Empower Lab
We are the Empower Lab, a group of clinicians and researchers brought together with the goal of improving resilience and injury recovery in youth and young adults. Our mission is to partner with teens and their families to build confidence and autonomy and lead them on a path to greater health and wellness.
The Empower Lab receives funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD), National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Pac-12 and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Sara P D Chrisman, MD, MPH
Dr. Chrisman is a pediatrician, researcher and professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Washington. Her research is centered on the intersection between mental health and physical health, with a specific focus on interventions that support recovery post-injury. She has been a researcher for over a decade and has led multiple large research projects funded by the NICHD, NINDS, Pac-12 and the CDC. She also co-leads the Seattle Concussion Research Collaborative (SCRC) with her colleague Dr. Emily Kroshus. In addition, she serves as the Assistant Director for Community Outreach for the Sports Institute at UW Medicine, developing a program called “Mental Strength Training” (MST) to build resilience in youth athletes.
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Beth Bollinger, PhD
Research Scientist
Dr. Beth Bollinger is a research scientist at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She provides oversight and mixed methodological expertise to various studies at Seattle Children’s evaluating ways to improve health outcomes for adolescents and families.
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Macey Crooks
Research Coordinator II
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Allina Flaat, MPH
Research Coordinator II
Allina Flaat received her master’s in public health from the University of Arizona. Since joining Seattle Children’s Research Institute, she has been working as a clinical research coordinator on a study involving treatment for youths with persistent concussion symptoms.
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Tayler Hennings, MS
Research Supervisor
Tayler Hennings received her master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2021. She previously worked on a variety of research topics. Since joining Seattle Children’s in 2023, she has been working as a clinical research coordinator III for adolescent behavioral health research and program evaluation, including an intervention study for youth with persistent post-concussive symptoms.
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Caroline Krekorian
Research Coordinator
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Margo Samuelson
Research Coordinator II
Margo Samuelson is a research coordinator at Seattle Children’s with a background in biology.
- Cari McCarty, PhD
- Frederick Rivara, MD, MPH
- Jason Mendoza, MD, MPH
- Tonya Palermo, PhD
- Chuan Zhou, PhD
- Alison Brooks, MD, MPH
- Chris Giza, MD
- Gerry Gioia, PhD
- Emily Kroshus, ScD, MPH
- Ann Glang, PhD
- Dane Ramshaw