Lab Director
Sarah Tevis, MD, FACS
@SarahTevisMD
Dr. Tevis is a Society of Surgical Oncology fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist and board-certified general surgeon with a passion for patient centered care and quality improvement.
She earned her undergraduate degree with Honors and Honors in Research from University of Wisconsin Madison. She later graduated with Alpha Omega Alpha from University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and she remains Class President and an active member of the Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association Board of Directors. She completed a Society of Surgical Oncology Breast Surgery Fellowship in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She was recruited to the University of Colorado Department of Surgery after fellowship. As an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado, her research focuses on improving patient centered care for breast cancer patients across the care continuum. She has received grant funding from the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the Doris Duke Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Association for Academic Surgery, and the Paul Calabresi Clinical Scholars Award.
She enjoys all the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer with her husband, three children, and their yellow Labrador.
Staff Researchers
Sarah E Leslie, MPH
PACTT Lab Research Coordinator | Principal Research Services Professional
Sarah is a Texafornian who moved to Colorado from Washington DC in 2012 in the pursuit of mountains, year-round outdoor adventures, and graduate school. She received her BS in Medical Anthropology at the University of Maryland and her MPH from the Colorado School of Public Health. She is passionate about social justice and equitable access to healthcare services, and is drawn to research framed through these lenses.
She is also a veteran of the US Army where she served as a paratrooper and enlisted engineer. In her free time she can be found with her nose buried in a book, cooking, crafting, or playing outside.
Jakob Durden, MD
General Surgery Resident
Jakob is a general surgery resident at the University of Colorado and has completed two years of clinical training prior to joining the PACTT lab. He is interested in pursuing a fellowship in surgical oncology. Jakob was raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and obtained his undergraduate degree in biology at Cornell University followed by a medical doctorate at the University of Virginia. In his free time he enjoys skiing, rock climbing, and hiking with his golden doodle Piper.
Collaborators
Madeline Higgins (née Huey), MD
Resident Physician, University of Colorado
Madeline is originally from Broomfield, Colorado, and she has 3 siblings. She enjoys spending her free time with her family exploring the outdoors, reading novels, and eating tasty food. Madeline and her fiancé are getting married in August. They have a cat – Pippa – and a dog – Milo.
Sudheer Vemuru, MD
General Surgery Resident, University of Colorado
Sudheer is a general surgery resident who spent his two academic development years with PACT(T), working on a number of projects with topics ranging from patient-reported outcomes after breast cancer surgery to quality improvement in the department of surgery to clinical outcomes after breast cancer treatment. He is interested in pursuing a career in academic colorectal surgery and would like to focus his future research on improving systems of care and promoting shared decision-making in surgery with a focus on maximizing patients’ quality of life.
Monica Adams, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Houston
Monica is originally from Houston, Texas. She received her PhD in Health and Behavioral Sciences from University of Colorado Denver. In her free time, Monica enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs, Draco and Teddy, roller skating, and reading.
Laura D. Leonard, MD
Chief of Breast Surgery Oncology, Denver Health
Laura is a board certified surgeon who completed a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at MD Anderson in 2025. She completed the Surgical Quality and Executive Leadership Program through the University of Colorado Department of Surgery. Her current projects focus on the de-implementation of low-value surgical oncology procedures, improving surgical culture and communication and patient-reported outcomes. She is particularly interested in using technology to improve patient-clinician communication. Her ultimate goal is to use her research to inform initiatives that improve patient safety, the efficiency of care and patient outcomes after surgery.
Nicole Mott, MD
Resident Physician
Student Researchers
Allie Nielsen, MS
MD Candidate, Class of 2026
Allie is a native Coloradan who never wants to leave. She enjoy hiking, camping, and watching movies with her husband and dog when she’s not studying for medical school or doing research. Allie is a tried-and-true CU alumni – she went to undergrad at CU Boulder for MCDB and finished her master’s at CU Anschutz in Biomedical Sciences and Immunology before starting medical school at CUSOM. Her research focus has revolved around cancer immunotherapy and treatments. Allie is eager to expand her focus from bench to bedside to enhance patient education and their oncology care experience.
Ella Annest, BA
MD Candidate, Class of 2026
Ella is from Golden, CO and is a proud sister, daughter, outdoor-enthusiast, runner, and food nerd. She completed her undergraduate education at UC Berkeley in biochemistry and was a NCAA lacrosse athlete. Her current adventures include medical school, skiing, coaching high school lacrosse, and spending quality time with her family and friends.
