2024-25 Mentorship Fellow
Chris Wallace-Carrete
Senior Lead Mentor
Year: MS4
Hometown: Incline Village, NV
Undergrad: University of Utah; University of Nevada, Reno
Chris grew up in Incline Village, Nevada and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a Bachelor’s in Biology and a minor in Military Science. Following graduation, he served as an Air Defense Artillery officer in the U.S. Army, where he developed a strong passion for leadership. Driven to lead in medicine, Chris returned to academics, earning a second Bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Utah. He is now a fourth-year medical student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, with plans to specialize in ophthalmology. In his free time, he enjoys making sushi, paddleboarding, and spending time with his wife.
Sonia Sehgal
Senior Lead Mentor
Year: MS4
Hometown: Singapore; Sandy, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
Hi! My name is Sonia and I'm one of the senior lead mentors this year. I'm in my 4th year of medical school and I'm currently applying to residency in emergency medicine. I'm originally from Singapore but have been in Utah for a long time. I'm a first-generation student and I'm super passionate about harm reduction, addiction medicine, population health, and mentorship! I love climbing, spicy foods, and exploring new (and old) coffee shops. Super stoked to meet everyone this year!
Moroni Lopez
Mentor
Year: MS4
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT; Guadalajara, Mexico
Undergrad: Brigham Young University
My name is Moroni, I was born in Mexico and am a 4th year medical student going into emergency medicine. My passions are working with underserved populations, ultrasound, global health, and increasing access to medical school for those from underrepresented backgrounds. I love the outdoors and have an 2 almost 3-year-old daughter and 6-month-old son. When I’m not doing med school stuff or hiking you can find us cooking and watching Netflix. I also love soccer!
Mariam Atobiloye
Mentor
Year: MS3
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Undergrad: University of Southern Mississippi
I completed my bachelor's degree in Biological sciences, with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. After graduating from college, I worked for two biopharma companies in Houston, TX before moving to SLC in August 2022 to begin medical school. My passion lies in addressing health disparities and improving global access to healthcare, and currently, my dream is to become a women's health physician. In my spare time, I like to read fiction novels, dance, watch Netflix, catch up with my family back in Nigeria, and considering that I now live in Utah, I could say I'm an amateur hiker. I am looking forward to being a mentor with the OACC this year and I look forward to ensuring that YOU fulfil your own dreams of becoming a physician one day.
Brock Coleman
Mentor
Year: MS3
Hometown: Layton, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
My name is Brock Coleman, I greatly look forward to meeting and working with you soon! I grew up north of Salt Lake, and attended Layton High. After high school I spent two years as a missionary in Japan, then obtained my undergraduate in Chemistry at the University of Utah. My wife and I were married in 2022, and our daughter was born earlier this month!
My hobbies have two sides; physical activity and nerdy. I love to play soccer, weightlift, and get together with friends to play pickleball. On the other hand, I enjoy acting as DND dungeon master for a ~2 year long campaign, playing videogames with fellow medical students, and tinkering with how to make Anki a great study application.
Looking forward to getting to know more about you!
Omar Shihab
Mentor
Year: MS3
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, but both my parents are from Lebanon (where I have a dual citizenship)! I love skiing and biking, but mostly skiing. I love photography and taking pictures of nature and cool urban environments. I am a big fan of anything and everything pop culture, whether it be video games, movies, TV, and/or music; favorite genre is comedy (including stand-up). Halloween is my favorite holiday and my favorite treat is sour candy!
Adrian Portillo
Mentor
Year: MS2
Hometown: West Valley, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
My name is Adrian Portillo, and I am an MS2! 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, and building LEGOs. 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 Utah 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.
Jacob Taylor
Mentor
Year: MS2
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Undergrad: Brigham Young University
I’m currently a medical student at the University of Utah, where I’m balancing a love for neurology, healthcare advocacy, and research. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a major in neuroscience and minors in Mandarin Chinese, gerontology, and chemistry. For the past two years, I’ve been happily married to my wonderful husband.
I have gotten involved in research during my time at the University of Utah. My research focuses on how neutrophils play a role in the development of hypertensive diseases during pregnancy, which I find fascinating. I’m also passionate about advocacy in medicine and actively involved with a student-led PrEP clinic, helping provide HIV prophylaxis and STD testing to uninsured people in the community.
When I’m not deep into my studies or research, I enjoy expressing my creativity through art. I love painting, sculpting, drawing, or building something new in my free time. And I’m always up for outdoor activities—especially snowboarding, though I wish I had more time and money to hit the slopes more often.
Saachi Jhandi
Mentor
Year: MS2
Hometown: Chico, CA
Undergrad: Stanford University
Hi, I'm Saachi I'm a second year medical student at the U. I grew up in california and got my B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience and my M.S. in Community Health and Prevention Research at Stanford. I am passionate about health equity and supporting health systems in underrepresented communities. In my free time I love baking, music, movies, and building lego sets.
