2026-2027 Mentor Fellows
Samuel Chidi-Phúc Ahanonu
Mentor
Hello! My name is Samuel Chidi-Phúc Ahanonu. I am the second son of Nigerian and Vietnamese immigrants, and I was born and raised in Utah. I attended West Jordan High School and later graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Utah. After graduation, I worked as a technician at the Utah Lions’ Eye Bank and as an optician, which led me to pursue a career in ophthalmology.
As a medical student, I have been heavily involved with Spanish interpretation at the Midvale CBC Clinic and the Ophthalmology Student Interest Group, in addition to pursuing a graduate certificate in Global Medicine. My goal is to become a strong community-based ophthalmologist involved in local and international outreach.
In my free time, I enjoy Latin dancing, playing sports (basketball, pickleball, skiing), jam sessions (ukulele, piano, singing), watching anime, traveling, and playing video games.
Danny Barrera
Mentor
Hey there, I’m Danny! I was raised in a Latino home that valued hard work and community, which inspired me to pursue a career that combined both. I found these values while interpreting for a group of doctors in Guatemala; that fateful day inspired me to pursue a career in medicine!
While studying medicine, I try to find ways to empower the communities around me, and to support and inspire the next wave of students. I do this through leading international initiatives like Blueprints for Pangaea, and research projects to improve patient care in the Salt Lake Valley and Rural Utah. I heavily involve myself in Global Medicine, Tribal, Rural and Underserved Medicine, and am currently a Utah AHEC Scholar.
In my free time, I cook and eat Mexican food, follow the Utah Jazz, play basketball, and watch telenovelas and shows with my wife and two mini poodles. Even if you’re not my assigned mentee, I love working with driven and dedicated students and would be more than happy to exchange stories (and food recipes) and share my experiences!
Dallen Calder
Mentor
My name is Dallen Calder. I grew up in a small Utah town that still has half of my heart. I grew up outdoors and always feel at home there. When I was young, I had a medical condition that required chronic care and exposed me to the healthcare system. I didn't know it at the time, but that would serve as inspiration for a medical career. After high school I spent two years in Argentina followed by studies at the University of Utah where I pursued a broad education. I enjoy cycling, fishing, hiking, baking, and playing/watching sports. Most importantly, I love spending time with my family and find I am most fulfilled through personal relationships. I am passionate about pediatric medicine, education, and advocating for a kinder, more beautiful world! I look forward to getting to know more about you!
Rachel Dou
Mentor
Hello! My name is Rachel Xiaorui Dou, and I am a second-year medical student at the University of Utah. I grew up in China and took a somewhat nontraditional path to medicine. Before medical school, I studied bilingual and multicultural education. I also worked as a schoolteacher and as a molecular biology researcher. My experiences as an immigrant, teacher, researcher, and medical student have shown me how important mentorship and a strong support system can be. I am especially passionate about improving healthcare access for rural and underserved communities. Outside of medical school, I enjoy cooking, creating videos, exploring new places, and spending time with my husband and young daughter.
Palepoi Gilmore
Senior Mentor
Palepoi Gilmore is a second-year medical student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah with a growing interest in surgery, medical education, and mentorship. He earned his B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Utah, graduating summa cum laude. In addition to working as a Senior Leadership Mentorship fellow with the OACC, he is a RealMD facilitator, and the founder of The Suturing Society at the University of Utah.
Katie Hansen
Mentor
Katie Hansen is a third-year medical student who was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho and earned her bachelor's degree in microbiology from Idaho State University. She holds a special interest in rural and global medicine. She is a RUUTE Scholar and is currently completing a graduate certificate in global medicine. Katie is also passionate about mentorship: she helped start Bengal MedMentor, a pre-med mentoring program at Idaho State University, and has enjoyed giving back to her home community through this work. Katie is particularly interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery and looks forward to exploring the field further as she progresses through her training. Outside of medicine, Katie enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, attending concerts, and trying new restaurants.
Sarah Heath
Mentor
Sarah Heath is a second-year medical student at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Originally from Virginia, she moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, where she studied nutrition science. As a first-generation medical student, Sarah knows firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate medicine without a roadmap, and she is passionate about helping pre-medical students find their own way forward. Her love of one-on-one mentorship goes back years: she worked as a personal trainer and as a tutor for undergraduate students in biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology. Outside of her studies, Sarah stays active playing recreational soccer, training for trail races, and coaching a local youth soccer team with her husband.
Dennis Menjivar
Senior Mentor
I am a medical student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah with a strong interest in otolaryngology. Before medical school, I worked as a Medical Assistant and Spanish Interpreter in Otolaryngology at University of Utah Health, where I discovered my passion for patient care, surgery, and medical education. I enjoy mentoring fellow students, participating in clinical research, and developing projects that improve medical education and patient care. Outside of medicine, I enjoy strength training, working on cars, and helping manage my family's trucking business. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this fellowship and look forward to learning from and collaborating with an incredible community of faculty and fellow students.
