Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute has announced that the Clinical Research Support Unit (CRSU)—Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition, Transplant Surgery, and Nephrology team and the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health New Arrivals Wellness Clinic team are the winners of the Research Discovery Week 2026 Collaborative Impact Award.
The CRSU—Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition, Transplant Surgery, and Nephrology team is made up of research coordinators who partner with investigators, clinicians, regulatory experts, and research professionals in gastroenterology, hepatology, nutrition, transplant surgery, and nephrology to design and implement clinical trials and translational studies that advance knowledge while improving patient access to innovative therapies. The team is the foundation of a highly collaborative research infrastructure dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with complex digestive, metabolic, kidney, and transplant-related diseases.
- Angela Anthony, Clinical Research Manager
- Jacqueline Alexander, Clinical Research Coordinator II
- Peyton Halsey, Clinical Research Coordinator II
- Melissa Espinosa, Clinical Research Coordinator
- Angela Martinez, Clinical Research Coordinator II
- Jordan Perrott, Clinical Research Coordinator I
- Vivian Janicki, Clinical Research Coordinator I
- Zeinab Dehghani, Clinical Research Coordinator II
- Irene Wu, Research Project Manager
- Hannah Wright, Clinical Research Coordinator III
- Petula Grant, Clinical Research Coordinator I
The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health New Arrivals Wellness Clinic team represents an integrated care model where pediatricians, psychologists, and community health workers collaborate to provide holistic care and decrease structural barriers to treatment. The team is also committed to reducing health inequities in research participation through its project, Improving Equitable Access to Care for Child Asylum Seekers. The project explores the mental health profiles of Latine asylum-seeking youth age 12 and older, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the utility of community health workers in improving treatment engagement, retention, and research participation.
- Rebecca Ford-Paz, PhD, co-PI
- Tareq Yaqub, MD, co-PI
- Yessenia Castro-Cabellero, MD, co-I
- Jenny Villanueva, Community Health Worker and Research Assistant
- Anay Garcia, Volunteer Research Assistant​