Jeebika Dahal
Mentor
Year: MS2
Hometown: Nepal; Salt Lake City, UT
Undergrad: University of Utah
I'm Jeebika, a second-year medical student and a proud first-generation student. Having faced my own challenges, I’m passionate about advocating for fellow first-gen students and helping them navigate their journeys. When I’m not studying, I enjoy spending time outdoors, whether it’s hiking or playing pickleball.
2024-25 Research & Advocacy Fellow
Karishma Shah
Senior Fellow
Karishma Shah is an MD/PhD student who is currently a Senior Fellow in the Research & Advocacy track. As a fellow for the past two 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.
Jacob Knight
Senior Fellow
Jake attended the University of Utah for his undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Psychology. After receiving his bachelors, he decided to pursue work in education, focusing on student success in High School. Here he discovered a passion for mental health and decided to pursue medical school. He was accepted in the University of Utah School of Medicine in 2021 and is currently in his third year. Throughout his education he has focused on advocacy and equity with a special interest in the queer community. He is currently interested in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and hopes to be able to work with queer youth, individuals with eating disorders, and individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders when he becomes a practicing physician.
Jenna Murray
Fellow
Jenna Murray is a third-year MD/PhD student in the University of Utah’s Medical Scientist Training Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Colorado College in 2017 and a Master of Public Health from Dartmouth College in 2021. Jenna worked as a research fellow with the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the Native American Program prior to coming to Utah, where she’s pursuing her MD with a graduate certificate in Tribal, Rural, and Urban underserved medicine and her PhD in Population Health Sciences with an emphasis in Health Systems Research. She’s currently working on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a culturally-integrated perinatal substance use clinical program for Native American pregnant and postpartum people. As an Eastern Shoshone scientist and aspiring OB/Gyn, Jenna aims to advance community-driven, reciprocal research that honors Indigenous sovereignty, knowledge, and traditions as essential tools for addressing health disparities.
Silvia Soule
Fellow
Silvia Soule is a third-year medical student at the University of Utah School of Medicine, committed to advancing health equity and supporting underrepresented communities. Actively engaged in her Latinx community, she co-leads the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Utah Chapter and co-founded the Medical Spanish Student Interest Group, enhancing mentorship and language access for her peers. As the former Student Community Outreach Director at the Rose Park Student-Led Clinic, she helped organize health fairs to provide vital resources to underserved populations while addressing community needs. Her previous leadership in the U of U LEAP Mentorship Program fostered connections between undergraduate students and medical student mentors, promoting diversity in medicine. Excited to serve as a Research and Advocacy Fellow, Silvia aims to improve the curriculum and advance research that highlights cultural competency in medical training. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, trying new restaurants with her husband, and hiking with her two pups!
Adam Gaudin
Fellow
Adam (He/Him) is a third-year medical student at the UofU, a Libra, a golden retriever emergency medicine lackey, and a little bit strange. His red flag is that he still uses Snapchat at 25, and his green flag is that he is always kind to service people. He prides himself on being "delusionally optimistic"- an attribute given to him during his first rotation in detox medicine.
Originally from downtown SLC, he took a brief hiatus to the wild Washington county to complete a BS is biomedical engineering- before returning to the sweet hometown hero embrace of the Wasatch Mountains. He is currently enjoying advocating for tribal medicine, dm'ing senators about health policy in his limited free time, and making medicine more accessible for the transgender community.
May Shaaban
Fellow
May Shaaban is a third-year medical student at the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, committed to advancing health equity and women’s health. She has conducted research on breast cancer treatment barriers in Mongolia and gynecological conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis. An advocate for minority populations, May works at the Rose Park Clinic, where she assists refugee communities by providing equitable care and using her Arabic language skills to enhance patient comfort. Her global health initiatives include advocating for women’s health through obstetric fistula research and supporting children’s education and vaccines. In addition to mentoring students and contributing to medical education reform, May is dedicated to addressing systemic barriers in healthcare for underrepresented communities. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and exploring new cultures, always seeking to broaden her understanding of global health.
Bita Tristani-Firouzi
Fellow
Bita Tristani-Firouzi is a third-year medical student who is proud to represent heritage from both Puerto Rico and Iran. Originally from Salt Lake City, Bita obtained her bachelorette degree from Pomona College in Gender & Women's Studies in 2021. Equipped with the knowledge of disability theory and intersectional feminist thought, she entered medical school with the goal of advancing transgender healthcare access and education. She has been involved in several projects regarding increasing access to gender affirming surgeries and investigating barriers to care for transgender communities. She also has spear-headed LGBTQ efforts within the Department of Dermatology. She was a student leader in the student-lead PrEP Clinic from 2023-2024. Bita is passionate about intersectionality and believes that race, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, and socio-economic status all play a central part in shaping one's determents of health. In her free time, she loves indoor spin cycling, rock climbing, and karaoke.
