Musculoskeletal Research Center - Staff

James Carollo, PhD, PE,
Director of the MRC

Nancy Miller, MD,
Medical Director of the MRC

Patrick Carry, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor in the Colorado Program for Musculoskeletal Research. He completed his MS and PhD in Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. His graduate work focused on the longitudinal analysis of metabolomic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic biomarkers to understand the etiology of Type 1 Diabetes. His current research interests include using omics markers to understand the etiology of complex musculoskeletal disorders, including scoliosis, concussion, and osteoarthritis. He provides methodological and analytical support for the MRC in the areas of randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, biomechanical studies, quality improvement studies, and cohort studies based on large administrative datasets.

Email:  [email protected]
Phone: 720-777-6732

David R. Howell, Ph.D., ATC, is the Lead Researcher at the Children's Hospital Colorado Sports Medicine Center and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics. He received his undergraduate degree from Whitworth University with a Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training and completed his Ph.D. in 2014 in the Department of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon, with an emphasis in biomechanics and neurophysiology. From 2014-2017, he completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in the Division of Sports Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital focusing on clinical investigations of pediatric concussion. His primary research interests pertain to human movement analysis and sport-related concussions. Together with many colleagues and collaborators, he has presented at scientific conferences and published papers in peer-reviewed journals within the fields of sports medicine, biomechanics, neuroscience, rehabilitation, and pediatric medicine.

Email: [email protected]

Deirdre Rafferty, MS, ATC is the Research Program Manager for the Musculoskeletal Research Center. She received her undergraduate degree from California University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training in 2010, and her Master of Science in Wellness and Human Performance from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, she went on to work in their injury prevention and performance optimization initiatives with Air Force Special Operations, embedded at Hurlburt Field, FL, until 2015. She moved to Colorado near the end of 2015 and worked at the University of Colorado on projects related to the interaction of exercise and type 2 diabetes for almost 8 years before making the move to the MRC in 2023. Outside of work, she enjoys spending as much time in the outdoors as possible with her family.
 
Email: [email protected]

Frank Somoza, AS, is a Professional Research Assistant and Medical Assistant for the University of Colorado Denver. After proudly serving in the United States Navy and completion of his Associate degree in Medical Science at Denver Institute of Technology, Frank is currently working at the University of Colorado Denver in the Orthopedics Department for the Adult Reconstruction Division. Frank also a part of the Staff Council, the Resident Research Committee, and the Musculoskeletal Research Center at Children's Hospital Colorado.

Jordyn Adams, BA, is a Research Professional in the MRC working with Dr. Selberg on the Hip Preservation Team. Jordyn graduated from Baylor University in December of 2021 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Forensic Science. She joined the MRC in May of 2022. Jordyn is currently a master's student at the Colorado School of Public Health. In the last year of her undergraduate studies, she was a research assistant working in a collaborative for hunger and poverty of school-age children in Central Texas and the surrounding areas. Her current research focuses on disorders of the hip in pediatric populations. In her free time, Jordyn enjoys reading, cooking, wake-surfing, and watching scary movies. 

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (720) 777-5262

Kelea Damp, BA, is a Research Service Professional in the MRC supporting the PatientIQ project and Dr. Garg on the Spine Team. Kelea graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2022, majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Spanish. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the near future. Outside of Children's Hospital Colorado, Kelea enjoys baking, yoga, hiking, and playing with her dog, Nova.

Maddie Hornfeck, BS, is a Research Services Professional working with Dr. Sanders on the Trauma Team. Maddie graduated from Baylor University in 2024 with a degree in Health Science Studies and minors in Biology and Biochemistry. Before joining the MRC as a Research Services Professional, Maddie was a summer intern on the Trauma Team, where she worked on a project assessing clinical outcomes of femur fractures in the pediatric neuromuscular population. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine, and in her free time, Maddie enjoys skiing, hiking, and playing with her dog, Biff.

Katelyn Hurlburt, BS, is a Research Services Professional in the Colorado Concussion Research Lab. She completed her BS in Neuroscience at the University of Vermont with minors in pharmacology and psychology. After college, she worked as a research coordinator for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Here, clinical trials explored the treatment and management of cancer through radiation therapy. Katelyn is excited to return to the field of neuroscience and is broadly interested in how environmental characteristics (nutrition, exercise, pharmaceuticals, etc.) influence recovery from brain injury and/or prevent injury. Outside of the lab, Katelyn can be found running, hiking, reading, or traveling, all with her Dobie mix, Juno, glued to her side.

