Katherine Kelly grew up in Nashville, TN. She gained an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Northwestern University, where she also competed on their sailing team. During this time, she attended a culinary program in Siena, Italy where she developed a love of Italian food. Before attending medical school, she worked as a research manager for the group SOCKs at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Following this time, she attended Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and additionally gained a Certificate in Health Equity. She spent early 2020 working in Lusaka, Zambia with the local neurosurgery team when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and she witnessed first-hand the response of medical care in a low-resource setting.
Throughout her education, she has been passionate about increasing youth blood donations and has worked with the American Red Cross to organize blood drives in Nashville and Chicago, earning their Youth Leadership award. She is thrilled to move to an area with lots of water where she can continue to pursue her love of sailing with her fiancé, Madin and their two dogs, Milo and Ella.
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Global Health
Katherine has devoted much of her research to studying socioeconomic health disparities in neurosurgery, including in areas of traumatic brain injury, craniosynostosis, Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus and others.
All things water-related, cooking, traveling
Undergraduate Education
Northwestern University - BA in Cognitive Neuroscience
Graduate Education
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - MD
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - Certificate in Health Equity
- Kelly KA, Monk S, Koschnitzky JE, Chen H, Shannon CN, Bey A. Differences in Health-Seeking Behaviors by Socioeconomic Groups among the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Patient Population. Journal of Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery, 24, 101074, June 2021
- Kelly KA, Guidry BS (co-first authors), Yengo-Kahn AM, Lan M, Tang AR, Chotai S, Morone P, Kelly PD. Statins as a Medical Adjunct in the Surgical Management of Chronic Subdural Hematomas. World Neurosurgery, February 2021
- Salwi S, Kelly KA, Patel PD, Fusco MR, Mistry EA, Mistry AM, Chitale. Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Mechanical Thrombectomy Outcomes. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 30 (2), 105488, February 2021
- Tang AR, Chotai S, Guidry BS, Lan M, Kelly KA, Yengo-Kahn AM, Kelly PD, Morone PJ. Predicting Loss to Follow-Up in Surgical Management of Chronic Subdural Hematoma Patients. World Neurosurgery, 20, January 2021
- Kelly KA, Patel PD, Phelps H, Shannon CN, Lovvorn H. Socioeconomic and Health Disparities Among Pediatric Trauma Patients in the United States. Tennessee chapter of American College of Surgeons. 2nd place winner of Timothy Fabian Trauma Paper Award. September 2020.
- Patel PD, Kelly KA, Reynolds RA, Turer RW, Salwi S, Rosenbloom T, Bonfield C, Naftel R. Tracking Delays in Neurosurgical Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic. World Neurosurgery, 67 (1), November 2020
- Kelly KA, Sherburn MM, Sellyn GE, Ahluwalia R, Foster J, Shannon CN, Bonfield CM. Management of Suprasellar Arachnoid Cysts in Children: A Systematic Literature Review Highlighting Modern Endoscopic Approaches. World Neurosurgery, 141, 316-323, September 2020
- Foster J, Ahluwalia R, Sherburn M, Kelly K, Sellyn G, Kiely C, Wiseman A, Gannon S, Shannon C, Bonfield C. Pediatric Cranial Deformations: Demographic Associations. Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics, 1, 1-6, May 2020
- Ahluwalia R, Foster J, Sherburn M, Sellyn G, Kelly KA, Ghani A, Wiseman A, Shannon C, Bonfield C. Deformational Brachycephaly: The Clinical Utility of Cranial Index. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, 1, 1-5, May 2020
- Batson S, Kelly K, Morrison B, Virgin F. Ophthalmologic Abnormalities in Children with Congenital Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Journal of Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility, 3 (1), 126-130, June 2019
- Lee DJ, Cronin R, Robinson J, Anders S, Unertl K, Kelly K, Hankins H, Skeens R, Jackson GP. Common Consumer Health-Related Needs in the Pediatric Hospital Setting: Lessons from an Engagement Consultation Service. Journal of Applied Clinical Informatics, 9(3), 595-603, August 2018
- Hale T, Pekala K, Theobald B, Kelly KA, Wolf M, Wellons JC 3rd. Predictors of Post-Discharge Seizures in Children with Traumatic Brain Injury. Child’s Nervous System, 34(7), 1361-1365, July 2018
- Xie DX, Wu J, Kelly K, Brown RF, Shannon CS, Virgin FW. Evaluating the sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey in the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patient Population. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 102(1), 133-137, November 2017
- Brown ZD, Bey AK, Bonfield CM, Westick AC, Kelly KA, Wellons JC 3rd, Racial Disparities in Healthcare Access Among Pediatric Patients with Craniosynostosis, Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics, 18(3), 269-74, June 2016