Center Personnel
Meet our Leadership Team
The Center for Clinical and Translational Science has a multiple PI leadership team consisting of Robin Mermelstein, Ph.D. and Niranjan Karnik, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Robin Mermelstein is a distinguished professor of liberal arts and sciences and the director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy at UIC, a multidisciplinary all-campus research institute focused on fostering cross-disciplinary research on complex health issues, with an emphasis on research-to-practice and practice-to-policy translation, population health, and community engagement. Dr. Mermelstein also has a long and successful history of mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty. She brings leadership and experience in research at the upper end of the clinical-translational spectrum, engagement of diverse multidisciplinary researchers, and involvement of key stakeholders.
Dr. Niranjan Karnik is a professor of psychiatry and the director of the UIC Institute for Juvenile Research. As a child psychiatrist and sociologist, he has had a deep commitment to advancing health equity, promoting the career development of dozens of junior investigators, and serving as a leading example of integrating clinical translational research into community settings and trials. His research has focused on the assessment, prevention, and treatment of substance misuse and mental health disorders, as well as developing community-based and technology-mediated interventions. In recent years, Dr. Karnik’s work has increasingly moved into data science and machine learning, along with clinical trials. Currently, he serves as PI and director of the Great Lakes Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. He also serves as interim director of AI:Health4All: Center for Health Equity Using ML/AI within the UIC College of Medicine. His experience will help promote greater integration of informatics and AI tools into all aspects of CCTS and foster integration with other campus elements.
Together, the two 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.
CCTS Administration Heading link
Elizabeth Hawes
Phone:
Email:
Bryon Cogley
Phone:
Email:
Agnes Kawalec
Phone:
Email:
Lauren Rieger
Phone:
Email:
Search Results
Patel, Ruchi | Research Specialist
Patra, Jagnyesh | Biomedical Informatics Research Specialist
Peterson, Charlie | Community Engagement Advisory Board Member
Randolph, David | Biomedical Informatics Research Specialist
Rieger, Lauren | Director of Research Communications
