KL2 & Affiliate Scholars
2023-2024 CATS Scholar Heading link
Stephanie LaBedz, MD
Instructor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
Mentor: Lisa Sharp, BSN, MA, PhD, Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, UIC College of Nursing
Labedz is a physician-scientist in pulmonary and critical care medicine. She investigates racial differences in medication adherence among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ascertains barriers and facilitators to COPD medication adherence, and identifies targets for behavioral interventions to improve adherence in disadvantaged persons with the disease.
2023-2024 CATS Affiliate Scholars Heading link
Matthew Henke, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UIC College of Pharmacy
Mentor: Ravinder Gill, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
Henke is a chemist by training with a special focus on microbial natural products and mass spectrometry. His work seeks to identify microbial molecules that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to translate findings to potential treatments for IBD. He hopes to establish an extramurally-supported research program that sits at the intersection of chemistry, microbiology and human biology as they relate to the microbiome and its effects on health and disease.
2023-2024 CATS Affiliate Scholars Heading link
Sara Kelly, PhD, MPH
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Research Services, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria
Mentor: Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD, Visiting Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, UIC College of Medicine
Kelly is a psychiatric epidemiologist by training and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria. She joined the program to obtain mentorship in a mixed methods approach to obtain a deeper understanding of polysubstance use and treatment among adolescents.
2023-2024 CATS Affiliate Scholars Heading link
Hema Krishna, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
Mentor: Dawood Darbar, MBChB, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHRS, Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology Chief, Division of Cardiology, UIC College of Medicine
Krishna is a cardiology imaging faculty at the UIC College of Medicine and has developed her clinical and research focus in echocardiography, artificial intelligence (AI), and valvular heart disease. While in the program, she hopes to create and validate an AI model which accurately defines AS severity, first trained to expert cardiologist assessment, and subsequently trained to relevant clinical outcomes.
2023-2024 CATS Affiliate Scholars Heading link
Elizabeth Papautsky, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, UIC College of Applied Health Sciences
Mentor: Lisa Sharp, BSN, MA, PhD, Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, UIC College of Nursing
Papautsky transitioned is a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences in the UIC College of Applied Health in 2020. Her career goal is to become an established independent researcher in low socioeconomic status breast cancer patient populations. While in the program, she aims to characterize both patient-caregiver and surgeon work of infection surveillance and co-design a culturally appropriate education and support tool prototype.
2022-2024 CATS Scholars Heading link
Christian Ascoli, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
Mentor: Gye Young Park, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Allergy, Department of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
As a pulmonary and critical care physician, Ascoli’s goal is to develop a robust research program that bridges the evidence-to-practice gap that exists in sarcoidosis and interstitial lung diseases by gaining insight into their immunopathogenesis. He seeks to establish a comprehensive clinical practice that delivers preeminent medical care to the underrepresented minorities most affected by these diseases through implementation of personalized medicine strategies and developing much needed targeted therapies crucial to reducing the high rates of morbidity and mortality.
2022-2024 KL2 cont Heading link
Kristine Zimmermann, PhD, MPH
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, UIC School of Public Health, Department of Family and Community Medicine, UI College of Medicine- Rockford
Mentor: Stacie Geller, PhD, Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, UIC College of Medicine
Zimmermann is a public health researcher committed to advancing evidence-based practice in rural community and clinical settings via community-engaged research. Her long-term goal is to improve the translation of evidence-based practice in rural communities with a focus on increasing physical activity in rural, pregnant persons.
2022-2024 KL2 scholars, cont. Heading link
Sarah Messmer, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
Mentor: Niranjan S. Karnik, MD, PhD, Visiting Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Institute for Juvenile Research, Co-Director, Digital Mental Health Program, UIC College of Medicine
Through Messmer’s clinical care at UIC’s Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP) West Side Field Station, she has worked with a multidisciplinary team to design interventions such as the mobile van to bring care to patients where they are, in an environment where they feel comfortable and welcomed. She seeks to build the necessary research skills to effectively study these interventions, as well as design clinical trials to improve the care provided to patients with opioid use disorder, particularly those most at risk of overdose death.
2022-2024 CATS Affiliate Scholars Heading link
Monica Lee, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, UIC College of Medicine
Mentor: R. John Solaro, PhD, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, UIC College of Medicine
Lee’s career objective is to create an independent academic research foundation focused on understanding vascular biology from a multi-cellular perspective. Her current research program is focused on unfolding the mechanisms of how nuclear pore elements mediate endothelial and vascular health. Not only does this reflect the interdisciplinary appreciation for the nucleus as a mechanosensor, but aligns with Lee’s long-term career goal to elucidate unexplored mechanisms that drive endothelial dysfunction, a preceding event of many high-impact human diseases.
2022-2024 Affiiates, cont. Heading link
Joann Romano-Keeler, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UIC College of Medicine
Mentor: Jun Sun, PhD, AGAF, Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Department of Microbiology/Immunology, UIC College of Medicine
Romano-Keeler’s goal is to understand how micro and macronutrients impact establishment of the fetal and neonatal microbiome. The career development award provides an opportunity to acquire new research skills in the workflow of metabolomics- including analysis and interpretation of data- and how to construct enteroids from human intestinal tissue to interrogate how short chain fatty acids modulate vitamin D receptor expression and intestinal homeostasis during intestinal epithelial cell development. Her research will inform her team’s ability to design nutritional interventions that positively impact outcomes during pregnancy and across the lifespan.
2022-2024 Affiliates, cont. Heading link
Camila Zamperini, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, UIC College of Dentistry
Mentor: Luisa DiPietro, DDS, PhD, Professor, Department of Periodontics, Director, UIC Center for Wound Healing & Tissue Regeneration, UIC College of Dentistry
While root caries has been increasingly observed in the daily clinical practice, our understanding of its specific pathophysiological mechanisms is still unexplored. There is a critical need for translational initiatives that identify and explore specific pathogenic mechanisms for potential clinical intervention. Zamperini’s innovative approach focuses on unveiling the complex role of human neutrophils in degrading the dentin extracellular matrix during root caries progression. This understanding could lead to novel therapeutic approaches tailored to inhibiting the progression of root lesions.