In Memoriam: Kelli Sharp, DPTSc

Kelli Sharp, DPTSc, who intertwined dance and medicine to advance people’s well-being, passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 16, 2026. 

“Dr. Sharp approached her work as she approached her life. Her contagious passion, enthusiasm and dedication were felt by her students, colleagues and friends,” says Aileen Anderson, PhD, vice chancellor for research at UC Irvine. 

As chair and professor of dance at the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts, and as vice chair for research for physical medicine and rehabilitation at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Sharp was a leader in interdisciplinary science and education. She also served as co-director of the iMove Lab at the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center (SCRC) and as director of the UCI Center for Medical Humanities. 

“Dr. Sharp was an exacting researcher who changed dance and movement science, and she was an engaging teacher and mentor who loved working with students,” says Anderson. “Her administrative service across the Schools of Arts, Medicine and Humanities, as well as the Office of Research, spanned the campus and highlights the role she loved best: supporting those around her in achieving their best.” 

Sharp was also a founding member of UC Irvine's campuswide Faculty Mentoring Academy, which trains senate faculty to be strong mentors for graduate students and other trainees. 

“She was always positive, and she cared deeply about students, staff and faculty,” says Brian Cummings, PhD, senior associate dean for faculty development at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Cummings worked closely with Sharp through the academy, including co-leading an effective communication workshop with her in 2025 and 2026. 

“Everyone she worked with loved her,” says Cummings. “She would check in on people to make sure they felt supported. Her premature death is a tragedy not only for her family, but for her campus family as well.” 

Sharp spent nearly three decades at UC Irvine, bringing the arts and medicine closer together while leveraging dance to help people heal. (Learn more about Sharp’s work at UC Irvine in “Remembering Dr. Kelli Sharp, Chair of the Department of Dance.”) 

“She was an amazing member of our team, a wonderful colleague and a dedicated mentor to our residents,” says Jay Han, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. “Her boundless love for helping others and her positive energy made a lasting impact on everyone she worked with. She will be greatly missed.” 

Sharp is survived by her mother, Jessica; her stepfather, Dan Snead; her aunt, Sue Shapiro; her cousins and step-siblings; and many dear friends. In her obituary, the family asked that donations in her honor be made to Access Mammoth, a community-based nonprofit that helps people with disabilities discover the freedom and exhilaration of adaptive sports. You can also plant a tree in Sharp’s memory. 

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts intends to establish an endowed fund in Sharp’s name to support work at the intersection of arts and medicine. Additional information will be shared on the Remembering Dr. Kelli Sharp site as plans develop.