Research Faculty
Research Staff
Abbie joined the University of Utah in 2003 after receiving her MS in Quantitative Economics from the University of Colorado. She has extensive experience overseeing operations and strategic planning, generating new research revenue, and providing financial management for the research enterprise. She is committed to fostering a welcome and supportive environment, and enjoys expanding her knowledge of PM&R research.
David has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare revenue cycle. David joined the University in 2008 as a billing specialist with University Medical Billing. Through his years of working for the University he has been able to utilize his skillsets in coding, billing and financials to help advance division and department goals. David joined our team after serving as the FDA specialist for Compliance Services Clinical Research Compliance & Education department. When not working, Dave enjoys cheering on the Utah Utes football team and spending time outdoors with his wife, daughter and grandchildren.
Madelaine is the senior clinical research coordinator for spine and musculoskeletal research within the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department. She oversees clinical research operations and the team of study coordinators at the University Orthopaedic Center, the U of U Farmington Health Center, and the U of U South Jordan Health Center. She graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. She enjoys charcoal drawing, ballet, and MMA training in her spare time.
Heather is the Regulatory Coordinator of Dr. Zachary McCormick’s INSPIRE team in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation division. INSPIRE’s focus is researching alternative treatments for spine, shoulder and knee pain.Heather has worked in the medical field for over 30 years, starting as a Medical Assistant before moving into clinical research. As a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, she has worked in the clinical research field for 15 years. Previous pharmaceutical trial experience includes treatments for osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, women’s health, men’s health and various vaccine trials including anthrax, dengue, chikungunya and COVID-19.Heather has an associate degree in Multimedia and Graphic Design. She enjoys making cold-process soap, reading, drawing, coding and playing with her grandkids.
Cooper joined the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2023 after receiving her PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from the University of Utah. Her background in basic and translational musculoskeletal science has provided more than a decade of hands-on experience with every aspect of the research process, including study design and implementation, data interpretation, and dissemination of findings. She is excited to bring her scientific expertise to her current role as a Research Associate, working with Dr. Zachary McCormick and the PM&R research team to advance the treatment of spine and musculoskeletal pain conditions through clinical outcomes research.
Tou Xiong graduated from Brigham Young University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health. He plans to continue his education and achieve a Master's Degree in public health. He worked as a phlebotomist at the University of Utah before transitioning over to become a study coordinator in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department. He works with Dr. Taylor Burnham in the Farmington Clinic. When he has free time, Tou enjoys the outdoors, such as fishing, hiking, and walking. He loves playing volleyball. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and son.
Holiann graduated with her bachelors in social work in 2020 from Brigham Young Univeristy in Idaho. She worked as an ABA Behavioral Technician before joining the team in 2023. Her goals are to pursue a Masters in a related field in the near future.
Hasan graduated from Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey in 2023 and joined the PM&R Research team in August. Hasan collaborates closely with Dr. McCormick and the other interventional spine and pain providers to oversee research enrollment and ensure the continuation of ongoing studies. Additionally, he involved in manuscript preparation for peer-reviewed publications to refine and enhance the quality of the teams research output. He is passionate about innovating clinical research to enhance and refine patient outcomes.
Ella graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health: Epidemiology in 2023, and hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health in the future. After working in Clinical Data Management, Ella came to work as a Clinical Study Coordinator at the University of Utah. She is passionate about using evidence based research to pursue treatments for difficult diagnoses, and is excited to work with the patients and talented providers in PM&R. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crocheting, and camping.