The leadership team at the Stowers Institute is dedicated to fulfilling the mission of our founders by making a significant contribution to human health through world-class research.
Head of Science Communications
Stowers Resource Management
B.S., Biology, B.A., Chemistry, University of Kansas
Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Kimberly Bland joined the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in 2014. Prior to joining the Institute, she held positions in the areas of academic research, biotechnology, drug discovery research, preclinical drug development, medical writing, and clinical research.
Bland earned a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley. As a predoctoral fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, she performed research in developmental neurobiology under the mentorship of Corey Goodman, Ph.D.
Bland has published 14 peer-reviewed original research publications and holds one patent. She is a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Head of Media Relations
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
B.J., Broadcast Journalism, Minors in Political Science and Business, Missouri School of Journalism
Joe Chiodo joined the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in April 2022 as Head of Media Relations and leads the Institute’s digital media team. Prior to joining the Institute, he was an anchor/reporter for the local CBS affiliate in Kansas City, MO.
Chiodo focused his reporting on health and medicine. He was one of the first reporters in the country to interview coronavirus patients who returned to the United States after being quarantined on the Princess Diamond Cruise Ship in early 2020. He also covered the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
Chiodo graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in broadcast journalism and minors in political science and business. He has also worked at the NBC affiliates in Omaha, Nebraska and Columbia, Missouri. His reports have been seen on national platforms as well such as CBS Mornings, NBC Nightly News, and the Weather Channel.
During his time in television news, he earned 4 mid-America Emmy Awards for his reporting on mental health, breaking news, and education. He has been honored with several AP awards and Kansas Broadcast Awards.
Senior Manager of Research Development Support
B.S., Biochemistry, Colorado State University
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Michelle Lewallen, Ph.D., is the Senior Manager of Research Development Support for the Stowers Institute. Michelle oversees the external grants program at the Institute, providing support and expertise from the grant proposal stage through the award management stage. In addition to the administration of external funding, a major focus of the Research Development Support team is on training in proposal preparation and strategic development of grant projects. Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Michelle has been with the Institute since 2010.
Senior Science Writer
B.S., Chemistry, University of California, San Diego
M.S., Atmospheric Science, Cornell University
Ph.D., Atmospheric Science, Cornell University
Rachel Scanza joined the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in March, 2022, as Senior Science Writer. She translates complex science for a broad audience to author press releases, news stories, and features for the Institute.
Scanza earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric science from Cornell University in the lab of Natalie Mahowald, Ph.D., where she focused on global climate modeling of atmospheric aerosols. Her work was primarily concerned with both the direct radiative impacts of aerosols on climate and indirect effects including biogeochemical cycling of trace nutrients. Scanza continued to investigate atmospheric aerosols on climate as a postdoctoral fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Prior to transitioning to science writing in life science, Scanza has published two peer-reviewed first author original research papers, has co-authored a dozen additional publications, and has edited and rewritten many more.
Project Manager, Office of Scientific Leadership
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
B.S., Physics, Truman State University
Ph.D., Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center
Science Communications
Sarah E. Smith, Ph.D., serves as the Project Manager for the Office of Scientific Leadership at the Stowers Institute. Collaborating closely with the President, Scientific Director, and Chief of Staff, she plays a key role in the implementation of programs that advance the Institute's overarching mission.
A native of Kansas City, Smith joined the Stowers Institute after completing her Bachelor of Science in Physics at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, in 2005. She conducted her graduate research under the mentorship of Dr. Rong Li, focusing on the biophysics of cell polarization, and earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Integrative Physiology in 2013. Following her doctoral studies, Smith assumed the role of Scientist in the Microscopy Technology Center, where she developed a deep knowledge of Stowers Institute research through extensive collaboration with Institute scientists.
An expert in cell biology, biophysics, advanced imaging, and computational analysis, she has coauthored 18 peer-reviewed research publications on topics ranging from the molecular structure of the microtubule organizing center in yeast to the interaction of the immune system with cancer stem cells. She transitioned to her current role in April 2022.
Director of IT Applications and Development
B.S. International Business, University of Kansas
B.A. French, University of Kansas
Jessica Witt is the Director of IT Applications and Development at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. Jessica has been with the Institute since 2004, and has participated in most of the institute’s major software deployment projects. Prior to joining the Institute, she worked as a Cost Engineer at Black and Veatch.
She oversees the development, administration, support, deployment, and training for the Institute’s enterprise applications, including M365, ServiceNow, Atlassian Suite, Data Vault, and a custom LIMS. Additionally, she manages the Help Desk support and IT Operations teams and leads the Service Now and Atlassian Community User Groups in the Kansas City Area. Jessica has a B.S. in International Business and B.A. in French from the University of Kansas.