Adrian Portillo
Senior Mentor
Year: MS4
Hometown: West Valley, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
My name is Adrian Portillo, and I am an MS4! I graduated from The University of Utah with a B.S. in Recreational Therapy and minors in both Chemistry and Psychology. In my free time, I enjoy working out, running, playing pickleball, building LEGOs, and watching movies. On the weekends, I enjoy going out and spending time with my friends and family. I enjoy exploring the different breweries and food spots that Salt Lake City has to offer. When the weather is warm, I love paddle boarding and hiking. I grew up playing baseball and wrestling and I enjoy keeping up with professional sports. A fun fact about me is that I am a bone cancer survivor, and that experience is what inspired me to pursue medicine as a career.
Grace Richards
Mentor
I am new MS3, who worked in biomedical engineering before starting medical school. I am interested in hospital medicine, sports medicine, and pediatrics. I am from Park City and love the outdoors- especially biking, skiing, and trail running. I also love to read historical fiction and bake.
Alice Snelling
Mentor
Hello! My name is Alice Snelling, I am a third-year medical student. I am from Belmont, CA and attended the University of Utah for undergrad where I majored in Biochemistry and International Studies.
In medical school, I have enjoyed many activities including being a student leader for the Fourth Street Gynecology Clinic, participating in research on stillbirth and social determinants of health, and working to improve our campus food pantry for students.
I would not have made it to medical school without the help and support of my mentors. Medical school is challenging, fulfilling, and rewarding. I am so excited to mentor and support anyone who chooses this path.
In my free time, you can find me hiking and camping with my fiancé and my Bernedoodle, “Sophie” or trying out local coffee shops.
Jack Vincent
Mentor
Year: MS2
Hometown: Boulder, CO
Undergrad: Brigham Young University
I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and moved to Salt Lake City when I was 17. Growing up, I played soccer and spent many summers competing in swim leagues. These days, running and swimming are still important activities for me. I've completed several half and full marathons and one full IRONMAN, with more races on the horizon.
Teaching and mentorship have shaped who I am. I've taught English classes in northern India, built mentoring clubs in undergrad, led service trips to the Dominican Republic and Kenya focused on helping others find their roles and reach their goals, and spent a year in NYC teaching high school students biological sciences and research skills. That thread has carried me into medical school, and I'm excited to keep mentoring and teaching, helping ease the stress, uncertainty, and self-doubt that so often come with the application process. Nothing energizes me more than helping someone feel confident and proud of their own story and strengths.
Outside of school, my family is where I spend all my time, with my wife Anna, also a runner, and our 9-month-old daughter, who's determined to run before she's mastered walking. I'm hoping to stay closely tied to academic medicine long-term, keeping teaching and mentorship a core part of my career.
2026-2027 Research & Advocacy Fellow
Ashley Chadwick
Fellow
Ashley is a medical student at the University of Utah, where she also earned her bachelor's degree in Health and Kinesiology with minors in Modern Dance and Chemistry. She was born in Tucson, Arizona, and later moved to Logan, Utah. She loves living in Utah, where she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, snowboarding, backpacking, and mountain biking.
Ashley has a strong interest in pediatric medicine, with a particular focus on advocacy, public education, and global health. She is currently involved in a pediatric drowning prevention research project in Costa Rica. She also provides education and support within the wilderness medicine and outdoor communities and is involved in street medicine initiatives, working with people experiencing homelessness. As an OACC Research and Advocacy Fellow, Ashley looks forward to contributing to research and advocacy efforts that improve education, patient care, and community health within the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine.
Sheila De La Cruz
Fellow
Sheila De La Cruz is an MS2 with a passion for health policy and advocacy for underserved communities. She earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Harvard College and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Her work includes maternal and child health research and health policy advocacy, including serving as a delegate in the American Medical Association Medical Student Section. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with family, building puzzles, and collecting new experiences, from dancing flamenco to taking a trapeze class.
Aidyn Eldredge
Fellow
Aidyn Eldredge is a third-year medical student from Salt Lake City, Utah. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biological Anthropology with an emphasis in Integrative and Global Health from the University of Utah.
Since entering medical school, Aidyn’s research has focused on improving surgical care through patient-centered decision-making, health systems innovation, and evidence-based approaches to optimize outcomes. Her work has examined how patients and families navigate complex surgical decisions, including identifying patient goals and expectations before procedures and improving postoperative pain management for patients with substance use disorder. She is also interested in developing strategies to improve the delivery of surgical care through better risk assessment, resource utilization, and access to specialized care. Through her research, Aidyn advocates for surgical systems that better align care with patient goals, improve access to appropriate interventions, and reduce unnecessary burdens on patients and families.
Outside of medicine, Aidyn enjoys spending time in the mountains and can often be found camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, or snowboarding.
Ellie Han
Fellow
Ellie Han is a second-year medical student at the University of Utah School of Medicine with a strong interest in health policy, global health, and academic medicine. Her research focuses on developing novel therapeutic approaches for psychiatric disorders and investigating the genetic and metabolic mechanisms of addiction using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. She is passionate about bridging basic science and clinical medicine to improve patient care and expand access to innovative treatments.
