Lab Highlights
May 2026
Manuscripts
Karis Gorak, MD/PhD student and research assistant, was awarded the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP)'s 2026 Dissertation Research Grant. She will use this grant to assist with her dissertation which examines barriers that families from historically marginalized communities face when transitioning from Early Intervention to preschool-based services for children with developmental delays and disabilities. Her work incorporates both quantitative and qualitative approaches to better understand family experiences navigating healthcare and educational systems and to identify strategies to improve access to early childhood services and supports.
Mariam Hassan, MD/PhD (UChicago) student and research assistant, was accepted into the 2026 Gold Student Summer Fellowship program which offers opportunities for medical students to undertake a research or service project related to community health and to develop skills to become a compassionate, relationship-centered physician. She will be completing her research project on a website-driven large language model to support families of preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities.
Caroline Cotto, our full-time research assistant and patient navigator, presented her work at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting in Boston, MA. Her poster examined service gaps in federally mandated early childhood special education. She was also selected to deliver an oral presentation on her research into the initial implementation of Preschool and Me, a community-clinical linkage designed to improve access to school-based services for preschool-aged children
Hanna Ghalyoun, a PhD student and research assistant, presented her work at the 2026 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting in Boston, MA. Her poster explored sleep challenges among preschool-aged children with developmental delays and disabilities.
Preschool and Me: Educational-Clinical Linkage to Improve Health Equity for Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities from Historically Marginalized Communities.
Click Here to access the study
Presentations
Improving Adoption of an Educational-Medical Linkage to Increase Access to School-Based Services for Preschoolers with Developmental Delays and Disabilities
Aishwarya Tallikar, BS; Mariam Hassan, BS; Kayla Hieras, BS; Adil Lokhandwala, Lynn Idriss,
Giovanna Savastano, MS; Karis Gorak, BS; Tina Schuh, MPH; Reshma Shah, MD, MPH.
Educational-Clinical Linkage to Improve Health Equity for Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities
Reshma Shah MD, MPH; Tina Schuh, MPH; Kruti Acharya, MD; Sarai Coba-Rodriguez, PhD; Emily Pela, MA; Raphael Kinney, MAS; Michael Berbaum, PhD; Kathleen Diviak, PhD,
Molly Martin, MD, MAPP.
Missed Early Supports: Delays and Inequities in Access to Early Childhood Education Services.
Shah, R., Schuh, T., Pugach, O., Nguyen, H., Kinney, R., Coba-Rodriguez, S., Martin, M., Diviak K.
Multi-Level Impacts of Sleep Disturbances in Preschoolers with Developmental Delays and Disabilities.
Ghalyoun, H., Terlap, E., Adavadkar, P., Youssef, N., Skolnik, C., Diviak, K., Kinney, R., Bauer, S., Schwartz, A., Schuh, T., Shah, R.
Initiating ECSE Access: Predictors and Timeliness of IEP Evaluation Requests Among Preschool-Aged Children.
Lewis, C., Kinney, R., Pugach, O., Nguyen, H, M., Schuh, T., Diviak, K., Shah, R.
Capstones
Improving adoption of an educational-medical linkage to increase access to school-based services for preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities.
Natalia Matula.
Training Students as Navigators for a Community-Clinical Linkage Model to Improve Access to School-Based Therapies
Karis Gorak, MS, MA; Tina Schuh, MPH; Carolina Jimenez, BS; Denise Carreto-Muñoz, Natalia Matula, BS; Ryan Borum, BA; Reshma Shah MD, MPH.
Assessing Determinants of Access to Clinic-and School-Based Supports for Preschool-Aged Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities
Karis Gorak, MS; Resha Shah, MD, MPH; Alan Schwartz, PhD.
Fidelity Outcomes of Patient Navigator Model: Preschool and Me Program.
Torres, S., Gorak, K., Schuh, T., Shah, R.
Service Gaps in Federally Mandated Early Childhood Special Education.
Shah, R., Cotto, C., Kinney, R., Pugach, O., Nguyen, H, M., Schuh, T., Diviak, K.
Sleep as a Health Equity Issue: Sleep Challenges Among Preschool Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities.
Ghalyoun, H., Terlap, E., Adavadkar, P., Youssef, N., Skolnik, C., Diviak, K., Kinney, R., Bauer, S., Schwartz, A., Schuh, T., Shah, R.
The Waiting Game: How State Policies Influence IEP Timeline and Access to Services.
Diya Patel.
Assessing Determinants of Access to Clinic- and School-Based Supports for Preschool-Aged Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities.
Denise Carreto-Muñoz
Examining Barriers to Individual Education Plans
Jena Kuli.
Family Satisfaction with Patient Navigators in the Preschool and Me Program
Lynn Idriss.
March 2026
Tim Ahn, a patient navigator, was recently awarded the Mark A. Wyatt Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded each Spring to an outstanding Honors College junior majoring in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, or Neuroscience and planning to go to medical school. This award is based on academic excellence, research, and leadership.
Samantha Torres, a patient navigator and research assistant, was accepted to the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP). Throughout the summer, Samantha will engage in structured training in research design, development, and professional preparation, equipping her with the skills and confidence needed to excel in competitive graduate programs. She will also present her research twice during the program, allowing her to gain valuable experience communicating her work to academic audiences.
April 2026
Jena Kuli, a patient navigator, presented her Honor’s College Capstone presentation at the UIC Undergraduate Research Symposium. Her research looked at barriers Preschool and Me families face to accessing IEPs.
Lynn Idriss, a patient navigator, presented her Honor’s College Capstone presentation at the UIC Undergraduate Research Symposium. Her research looked at family satisfaction with their Preschool and Me patient navigator.
Our team was excited to support Hanna and Cashell at the UIC SPH Minority Health Conference!
Hanna Ghalyoun, a PhD student and research assistant, presented her research poster at the UIC Minority Health Conference. Her research focused on sleep challenges among preschool age children with developmental delays and disabilities.
Cashell Lewis, our Post Doctoral Research Associate, presented his research poster at the UIC Minority Health Conference. His presentation focused on factors associated with IEP evaluation requests among preschool age children at risk for developmental delays.
Samantha Torres, a research assistant and patient navigator, was selected to be a member of the American Red Cross’s Emerging Leaders Council. She was chosen for her leadership potential and commitment to community impact. As part of her participation, she will receive advanced training in leadership development, advocacy, and civic engagement.