Current Members
Anthony Ariotti is the study coordinator in Dr. Suneja’s research lab and manages the administrative and recruiting tasks associated with the lab’s research on treatment decision making between patients and oncologists. Anthony has his bachelor’s degree in psychology, and is involved in several other studies within the Department of Population Health Sciences, from evaluating decision aids for atrial fibrillation to improving quality of care for mobile health clinics. Anthony hopes to attend a Social Psychology graduate program in the future. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking and camping, listening to music, and catching up on the latest memes.
Mariam is a first-year medical student at the University of Utah School of Medicine. During college, she majored in biological sciences and minored in women's and gender studies and found her passion for women's health and addressing health disparities from there. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2020 and went on to work for biotech/pharmaceutical companies as a cell therapy specialist for two years before starting her MD. Her research interests with Dr. Suneja and team involve using patient reported outcomes to measure the toxicities of cancer treatments in rural vs. non-rural patients. Mariam enjoys listening to afrobeats music, watching reality tv shows, reading novels or catching up with friends and her family in Nigeria.
Anisa Dahir is a Physician Assistant / Master’s in Public Health candidate at Tufts University School of Medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Westminster College, where she majored in Public Health and completed an honors certificate. Anisa is an advocate of public health efforts, specifically in minimizing health disparities and maximizing health care access among underserved communities. She is committed to improving access to health services for her community and was a member of the Utah Muslim Civic League - Public Health committee, where she assisted in the development of health education programs in a variety of languages and organized/facilitated various vaccine clinics. Anisa is dedicated to combining her public health background with her medical training to provide a holistic approach to healthcare. Her current research interests align with the Suneja lab mission and goals to increase health equity in cancer treatment and outcomes.
Dr. Jordan Fenlon grew up in Sandy, Utah and attended the University of Utah for his undergraduate degree where he studied biology. He obtained his medical degree from Western Michigan University School of Medicine prior to returning to Utah for residency training in radiation oncology. His research interests include minimizing radiation toxicity and virally-mediated malignancies.
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.
Valencia Henry, MS is a 2nd year medical student at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic medicine where she serves as a student ambassador. She earned a Bachelor of science degree from Stetson University where she was awarded a merit scholarship and majored in Biology with a minor in Psychology. She went on to receive her Master of Science degree from Barry University, where she majored in Biomedical Science. Valencia is an awardee the 2021 ASTRO minority Summer Fellowship as well as the 2021 ASCO Medical Student Rotation award. Valencia has been published on the AMSA website with her post " The 1000 Mile Journey to Medical School" where she shares insight into her arduous path to medical school. She has participated in the Diversity Summer Health-Related Research Education Program (DSHREP) at the Medical College of Wisconsin where she conducted research and presented an abstract titled “Genetically Modifying Patient’s AML Tumor Cells to Produce IL-12: A potential Treatment Option for AML Patients”. Valencia has a strong interest in Oncology and aspires to specialize in this field. She is committed to decreasing the mortality rate of those diagnosed with cancer. Ms. Henry is very involved in her community and is committed to serving underserved communities and closing the gap in health care disparities. She intends to blend her future role as a physician with mentorship, advocacy, and social justice.
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, and at HCI, she is also a part of the Skyler Johnson Research Group with a focus in oncologic outcomes of prostate cancer patients. Current research interests with Dr. Suneja and the rest of the team include disparities in HIV-positive individuals seeking cancer treatment. Outside of school, Ashley enjoys hiking and skiing.
Sarah Lee is a gynecologic oncology fellow at NYU Langone Health. She graduated from Stanford University where she studied human biology and economics. After college, she taught high school science in Chicago with Teach For America, where she reaffirmed her true passion for health care. She completed a dual MD/MBA degree at NYU School of Medicine and NYU Stern School of Business. She has completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at NYU. Her research interests are cancer care disparities and patterns of care. She loves hiking, crossword puzzles, good books and bad television.
Seth Seifert is an MD candidate at the University of Utah School of Medicine, class of 2025. He graduated in 2011 with BAs in philosophy and psychology from The University of Texas at San Antonio and received an MA in clinical & counseling psychology from William Paterson University in 2014. Seth’s current research interests include the psychosocial impact of cancer and cancer treatment, advances in radiation oncology, and health equity. When not in school, Seth enjoys snowboarding, playing guitar, and board game nights with friends.
Maya Stephens is the Laboratory Manager for the Suneja Lab at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute. She is also involved in studies within the Department of Population Health Sciences with Dr. Melissa Watt. Maya earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from Paine College and a Master of Science in Global Health degree from Duke University. Over the years, her research and work have focused on ecology and its impact on health, sexual and reproductive health, and adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health in local and global contexts. She also has experience leading Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in her previous role at Duke University. Maya is passionate about increasing knowledge and access amongst underserved communities globally and is an advocate for equity in health, education, and opportunity. Outside of work, Maya enjoys traveling, reading, binge-watching medical shows, trying new restaurants, and serving her local community.
Dr. Eduardo Urias was born in El Paso, TX and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico across the border. He graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in physics. Then he completed a dual MD/MBA program at Texas Tech University and it was here he learned of the field of radiation oncology, which combines the wonders of physics and engineering with the art and science of medicine to provide therapeutic interventions for patients. Since 2021, Dr. Urias has been fortunate to be a resident at the University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute, where he gets to learn from and work with great faculty like Dr. Suneja. His research interests include immuno-oncology, radiation toxicity, and health care disparities. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar and piano, playing basketball, and hanging out with his dog.
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.