In Memoriam: Kristin Abbott, 1982-2024

Kristin Abbott, medical director of the Northwestern University Medicine Student Health Service in Illinois, passed away on January 21. She was 41 years old.

Dr. Abbott was a member of the Northwestern University community since 2013. She began her tenure with Northwestern University as a team physician for multiple university athletic teams, and as a staff member in the Division of Student Affairs. She took on the role of director of the university’s Student Health Service in 2021. Additionally, Dr. Abbott served as an assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine.

In addition to her responsibilities at Northwestern University, Dr. Abbott volunteered with the United States Figure Skating Association, serving as a national technical specialist for synchronized skating, and as the vice chair of the technical panel committee for synchronized skating. She was a physician in the national network for Team USA figure skaters, and served as a Team USA physician during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.

“Dr. Abbott was an incredibly kind and responsive physician,” said Mona Dugo, assistant vice president for wellness and dean of students for Northwestern Student Affairs. “Those of us who had the honor of working with her throughout her Northwestern tenure came to rely on her ability to lead with compassion. We saw her take care of students when they were facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and we always knew they were in good hands.”

Dr. Abbott graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and zoology. She received her medical degree from the University of Toledo in Ohio.