Meet the Team
Leadership
Reshma Shah, MD, MPH, FAAP
Principal Investigator
Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Shah is a physician-scientist, a Professor of Pediatrics, and a practicing developmental and behavioral pediatrician at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Dr. Shah's research aims to improve how young children with developmental delays and disabilities access the educational, healthcare, and community services they need to thrive. Her research develops, evaluates, and implements strategies that strengthen connections across pediatric healthcare, childhood education, and community systems to improve timely access to developmental and therapeutic services. She has particular interests in healthcare-community partnerships, family navigation, and early childhood service systems, with a focus on reducing barriers to care and promoting equitable access for children and families. Using implementation science, longitudinal cohort methods, mixed-methods research, and community-engaged partnerships, her work designs and evaluates scalable interventions that strengthen developmental service systems and improve outcomes for children and families.View more
Cashell D. Lewis, PhD, LMSW
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Dr. Lewis, born and raised in Chicago, is a social work researcher and health equity scholar whose work focuses on understanding and addressing disparities in access to health, educational, and social services across the life course. He earned his Bachelor of Social Work and Interdisciplinary Studies from Northeastern Illinois University. He has a Master’s in Social Work from Washington University in Saint Louis and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Chicago. He has worked across academic, clinical, and community-based settings. He is committed to research grounded in community partnerships and lived experiences that inform effective interventions, improve service delivery, and advance more just and equitable systems of care.View more
Tina Schuh, MPH
Program Manager
Tina is a project manager with a passion for working on research projects that strive to achieve health equity and reduce health disparities in the city of Chicago and beyond. Tina received her Masters in Public Health, with a focus on Maternal and Child Health, from University of Illinois Chicago. She also was a fellow for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program. Tina ensures our patient navigators and our families are supported and the project’s operations and administration are running smoothly.View more
Anna Whelan, MPH
Research Coordinator
Anna is a project coordinator with experience in research, community-based healthcare, and education. She recently obtained her master’s in public health with a concentration in Community Health Sciences from University of Illinois Chicago. Anna is passionate about working to promote health and social justice for underserved communities. She likes that this role will allow her to make meaningful contributions to improve health equity in Chicago.View more
Caroline Cotto, BA
Lead Research Assistant
Caroline Cotto holds a BA in Applied Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Illinois Chicago. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, focusing on youth mental health, community-based care, and marginalized populations. Caroline is passionate about advocacy and equity in mental health, working to ensure that underserved families are supported and every child has access to the resources they need to thrive.View more
Our Team
Daphne Bello
Research Assistant
Pathways for Preschoolers
Denise Carreto-Munoz, BA
Research Assistant / Patient Navigator
Preschool & Me
Pathways for Preschoolers
Hanna Ghalyoun, PhD Student
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Karis Gorak, MD/PhD Student
Graduate Student
Preschool & Me
Pathways for Preschoolers
Mariam Hassan, MD/PhD Student
Research Assistant & Graphic Designer
Preschool & Me
Pathways for Preschoolers
Giovanna Savastano, MSOT
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Cheryl Sutton, MSEd
Research Assistant
Pathways for Preschoolers
Avril De La Cruz
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Alina Patel
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Samantha Torres
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Alumni
Ashley Andrade, MD
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Pathways for Preschoolers
Ryan Borum
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Elizabeth Cambray-Engstrom, PhD
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Kayla Hieras
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Lynn Idriss
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Carolina Jimenez
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Jena Kuli
Patient Navigator
Preschool & Me
Natalia Matula
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Zain Mohammad
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Pathways for Preschoolers
Diya Patel
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Pathways for Preschoolers
Zaynab Rehman
Research Assistant
Preschool & Me
Valeria Silva
Patient Navigator
Preschool & Me