KEITH SUMMA, MD, PHD, AWARDED THE K12 CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Featuring: Keith Summa, MD, PhD
For Keith Summa, MD, PhD, a passion for clinical and translational research began during his undergraduate years. 

“A discussion with my freshman-year biology professor sparked an interest that ultimately changed the trajectory of my career aspirations,” said Summa, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 

That then-newfound passion led to Summa’s current research, which aims to advance understanding of disease development and improve clinical care. 

“My current research focuses on understanding how disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms affect the gastrointestinal tract and increase susceptibility to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome,” said Summa, who was recently named a K12 scholar at the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute. “While it has long been appreciated that poor sleep is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and that night-shift work increases risk for gastrointestinal disorders, little is known about the processes underlying those observations.”
 
More About the K12 Career Development Award
The NUCATS Mentored Research Career Development Program in Clinical and Translational Science (K12, formerly KL2) is a National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS)-sponsored career development award supporting early-career faculty at Northwestern. It is designed to train a strong workforce of investigators to drive future innovation and implement effective clinical and translational research. 

The program includes robust mentoring teams to assess the educational needs of each awardee (Scholar) and to provide personalized career development opportunities and resources to Scholars working in disparate fields of study.
 
This article was originally published in the Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute News & Events in 2026.
Keith Summa, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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