Sarang K. Yoon, PhD [March]
Dr. Sarang K. Yoon has been a part of the department since 2018, when she joined Division of Occupational and Environmental Health as a Clinical Instructor, quickly advancing to the rank of Assistant Professor in 2019. A graduate of the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Utah School of Medicine’s Occupational Medicine Residency program, Dr. Yoon distinguished herself during her academic career, serving as Chief Resident and earning prestigious grants and scholarships such as the Rossnick Humanitarian Grant, Western Occupational Health Conference Resident Scholarship, and Dr. Paul Richards Safe Workplace Scholarship.
By the 3rd year as faculty at DFPM, Dr. Yoon has developed a reputation as a prominent researcher in some of the most important challenges in epidemiology and vaccinology. She is the site PI for CDC studies on vaccine effectiveness in preventing and attenuating COVID-19 illness and disease among frontline workers and children. The study results are published in prestigious journals such as Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In addition to the COVID-19 studies, she also is the site PI for a CDC influenza vaccine trial comparing the efficacy of two influenza vaccines, helping to vastly expand knowledge of influenza protection strategies.
In addition to her distinction in research, Dr. Yoon provides administrative support to DFPM’s missions, serving as Associate Residency Program Director for the Occupational Medicine Residency Program. Outside of the department, she served as the conference chair for the Rocky Mountain Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, sits as Medical Director of Westinghouse Electric Corporation and OMC Surveillance Program, and serves as a Reviewing Medical Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Federal Occupational Health program.
We are grateful for Dr. Yoon’s many contributions to our department, and are glad to highlight her as an exceptional faculty member in the month of March.
Professor Mia Hashibe has distinguished herself as a researcher and mentor in the department since she joined the Division of Public Health in 2009. A prolific researcher, Professor Hashibe is a first or contributing author in hundreds of journal articles and book chapters focused on a wide range of subjects related to cancer risk factors, prevention, and mitigation, as well as long-term health impacts on cancer survivors. Her commitment to research excellence and her prolific publication record is well respected among Professor Hashibe’s colleagues and led to the University of Utah naming her the Distinguished Researcher Award during the University’s 2021 Commencement Exercises.
As part of her research, Professor Hashibe serves as PI for grant projects focused on cancer survival outcomes, risk factors, and recurrence. She also works with Dr. Okuyemi on a grant developing state-of-the-art training for NCI grantees to enhance their skills and provide career development. At the colleague level, Professor serves as Director of Research and Practice for the Division of Public Health and Director of Research Facilitation and Integration for the Utah Cancer Registry, and recently served as Interim Vice Chair for Research for the department. She has also greatly contributed to institutional growth and learning, lecturing in places as far away as Sweden and showed leadership in organizing large meetings for specialist groups such as INHANCE, ARCAGE, and InterCHANGE.
We are truly grateful to the contributions Professor Hashibe has made to our mission and the strength and distinction she brings to our department, and are grateful to have Michael Good, CEO here to present her with the Distinguished Researcher Award.
Dr. Erika Sullivan has been a member of the department since 2014, and she has contributed significantly over the years to DFPM’s mission. A graduate of the University of Chicago Medical School, with additional master’s degrees in Pathology and a master of science in microbiology from the University of Hawaii, Dr. Sullivan began her career in Utah when she joined the Family Medicine Residency program in 2011, becoming an assistant professor in the clinical track three years later.
Dr. Sullivan has a clinical practice that is praised for its humanity and medical competence. “Dr. Sullivan is such an excellent provider,” says a patient seen by Dr. Sullivan at the Sugar House Clinic. “She's attentive, knowledgeable, kind, smart, and present. She collaborated on health struggles, offers options, and empowers patients. What a great doctor!” Accolades such as these and Dr. Sullivan’s reputation as a caring, knowledgeable doctor helped her earn the Utah Academy of Family Physicians’ Physician of the Year Award in 2022.
In addition to these distinctions, Dr. Sullivan demonstrates leadership across multiple programs in the University of Utah health system. She currently serves as the Medical Co-Director for the University’s Transgender Health Program, and as a partner of the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics’ Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Learning Collaborative. She is active in the training and mentorship of family medicine residents, serving as an instructor, faculty member, and attending/preceptor for providers in Transgender Medicine and Gender-affirming primary care. She is also an instructor for the Family Medicine Clerkship, where she is responsible for the diabetes, wellness, upper respiratory tract, and general dermatology lectures. Her excellence in mentorship and instruction earned her the Family Medicine Teacher of the Year award from the University in 2015.
We are truly grateful to the contributions Dr. Sullivan has made to our mission and the strength and distinction she brings to our department.