Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare
Sherri LaVela, PhD, MPH, MBA
Dr. LaVela has a continuous record as Principal Investigator on federal and private foundation grants, including Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has experience in quantitative and qualitative research design and methodology, implementation science, program evaluation, and quality improvement. Much of her research has focused on patient-centered care and improving health outcomes and patient experience for special populations, including individuals with neurological conditions and/or physical disabilities (e.g., multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and disorders), Veterans, women, and older adults.
Dr. LaVela has published 140+ articles in peer-reviewed journals and has given over 200 presentations at clinical or scientific conferences. She has held leadership positions on multiple advisory boards and executive committees, for example the Paralyzed Veterans of America Board of Directors and is a longstanding Advisory Board member of the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System. She has received multiple rehabilitation-related awards, including the American Psychological Association, Rehabilitation Psychology Harold Yuker Award for Research Excellence and the 2023 American Paraplegia Society Excellence Award.
CURRENT POSITIONS
- Research Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
EDUCATION
- PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2008
- MPH, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2002
- MBA, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2002
CONTACT INFORMATION
Sherri.LaVela@va.gov
PUBLICATIONS
See Dr. LaVela's Dimensions AI profile including publications and projects here
