Dr. Casey Kelley
MD, ABoIM
Biography
Meet The Speaker
Casey Kelley, MD, ABoIM has dedicated her career to transforming lives by uncovering the root causes of chronic illness and empowering patients to achieve vibrant health and lasting wellness. As a board-certified physician in both Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine, Dr. Kelley is a trailblazer in the field of Functional Medicine and an internationally recognized expert on complex conditions like Lyme disease.
Dr. Kelley is the founder and medical director of Case Integrative Health in Chicago, established in 2019, where she and her team provide cutting-edge, patient-centered care focused on addressing the underlying causes of illness to restore vitality and longevity. She is also a faculty member at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, where she teaches the next generation of medical leaders.
A graduate of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Kelley is a 15-year member of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and has served as Treasurer for the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). Known for her dynamic national lectures, she shares her expertise on Lyme disease and other health topics to educate clinicians and empower patients worldwide.
Dr. Kelley’s work is inspired by her journey of seeking answers to health and healing questions that conventional medicine could not fully address. Through innovative therapies, compassionate care, and an unwavering commitment to her patients, Dr. Kelley continues to set a new standard for integrative and functional medicine.
Abstract
Title: Small Bodies, Big Clues: Rethinking Pediatric Lyme Disease
Pediatric Lyme disease often eludes diagnosis due to its diverse, multisystemic presentation and the subtlety with which children express symptoms. This presentation reframes how clinicians recognize, evaluate, and treat Lyme disease in children, emphasizing that neurological symptoms—while significant—are often just one piece of a complex clinical puzzle. In addition to cognitive decline, mood instability, and behavioral changes, children frequently experience migratory joint pain, profound fatigue, sleep disturbances, and autonomic symptoms that are misattributed to psychiatric or developmental conditions.
Using real-world case studies and clinical data, we will explore the interplay between Lyme and co-infections such as Bartonella and Babesia, and how these can complicate the clinical picture. Attendees will gain an updated understanding of diagnostic strategies beyond standard serologic testing, learn integrative approaches to treatment that support the immune and nervous systems, and walk away with practical tools to better identify and manage pediatric patients affected by vector-borne illness. In children, Lyme rarely follows a linear path—but with the right lens, the clues become clear.