Outstanding Leadership:
Cory Kelly is a Research Scientist 4 and the Associate Director of the Stroke and Applied NeuroScience (SANS) Center at the University of Washington Department of Neurological Surgery. His outstanding leadership is exemplified in his efforts to build the SANS center lab into an organization that is independent and self-sustaining. A center provides support for doctors and scientists from diverse backgrounds and fields for research that is focused on big picture projects to alleviate pain and cure ailments from traditionally underserved populations. He is the type of person who always goes above and beyond in integrity and honesty. He is still engrossed in the day-to-day aspects of the ~30 project research portfolio; the SANS Center handles while in parallel developing the center at an administrative and philanthropic level. He is also committed to selfless service and perseverance, always focusing on improving education branch and training programs for the needs of the undergraduate and medical students, and the future development of neurosurgery faculty and residents. His training in the US Army leads him to develop a leadership style that is lean, caring, and effective. As a leader, a morale booster, he always encourages staff to strive farther and stronger for their career advancement and ensures that they have the right resources to achieve their goals individually and as a team.

Special Contributions to the Community:
Cory Kelly has played an integral role in the establishment of the Stroke and Applied NeuroScience Center (SANS Center). The SANS Center aims to discover ways to understand, treat, and prevent stroke, cerebrovascular disease, and other neurological disorders; therefore, improving treatment and recovery in future members of the community affected by these issues. For instance, as the Associate Director of Operations, Cory helped develop a study focusing on the post-stroke outcomes and quality of life in patients suffering from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages, a type of stroke. Cory also reaches out to current Seattle University and University of Washington students and alumni to provide opportunities in both translational science and clinical research. For example, he has recruited at least 10 SU students. During the student’s time at the SANS Center, Cory acts as a mentor, helping students navigate the complexities found within scientific research. He helps students establish themselves as researchers to pursue careers after graduation. This can be seen through his current employment of 5 SU alumni who he continues to mentor and build their careers as research scientists and future healthcare professionals. In total, Cory has directly employed or offered volunteer positions to 23 students and alumni around the Seattle area, many of whom have gone onto graduate school with his help and guidance. Through his work with the SANS Center, Cory Kelly has and continues to serve the surrounding community.

Other Considerations: His current work at the University of Washington Department of Neurological Surgery focuses on cerebrovascular diseases, mainly stroke, aneurysms, and Alzheimer’s disease. These diseases impact a diverse and elderly patient population, populations who normally go unheard and underserved. Cory can frequently be found in a patient’s room, speaking with them about their diseases in ways they can understand, the Seahawks, or regaling stories from his past to take their mind off their time in the hospital. The values of care and service not only impact how he works with patients or the research he champions but with his staff as well. Cory takes time out of his busy schedule to personally manage the career development of his team and works tirelessly every day to make sure they’re vectoring to their future career goals.