Kara Coffman-Rea

Dr. Kara Coffman-Rea (Ph.D.) is part of the Foundational Sciences Faculty in Anatomy at the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM) at The Chicago School. She is a professional anatomist and dedicated educator, committed to creating rigorous, supportive learning environments that help students build confidence in anatomical knowledge. Dr. Coffman-Rea has taught anatomy across undergraduate, graduate and medical programs, including appointments at the University of Guam, Northern Illinois University, and the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine.

Dr. Coffman-Rea's research interests focus on clinically relevant anatomical variations found in cadaveric specimens. Additionally, her Ph.D. research was identification and classification of microplastic particles in human respiratory tissues. Outside of academia, Dr. Coffman-Rea is an adventurer who loves travel, skydiving, scuba diving, and hiking. She finds that exploring the outdoors fuels her passion for science, education, collaboration, and life.