MD

Terry Vanden Hoek, MD, is department head and Earl M. Bane Professor of Emergency Medicine, professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and professor of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine. A physician-scientist dedicated to improving cardiac arrest survival, he leads translational research that advances understanding of cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in the U.S., and moves evidence into clinical practice. His work with the American Heart Association has informed national care guidelines, including improvements in CPR quality and the use of targeted temperature management. Vanden Hoek brings deep experience in conducting multisite collaborative clinical trials and strengthening clinical research processes. As co-director, he will lead CCTS engagement with UI Health and other Illinois health systems and expand workforce development efforts to increase clinical trial capacity.

Together, the co-directors bring substantial experience and depth across the full clinical translational spectrum, a solid history of leading multidisciplinary scientific research and administrative teams, and a dedication to CCTS’s mission of improving the health, well-being, and vitality of individuals and their communities.