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Ama Baffour

Ama Baffour

PathMaker Scholar

Ama Baffour is a PathMaker Scholar at Huntsman Cancer Institute. She is doing research in Dr. Johnson's lab focusing on health-care disparities impacting rural cancer populations in Utah. In her spare time she enjoys doing community volunteer work. She is on Teen Council at Planned Parenthood and provides educational resources for local communities to improve public health and is on the Black Student Union connecting students across the Salt Lake City valley.

Jessica Cruttenden

Jessica Cruttenden

Radiation Oncology Resident

Jessica Cruttenden is a radiation oncology resident at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. She began her career as a registered nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit before deciding to pursue medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch where she discovered the field of radiation oncology. Her academic and career interests include global radiation oncology, health equity and access to oncologic care (particularly for unhoused and rural populations), patient advocacy, and medical humanism. In her free time, she loves nearly all forms of physical activity including aerial acrobatics, yoga, weight training, snowboarding, and hiking. She also enjoys anything involving coffee, travel, books, the outdoors, and her family.

Sydney Davis

Sydney Davis

Medical Student

Sydney Davis is a medical student in the Skyler Johnson Research Lab. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Mathematics. Sydney has research experience in molecular networking and the field of Organic Chemistry. She has previously worked in research labs at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company and Point Loma Nazarine University.

Ryan Hutten, MD

Ryan Hutten, MD

Radiation Oncology Resident

Dr. Ryan Hutten is a resident in the department of radiation oncology at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University. During undergraduate studies, Ryan worked in an MRI research lab, where he developed an interest in clinical applications of physics and engineering principles. He went on to receive a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago. He attended medical school at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, graduating with honors in research. Current research interests include health equity, quantitative image analysis, and patterns of care focusing on patient outcomes. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys spending time hiking, running, playing soccer, and skiing.

Ashley Khouri

Ashley Khouri

Medical Student

Ashley Khouri is an MD candidate at the University of Utah School of Medicine, class of 2024. She is a 2020 graduate of Duke University with a BS in biology. At Duke, she was part of the Glioblastoma Drug Discovery Group, where she was involved in projects regarding the efficacy of study drugs on glioblastoma patients expressing EGFRvIII. In the summer of 2020, she became part of the Skyler Johnson Research Group, where she began investigating the prognoses of intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer patients. She looks forward to the continuation of her involvement in clinical research with Dr. Johnson at Huntsman Cancer Institute throughout medical school. Outside of school, Ashley enjoys hiking, playing basketball, and going on road trips with her friends.

Alexander Tward

Alexander Tward

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alexander is an undergraduate student studying biology and anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. At Huntsman Cancer Institute, he is a member of the Genitourinary Cancers Center and has extensive experience working with the HCI Cancer Clinical Research (CCR) database. His projects for the Skyler Johnson Research Group are primarily concerned with investigating predictive and prognostic features in patients treated for prostate cancer. His professional goals include becoming a physician at the crossroads of clinical research and public health.

Angelica Uzoigwe is a Huntsman Cancer Institute PathMaker Scholar working in Dr. Johnson's lab. This is her 2nd year in the program, and she previously worked with Dr. Neli Ulrich, Executive Director of the Huntsman Cancer Institutes' lab. She is a senior at the University of Utah, majoring in pre-nursing with a minor in psychology. In her free time Angelica loves to spend time with her friends, go to concerts, and go hiking. She has many plans for the future. She hopes to move to Houston, get her master's in nursing, further develop her work in the surgery cosmetic field, open a medical spa as a nurse aesthetician and mentor young girls of color with aspirations of becoming a nurse.

Chris Weil

Chris Weil

Radiation Oncology Resident

Chris Weil is a resident in the department of radiation oncology at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Chris has bachelor's degrees in biomechanical engineering and music from Stanford University and a master's degree in biomedical engineering from Yale University. He worked as an engineer prior to returning to medical school at the University of Missouri Columbia. Current research interests include long-term toxicity and clinical outcomes, patterns of care, health care disparities, and pediatric malignancies. Outside of work, Chris enjoys martial arts, skiing, playing music, comedy, catching every Formula 1 and MotoGP race, his two awful cats, and traveling with his surgery resident significant other.

Ann Worthen

Ann Worthen

Study Coordinator

Ann Worthen is the Research Coordinator of the Johnson Lab and manages the administrative and recruiting tasks associated with the lab’s research endeavors. Ann has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in American Indian Studies. She has over 15 years of research experience in the areas of homelessness, alcohol use/misuse, social psychology, American Indian and Alaska Native health disparities, radiology, neurology, and cancer. She has previously worked for CROs in Washington, DC, University of Arizona, University of Utah, and Mayo Clinic (Florida). Outside of work, Ann enjoys spending quality time in nature, visiting National Parks, learning the German language, and reading a lot of fiction.

Skyler B. Johnson, MD

Principal Investigator

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