MEET THE GYRL LAB
ELLEN GARRISON
Lab Manager
Ellen is from the Chicago suburbs and received her BS in Biology from the University of Michigan. She worked for a few years as a pharmaceutical rep and decided to go back to school to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Rush. After 10 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse and Assistant Unit Director of a post-partum unit, she changed course and discovered her passion for research.
Ellen enjoys working in women’s health because it is so understudied. For too long women with menstrual pain have been with limited options for therapies and treatments. The research we are doing is taking steps forward in understanding the basic mechanisms behind the pain and she enjoys figuring out the “why”.
SARAH DARNELL
Research Coordinator
Sarah is originally from St. Louis, MO and graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2020 with a BS in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience & Psychology. Sarah has a strong research background in sensory modalities and is interested in how menstrual pain may influence these mechanisms. Sarah is also passionate about advocating for independent access to health care for those who menstruate, and pain management related to chronic conditions.
KAELA HARBER
Research Assistant
Kaela graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2021 with her B.S. in Psychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Bioethics. In her research experiences at Loyola, she studied physical activity, mental health, and food marketing’s effects on young women and girls. The GyRL Lab allows her to continue studying women’s health while also working to reduce inequities in women’s health and research. In her time at the GyRL Lab and beyond, Kaela hopes to help eradicate the barriers that prevent people from accessing both physical and mental health care.
KENDRA JULIETTE
Research Assistant
Kendra graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with a B.S. in Biology, Health, & Society and a minor in Gender and Health. Her research at Michigan focused on community engagement, health equity, and crisis-response initiatives following the Flint Water Crisis. Kendra is interested in the mechanisms of menstrual pain and continuing to study reproductive health in a clinical research setting, highlighting typically understudied areas in healthcare with the potential for widespread impact.
ALUMNI
MATTHEW KMEICIK, PHD
2020-2022
23andMe
GENEVIEVE ROTH
2017-
PhD candidate, Loyola University Chicago
KAT DILLANE
2014-2016; 2019-2022
Senior Research Specialist, UIC
SIOBHAN IHENACHO
2021
Masters Student, UIC
MARGARET SCHROER
2019-2021
Nursing Student, Rush University
GABRIELA ASHENAFI
2019-2021
Medical Student, University of Michigan
CODY SAIN
2019-
MD candidate, Pritzker School of Medicine
FOLABOMI OLADOSU, PHD
2016-2019
Medical Writer HealthVizion
NICOLE STEINER
2015-2019
Senior Research Coordinator SCL Health
OMAR NELSON, PHD
2018-
Research Assistant Professor, University of Chicago
RICHARD COCKRUM, MD
2018-
Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery and Gynecology, NorthShore
REBECCA ZUCKERMAN, MD
2014-2018
Ob/Gyn Resident, University of Vermont
AVISEK DATTA
2017-
PhD candidate, University of Illinois
JULIA KANE MORLOCK
2013-2016
Educational Psychologist
CAROLYN KUHN, MD
2015-
Ob/Gyn Resident, University of Chicago
INSIYYAH PATANWALA, MD
2013-2015
Assistant Professor, Indiana University
KELLY POLNAZSEK, PHD
2015-
PhD candidate Loyola University Chicago, Dept. of Psychology
NITA PADAVIL, MD
2013-2015
Psychiatry Resident Northwestern Memorial
ADAM GAFNI-KANE, MD
2012-2014
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Chicago
NATHAN SHLOBIN
2014-
MD candidate, Northwestern University
SAANIYA FARHAN
2014
MD candidate, Thomas Jefferson University
ALICE HAN, MD
2012-2013
MD Candidate, University of Illinois
CHRISTINE KANG
2013
MD candidate, University of Illinois Chicago
ALLYSON WESTLING, MD
2011-2012
Resident Physician, University of Colorado
PETER YU, MD
2010-2012
Resident Physician, Ohio State University
JAKE CARROW, PHD
2010-2011
Postdoctoral Researcher at Northwestern University