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Principal Investigators

Research Managers

Leslie Palmer

Research Manager

Leslie Palmer is a Clinical Research Manager at the University of Utah Department of Pediatrics. She currently works on the Utah Children’s Project, a cohort in the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program and loves working with the diverse and committed team of investigators, staff and students. She has worked on a number of large epidemiologic studies at the University of Utah over the past 25 years. She received a BS in Environmental Health from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Utah. She enjoys attending plays, concerts, perusing home décor stores, and activities with family.

Amy Rogers

Research Manager

Amy Rogers has enjoyed being part of the Utah’s Children’s Project/ECHO team since 2019. She has had the opportunity of working at the University of Utah in different departments and on various research studies for the past 24 years. Prior to joining the Department of Pediatrics, her research experience was working with adult and elderly populations, so has enjoyed the experience of working on a study that involves children. In her spare time, she likes playing tennis, reading, and traveling.

Study Coordinators

Mary Ruth Wiggins

Mary Ruth Wiggins

Clinical Research Coordinator

Mary Ruth Wiggins enjoys hiking, camping, and taking pictures in all the beautiful places that Utah has to offer. She has always loved working with kids and has done so in many different settings including youth corrections, therapeutic group homes and K-8 schools. She is passionate about reading and literacy. Even though her own children are now grown, she can often be found leaving the library with a stack of children’s books. She is dedicated to supporting the well-being of children and is glad to be working with the Utah Children’s Project/ECHO program to better understand children’s health.

maryruth.wiggins@hsc.utah.edu

Julie Koldewyn

Julie Koldewyn

Clinical Research Coordinator

Julie Koldewyn graduated from USU with an MS in Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Science and Management in 2016 and has worked on the UCP/ECHO project since 2020.  In her spare time, she loves to foster rabbits for a local rabbit rescue, hike, and go to concerts.

julie.koldewyn@hsc.utah.edu

Halle Lee

Halle Lee

Clinical Research Coordinator

Halle is a study coordinator with the Utah Children's Project for the Preconception to Perinatal Outcomes (PPO) study and the ECHO program. In 2022 she earned her MS in Public Health with a certificate in Statistics. She is excited to combine her passion for research and reproductive health in this role. 

halle.lee@utah.edu

Photo of Miguel Angel Covarrubias

Miguel Angel Covarrubias

Study Coordinator

Angel graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Psychology and a certificate in Human Factors in 2022. He was born in Mexico and came to the United States when he was two years old. His favorite thing about Utah is all of the nature it has to offer. He has worked on the UCP/ECHO project since 2024 as a study coordinator. Angel is bilingual and works closely with Spanish-speaking patients. In his free time, he likes to go camping, dancing, and doing photography. 

angel.covarrubias@hsc.utah.edu

Jordana Tuz

Jordana Tuz

Study Coordinator

Jordana graduated from Brigham Young University in 2018 with a BS in Family Science: Human Development. She has since worked with children in varying degrees ranging from mental health hospitals to teen treatment facilities and teaching in schools. She has always had an interest in learning what influences child development and is excited to be part of ECHO, especially to better serve the Spanish-speaking populations. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, traveling, and spending time with her husband and cat. 

u0810829@utah.edu

Alexis McNeil

Alexis McNeil

Program Assistant (Cache Site)

Alexis lives in Cache valley with her husband and kids. She graduated from USU with a BS in Biology and Biochemistry in 2014, and has worked as a project assistant for the Utah Children's Project/ECHO Cache site since 2017. She enjoys puzzles, funny movies, traveling, and reading.

alexis.mcneil@hsc.utah.edu

Nikki Rice

Nikki Rice

Study Coordinator (Cache Site)

Nikki Rice moved to Cache Valley in 2017 with her husband and three kids. She has enjoyed hiking, running, biking, and skiing in the mountains almost every day since she arrived. She is a former kindergarten teacher and yoga instructor with a passion for research. She completed a master’s degree in kinesiology at USU in 2021. Working for the UCP/ECHO project has been a wonderful opportunity for her to combine her interest in research, her joy for working with children, and her desire to organize!

nikki.rice@usu.edu

A photo of Kaitlyn Bird

Kaitlyn Bird

Study Coordinator

Kaitlyn graduated from Brigham Young University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health. She joined the UCP/ECHO Program in 2024 as a study coordinator. Kaitlyn has experience working with children of various backgrounds, from volunteering as a youth crisis counselor to her previous work as a behavior technician/therapist. She is excited to dive deeper into her interests in research and maternal and child health. When Kaitlyn is not working, she enjoys trying new foods, reading romance & high-fantasy novels, and going on adventures with her husband.

kaitlyn.bird@hsc.utah.edu

Emily Knighton

Emily Knighton

Study Coordinator

Emily graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Cognitive Science in 2024. She then joined the UCP/ECHO project that same year working as a study coordinator. In her previous research position, Emily worked with elderly adults, so she is excited to be working with children in this new role. Emily loves to crochet, read, and sing when she isn't working or spending time with her friends.  

u1238232@umail.utah.edu

Lab Manager

Research Associates

Sandra Sandie Edwards

Sandie Edwards

Research Associate

Sandra “Sandie” Edwards is currently a Research Associate in the Department of Pediatrics. She has over 40 years of experience in survey methods and data collection including managing research studies using mail, telephone, face-to-face, and online questionnaires. She is interested in epidemiologic methods and has been an author on numerous publications on computerized data collection, study design, and participant recruiting.

sandie.edwards@hsc.utah.edu

Database Analysts

Shaobo Wang

Shaobo Wang

Database Analyst

Shaobo graduated from the University of Utah, with hands-on experience in data analysis and data modeling in an industry company: Haasen Tara Feed Inc.

At Haasen Tara Feed Inc., he was responsible for evaluating and improving statistical models, interpreting business logic in MySQL, and developing data quality assessment logic using EXCEL VBA, as well as creating input data UI for the company.

Shaobo has some technical background with SQL, R, and Excel VBA, and has worked with business intelligence tools such as Microsoft Power BI.

Administrative Assistant

Bri McNary

Bri McNary

Administrative Assistant

Bri graduated from Florida State University with her bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences with a minor in psychology. She assists the University of Utah’s division of general pediatrics with administrative needs, including the Utah Children’s Project and several other University programs and clinics. She is also a certified yoga teacher and values connecting with the student and teacher in everyone. When Bri is not working or teaching, she enjoys hiking, skiing, climbing, cooking, and reading.

bri.mcnary@hsc.utah.edu

Regulatory Coordinator

Graduate Students

Bryce Johnson headshot UCP

Bryce Johnson

Data Analyst; Graduate Research Assistant

Bryce lives in Vineyard, Utah, with his wife and three kids. He graduated with a BS in Genetics & Biotechnology in 2016 and has worked in the biopharmaceutical startup space until recently, pursuing an MSTAT in biostatistics. He loves powerlifting, yoga, reading high fantasy, and video games.

Bryce.Johnson@hsc.utah.edu

Contact Us

Study Phone Number (Voice Only): 801-587-7373

Study Email: UCP@hsc.utah.edu

UCP ECHO Team 2024