Lab Team

K Casey Lion, MD, MPH

K. Casey Lion, MD, MPH, is an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine; research director for Seattle Children’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity; and an investigator at Seattle Children's Research Institute. She co-directs the Health Services and Quality of Care Research Fellowship. Dr. Lion is an NIH-funded health services researcher whose work focuses on healthcare equity, language access, patient-provider communication and health system navigation. In her work, she partners with families and providers to design interventions to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes for children and families, especially those who use languages other than English for medical care. Her methodological expertise includes the rigorous evaluation of quality improvement interventions, with a particular focus on QI and healthcare equity. She is passionate about creating systems to support equity-focused research; equitable inclusion in all research; and inclusion and belonging throughout the research workforce. Clinically, she sees patients and supervises residents in the pediatric primary care clinic at the UW Medical Center.

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Ladan Abdi

Clinical Research Coordinator I

I am a clinical researcher with a background in public health. My primary focus is on leveraging data to inform and enhance community intervention planning by analyzing health trends and outcomes, to develop evidence-based strategies that improve public health initiatives and ensure effective resource allocation. My passion lies in using data-driven insights to create impactful and sustainable health solutions for communities.
Sumia Abdullahi

Clinical Research Coordinator I

Sumia began working at Seattle Children’s in 2019. She graduated from the University of Washington Bothell in 2020 with a Health Studies degree. She is passionate about alleviating health barriers among immigrant and marginalized communities. Her research interest includes promoting inclusivity and bridging the gap between academia and communities that have been historically underrepresented in research.
Diana Navarrete

Clinical Research Coordinator II

Diana has been with Seattle Children’s since 2019, where she started with the Cultural Navigation Program before transferring to the Research Institute in early 2023. She has been working in healthcare for over a decade and graduated from the University of Washington with a psychology degree. As a first generation Mexican American, she hopes to take part in research that not only includes historically marginalized communities but also empowers such communities to engage in this field in a meaningful way.
Svetlana Nikishina

Clinical Research Coordinator I

Svetlana joined Seattle Children's in 2023. She graduated from Moscow State University with a Medical Doctor degree. She has combined her passion for mathematics and medicine to make a difference in people's lives through clinical research. Her research focus lies in addressing social barriers to healthcare for populations that have limited access to resources and speak languages other than English.
Citlali Raquel Gomez Acosta

Clinical Research Coordinator II

Citlali began working at Seattle Children's in 2022. She graduated from Universidad de Montemorelos in Nuevo León, MX with an MD in 2021 and is also a Spanish Certified Medical Interpreter in Washington since 2017. She aspires to be a part of research that connects quality health care and underrepresented populations.
JP Santos

Clinical Research Coordinator II

JP joined Seattle Children’s in 2023. They graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a BA in psychology. JP has worked in many areas of academic and clinical research including social cognitive neuroscience, oncology and health disparities. JP’s professional and volunteer work is focused on health equity in underserved communities.
Daria Stupa

Clinical Research Coordinator I

Daria began working at Seattle Children’s in 2024. She graduated from Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine, with an MD in 2018. Before joining Seattle Children’s, she gained valuable experience working in the Rare Disease and ICU Department in Kyiv. She aims to contribute to research that links quality healthcare with underrepresented communities.
Ashlyn Tom

UW Public Health PhD Student

Ashlyn Tom is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Health Services at the University of Washington in the School of Public Health. She is passionate about identifying opportunities to achieve health equity. Her research interests include assessing ways to better support Pacific Island communities, analyzing the impact of health programs and policies on marginalized communities, and evaluating strategies to strengthen communication and community partnerships to improve care.
Nguyen Tran

Clinical Research Coordinator II

Nguyen has been with Seattle Children's since 2018, helping with numerous studies. He graduated from Seattle University in 2015 with a psychology degree and a chemistry minor. Before joining Seattle Children's, he was a clinical case manager at Asian Counseling Referral Service. His research interest is improving health equity in historically underserved communities.
Elizabeth Wingfield

Research Manager

Elizabeth grew up in the PNW and has worked at Seattle Children’s for over 10 years. She has worked on a wide variety of clinical research studies throughout the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development and the Center for Clinical and Translational Research with a focus on Health Equity research. She has her Masters in Mental Health Counseling and is currently a member of the Research Anti-Racism Committee.