K12 & Affiliate Scholars

Sara Kelly, PhD

Sara Kelly, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria

Mentor Team: Niranjan Karnik, David DuBois, Dale Smith, Sarah Donohue

Dr. Sara Kelly aims to become an independent pediatric epidemiologist focused on focused on reducing substance use-related harms among young people. In her project, Dr. Kelly will examine concurrent cannabis and alcohol use among adolescents and young adults, using nationally representative data alongside interviews with young people to identify the personal, behavioral, mental health, and environmental factors that contribute to poor health outcomes associated with these patterns. By better understanding who is most at risk and why, her research could help clinicians identify youth who may benefit from earlier intervention and inform more targeted prevention strategies and policies. Through the K12 Program, Dr. Kelly will strengthen her expertise in advanced quantitative and qualitative research methods, data analysis, and approaches for translating research into effective clinical and community-based interventions.

Emily Pasman, PhD

Emily Pasman, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work

Mentor Team: Robin Mermelstein, James Swartz, Dennis Watson, Julia Felton

Through the K12 program, Dr. Emily Pasman aims to build advanced expertise in translational research focused on strengthening the peer recovery workforce and improving outcomes for people navigating substance use recovery. Peer workers- individuals with lived experience of addiction recovery- play a growing role in treatment and community settings, yet training and evaluation methods for their work remain inconsistent, particularly when supporting non-abstinent recovery approaches such as medications for opioid use disorder and overdose prevention. Dr. Pasman’s research addresses a critical gap by developing a reliable and scalable way to measure how effectively peers deliver non-abstinent recovery support. This research and career development plan will position her to lead NIH-funded clinical trials and advance a research program that integrates overdose prevention and recovery support to improve public health outcomes for millions of people.

Adam Cross, MD

Adam Cross, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria

Mentor Team: Niranjan Karnik, Jimeng Sun

Dr. Adam Cross aims to build an independent research career focused on improving how mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, is detected and managed in real-world clinical settings. mTBI is a major public health concern affecting millions of Americans each year, yet many neurocognitive impairments go undetected because current assessments rely heavily on subjective symptoms and clinician-administered tests that can be inconsistent and difficult to scale. Using FlightPath, a mobile mixed-reality app that can quickly and objectively detect subtle cognitive impairments, his project aims to deliver faster, more accurate, and more accessible concussion assessments across ages and community settings, including remote or resource-limited environments. With structured mentorship, hands-on research experience, and targeted grant-writing support, Dr. Cross will strengthen his ability to translate innovative algorithms into adoption-ready clinical tools, positioning him to advance early detection and care for individuals with brain injury.

Lucille Ray, PhD

Lucille Ray, PhD

Visiting Instructor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago

Mentor Team: Ece Mutlu, Pradeep Dudeja, Ravinder Gill, Waddah Alrefai, Cemal Yazici

Dr. Lucille Ray aims to become an independent clinical translational scientist focused on understanding how sex hormones interact with the gut microbiome to influence digestive health and disease risk. While sex hormones are widely used in treatments such as contraception and hormone therapy, their long-term effects on the gut microbiome and diseases like colorectal cancer, irritable bowel disease, and diverticulosis remain poorly understood—especially in younger individuals receiving prolonged hormone exposure. Her research investigates how exogenous hormones such as estrogen and testosterone may alter the composition and function of gut microbes, and how these changes could, in turn, influence inflammation and disease risk across different populations. By strengthening her expertise in metagenomic data analysis, advanced statistical methods, and clinical research management, Dr. Ray seeks to identify microbial patterns and mechanisms that explain differences in disease risk between individuals and potentially uncover new therapeutic targets involving hormone-responsive microbes.

Rima Devi Shrestha, PhD

Rima Devi Shrestha, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria

Mentor Team: Jun Sun, John Farrell, George Chlipala

Dr. Rima Shrestha aims to receive advanced training in metagenomics, data science, and clinical and translational research with guidance from experts in microbiome science, epidemiology, and antimicrobial resistance. She is building a strong foundation for an independent research career focused on reducing antimicrobial resistance and improving public health by linking microbial genomics with real-world social and environmental conditions. Her research explores how the human oral microbiome may serve as an underrecognized source of antibiotic resistance genes that can spread within the body and contribute to treatment failure and differences in outcomes. By clarifying how social context shapes microbial resistance, her work aims to support the development of practical risk frameworks that clinicians, dentists, and public health agencies can use to guide antibiotic choices and prevention strategies.

2025 CATS Scholars