Celebrating Dr. Jennifer Hoffmann’s Selection as an IRI Fellow!

June 19, 2025

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Jennifer Hoffmann, MD, MS, Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine) and Medical Social Sciences, for being selected as a 2025 Fellow of the Implementation Research Institute (IRI)—a national, NIH-funded training program widely regarded as a cornerstone in the field of implementation science. Dr. Hoffmann’s selection was a tremendous achievement and a reflection of her growing leadership at the intersection of pediatric emergency medicine and mental health intervention.

Dr. Hoffmann applied to IRI with a clear and compelling vision: to accelerate the translation of evidence-based mental health interventions into practice—especially for youth seen in emergency departments for suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts. As a pediatric emergency medicine physician and early career investigator, her research is both urgent and impactful. Her current work centers on Caring Contacts—a simple yet powerful intervention that sends supportive text messages to young people following an emergency visit. With implementation science as her guide, she’s working to ensure interventions like this not only show promise in clinical trials but are scaled effectively and equitably in real-world settings.

The IRI fellowship gave Dr. Hoffmann the opportunity to sharpen her implementation science toolkit through intensive mentorship, hands-on training, and national collaboration. With mentorship from Rinad Beidas, PhD, and Andrea Graham, PhD—leaders in Northwestern’s Department of Medical Social Sciences and the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies— Dr. Hoffmann’s candidacy stood out for its alignment of strong institutional support, a timely research focus, and a clear plan for impact.

The application process itself was formative. It asked her to articulate a future study concept and assemble a mentorship team—two steps that helped clarify the next phase of her research career. As part of the 2025 IRI cohort, Dr. Hoffmann connected with implementation scientists across disciplines and institutions, building the kinds of collaborations that can propel promising interventions into clinical practice.

This fellowship marked a pivotal step in Dr. Hoffmann’s journey as a physician-scientist. It affirmed her commitment to bridging science and service—ensuring that evidence-based mental health treatments are not only developed, but delivered. Her work is already making a difference, and this fellowship will only deepen that impact.

Congratulations, Jennifer! We’re inspired by your vision, and excited for everything that comes next.