As an OACC Fellow, Ellie hopes to serve as a strong advocate for her classmates by fostering open communication between students and administration, promoting student wellness, and increasing access to meaningful research opportunities throughout medical school. Through her leadership roles as a House Representative, Student-Run Clinic leader, Big Sib/Little Sib Committee member, and Professional Excellence and Community Committee member, Ellie has developed a collaborative leadership style centered on communication and service. These experiences have allowed her to work closely with students, faculty, and patients from all walks of life while strengthening her commitment to building a supportive learning environment.
Outside of medicine, Ellie enjoys hiking, skiing, figure skating, traveling, and discovering new restaurants with friends and family!
Olivia Hanson
Senior Fellow
Olivia Hanson is a third-year medical student at the University of Utah with a passion for global health, women’s health, and health equity. Her global health work has included research on HIV stigma among pregnant women in Tanzania, antibiotic stewardship in Bangladesh, cancer-related stigma in Malawi, colorectal cancer screening implementation in Ghana, neonatal hypothermia prevention in rural Nepal, and pediatric drowning prevention in Costa Rica. Olivia is particularly driven to understand and address stigmatizing conditions, such as substance use disorder and HIV, through qualitative research and patient-centered interventions. At home in Utah, she works closely with Salt Lake City's unhoused population through street medicine initiatives and research on substance use disorder-related stigma, including among pregnant and postpartum individuals. Across all her work, Olivia is committed to developing community-centered, sustainable interventions that strengthen care in low-resource settings. In her free time, Olivia enjoys traveling, running, camping, and swimming.
Malika Kadirova
Fellow
Sarah Knight
Fellow
Sarah Knight is a second-year medical student at the University of Utah with a passion for women's health, global health, and health equity. Her research spans maternal and child health, pediatric trauma, and reproductive health education, including projects to improve maternal health surveillance through fetal death data systems, increase completion of pediatric trauma follow-up care, and strengthen reproductive health education for medical students. In addition to her research, Sarah is a leader in Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), where she promotes reproductive healthcare education and student advocacy, and Women Empowering Women in Leadership (WE WILL), where she helps facilitate mentorship between undergraduates, medical students, and faculty to promote leadership development and support women in medicine. Across her activities, Sarah strives to create spaces where students and patients feel supported, represented, and empowered. Outside of medicine, Sarah enjoys running, hiking, traveling, paddleboarding, and exploring new places with her husband and their goldendoodle, Rosie.
Jenna Murray
Senior Fellow
Jenna Murray (Eastern Shoshone) is a fifth-year MD/PhD student currently completing her PhD in Health Systems Research. Her doctoral research focuses on culturally integrated substance use treatment for pregnant and postpartum Native Americans, and she is enrolled in the Tribal, Rural, and Urban Underserved Medicine program (TRU). As a fellow with OACC, Jenna has contributed to projects related to Native American health and medical education through both the Mentorship and Research and Advocacy tracks. She looks forward to continuing this work and developing new initiatives to support medical students and expand access to health care and education in the Salt Lake community.
Olivia Rodríguez
Senior Fellow
Olivia Rodríguez is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, pursuing a career in urology. The daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation student, she came to medicine after four years working as a medical assistant and scribe in a urology practice, during which time she completed her master's degree in molecular biology from Boise State University. She is interested in pursuing a career as a urologist and more specifically, urologic oncology as she currently does research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute has focused on clear cell renal cell carcinoma. As a Research and Advocacy Fellow, Olivia has continued her commitment to mentorship by co-founding SFESOM's Wellness Peer Mentor Program, supporting fellow students through the challenges of medical training. She is passionate about increasing representation in medicine and ensuring students from underrepresented backgrounds have the support they need to thrive. Outside of medicine, she enjoys time outdoors with her two hound dogs, trying new hobbies, and sharing good food with interesting humans.
Karishma Shah
Senior Fellow
Karishma Shah is an MD/PhD student who is currently a Fellow in the Research & Advocacy track. As a fellow for the past three years, she has worked on several projects to make healthcare spaces more welcoming to individuals from all backgrounds, including extensive work with community health workers, tools to promote identity reflection for medical students, and qualitative research characterizing the experiences of underrepresented medical students and patients from underserved communities. She is currently in her third year of a Neuroscience PhD, where she is studying how pain changes the brain. She is interested in pursuing a career where she gets to work with chronic pain patients, as this is a clinical space that is desperately in need of scientific advancement and humanistic medical care.
Adam Taylor
Senior Fellow
I was born in Tennessee and moved to Utah when I was young. I pursued a degree in Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology at Brigham Young University. During my time at BYU, I was heavily involved in research looking at the evolutionary history of aquatic invertebrates. Following my graduation, I shifted my research interests towards medicine and quality improvement. I joined a team at Huntsman Cancer Institute, working on complex clinical trials focused on treating hematologic malignancies. I’m now a medical student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and have a passion for understanding genetic contributions to disease processes as well as reducing costs and improving health outcomes related to surgical procedures. You can find me in my free time with my wife and dog exploring the wonderful state of Utah.”