Lanna Klausing, MS, is a Research Service Professional in the MRC working with Dr. Carollo and the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis. She graduated with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Human Movement & Biomechanics in 2020 and her Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2022, both from the University of Dayton. Her current research centers around the study of human movement in children with Cerebral Palsy.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 720-777-3468

Mia Lundin, BS, EMT-IV, is a Research Professional supporting Dr. Donaldson and the MRC Tumor Program. She graduated from the University of Colorado Denver in 2022 with a BS in Psychology and minors in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience and leadership studies. Before joining the MRC, Mia worked in Emergency Medicine for 4 years, in which she worked first as a medical scribe, and then worked on several clinical trials focusing on post-cardiac arrest cooling, airway management, opioid overdoses, and sepsis. She also worked on a global trauma epidemiology study involving trauma patients in the Western Cape of South Africa. Outside of work, she loves to travel, do yoga and Pilates, and spend time with her dog, Spike.

Gwendolyn McGarry, BA, is a Research Services Professional in the MRC working with Dr. Garg and Dr. Erickson on the Spine Team. Gwendolyn graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2024 with an Integrative Physiology major and a business minor. Before her work in the MRC, Gwendolyn had the amazing opportunity to study alongside surgeons in Genoa, Italy, at Ospedale Policlinico San Martino. She hopes to pursue a career in pediatric medicine. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, baking, and listening to music.

Email: [email protected]

Sarah Petersen, BA, is a Research Services Professional in the Sports Medicine Center supporting Dr. Sweeney and Dr. Walker. Sarah graduated from the University of Denver in 2023 with an integrated degree in Biology and Chemistry and minors in Neuroscience and Psychology. While at the University of Denver, Sarah was involved in neurology research with National Jewish Health and the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, focusing on the effect of COVID-19 on the nervous system. Sarah also has 12 years of experience as a competitive gymnast and three years of experience as a competitive gymnastics coach. Sarah is excited to expand her research into her passion for competitive sports and understanding injury in sports specialization. She hopes to pursue a career in research and medicine. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, and playing with her puppy, Bella.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 720-777-0109

Kelsie Richardson, MS, is a Research Services Senior Professional in the Sports Medicine Center, supporting Dr. David Howell and the Colorado Concussion Research Lab. She graduated with her BS in Biology from Chadron State College in 2017. She then went on to complete her Master's in Pharmaceutical Bioengineering at the University of Washington (2021), which focused on drug discovery and design, clinical trial design and implementation, and regulatory requirements and submissions. Kelsie is particularly interested in the use of biomarkers as a method of determining concussion severity and the long-term effects of brain injury and plans to pursue a PhD in the field. Outside of work, Kelsie enjoys being outdoors, playing softball, and spending time with friends and family.

Siera Rossi, BS, is a Research Service Professional supporting Dr. Nancy Miller and Dr. Patrick Carry on the Spine Team. Siera graduated from the University of Iowa in 2024 with degrees in Biology and Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies and hopes to pursue her MD/PhD in the near future. Before joining the MRC, Siera worked on multiple research studies regarding transfusion medicine and the genetics of epilepsy. Her current research focuses on understanding the genetics and proteomics of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. Outside of work, Siera enjoys live music, staying active with yoga and hiking, traveling, and doing arts and crafts.

Hannah Rossing, BA, is a Research Professional in the MRC working with Dr. Jay Albright. Hannah started at the MRC in April 2021 after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Neuroscience. After working as an intern in the Neurology Department at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Hannah wanted to continue her passion for pediatric research. Her research in the MRC focuses on the treatment of ACL injuries and other sport-related injuries in the adolescent population. Outside of work, her passions are biking, snowboarding, and baking.

Jessica Stockhausen, MS, is a Research Services Professional in the MRC, supporting Dr. Sayan De and the Neuromuscular Team. She obtained her BA in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her MS in Human Technology in Sports and Medicine from the German Sport University Cologne. Jessica's master's thesis focused on comparing verbal encouragement with avatar-based virtual reality feedback on treadmill walking in children with cerebral palsy. She is pursuing a career in research, and would like to obtain her PhD. She enjoys hiking, scuba diving, and traveling and recently spent a year backpacking, mainly throughout Southeast Asia.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 720-777-1904
Program: Neuromuscular

Kim Sungmin, BS, is a Research Service Professional supporting Dr. Klane White. She graduated from Sun Moon University in Asan, South Korea, in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering. Her previous research focused on the effects of anti-cancer drugs on liver and lung cancer cells. Her current research focuses on skeletal dysplasia and spinal deformities in pediatric patients. Outside of work, Sungmin enjoys cooking, baking, working out, and traveling with her husband.

Email: [email protected]

Sarah Wright, BS, is a Research Services Professional in the Sports Medicine Center, where she supports Dr. Aubrey Armento and Dr. Kristina Wilson. She recently graduated from Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine and joined the MRC after completing the MRC summer internship. Sarah is excited to continue her research journey in medicine with the ultimate goal of becoming a physician. Her passion lies in all things bone and muscle, which is why she's thrilled to begin her professional journey at CU. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, running, playing card games, and spending time with her very sweet (and chunky) golden retriever!

Email: [email protected]