Micaela Roy, BA
MD Candidate, Class of 2026
Micaela is originally from San Diego and received her BA in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Middlebury College in Vermont. She enjoys writing, health equity, and health policy. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, collecting rocks, and playing with her cat Sibyl.
Cassidy Yoshida, BS
MD Candidate, Class of 2026
Cassidy Yoshida is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii and did her undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis before coming to Colorado for medical school and finding the PACTT lab. In her free time, she likes to play soccer, drink boba, and hangout with friends.
Rebekah A. Davis, MPH
MD Candidate, Class of 2026
Bekah is originally from Long Island, NY and loves all the hiking, biking, and skiing she has done since moving to Colorado. She graduated with a degree in Finance at Northeastern University and then pursued her MPH at Dartmouth College. She is passionate about environmental health and equitable healthcare access.
Jasmine Jeon, MS
MD Candidate, Class of 2026
Jasmine is from from Aurora, Colorado. She received a BS in Biology from Boston College and a MS in Medical Sciences from Boston University. She is currently a medical student at Boston University School of Medicine. She joined the Tevis Lab through the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Student Summer Research Program, and her project is centered on the physician-patient relationship and perspective on Shared Decision Making and Decision Aids.
David Chen, BS
MD Candidate, Class of 2027
David grew up in Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign where he studied Molecular and Cellular Biology. He is an avid runner and enjoys exploring all the outdoor activities in Colorado since moving here for medical school. He has a passion in exploring how to improve patient outcomes in medicine and hopes to pursue a career in surgery.
Jackie Grubel, BS
MD Candidate, Class of 2027
Jackie grew up in Southern California and graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario where she completed a BS in Biology. She enjoys all of the activities Colorado offers, including climbing, hiking, camping, skiing, and running. She is passionate about clinical research that breaks down barriers to accessing care, improves the quality of care experienced by patients, and promotes positive health outcomes for surgical patients.
Samhita Bheemireddy, MBA
MD Candidate, Class of 2027
Samhita grew up in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She received her BS in Chemistry and Anthropology from Union College and her MBA in Healthcare Administration from Clarkson University. She is currently a medical student at Albany Medical College. She enjoys snowboarding and hiking and can confirm the East Coast slopes have nothing on Colorado. She is passionate about addressing disparities in health access and minimizing social drivers of health. Her project in the PACTT Lab involves the use of AI to simplify breast pathology reports as an initiative to address limited health literacy.
Elizabeth A. O’Brien, BA
MD Candidate, Class of 2028
Ellie is a native Coloradan and current first-year medical student at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Neuroscience in 2024. She joined the PACTT lab as an Undergraduate Research Intern working on qualitative research projects surrounding immediately released information and patient comprehension of immediate reports. She plans to continue working with the lab throughout medical school and further diving into projects to support patient communication. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, skiing, cooking, and reading.
Sakthi Asokan, BS
MD Candidate, Class of 2028
Sakthi was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado. She earned her BS in Biochemistry from CU Denver and is excited to be able to stay in Colorado for medical school at CU Anschutz. Her medical interests center around areas of health that are still stigmatized or feel taboo even though they are essential parts of one’s overall health. She is passionate about normalizing conversations around sexual health, mental health, and substance use. After primarily engaging in wet lab research in the past, she is looking forward to shift gears towards more quality improvement and patient care oriented projects with the PACTT Lab. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, painting, crafting, working on puzzles with her mom, and listening to podcasts.
Elise Tsai, BS Candidate
Undergraduate Research Student
Elise is from Denver, CO and began working in the PACTT Lab in the summer of 2024 as an Undergraduate Research Assistant, helping to develop and apply coding methods to qualitative research. She loves being so close to the Colorado mountains, as she’s an avid skier and spends a lot of time outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports, baking, and completing crossword puzzles! She is currently a 3rd year undergraduate student studying Biochemistry at UCLA and hopes to eventually attend medical school.
Lab Member Emeriti
Jessie Jiang, MD
Resident, General Surgery | UCLA Memorial Center
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025. Jessie grew up in Chico, California. She received a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Music Performance from Emory University. She enjoys playing and listening to classical piano, baking, walking her dogs Lucy and Chloe, and of course, hiking. Her appreciation for the arts is as strong as her passion for medicine and research. Jessie’s research interests include surgical oncology, clinical outcomes, and surgical education.
Abigail Ludwigson, MD
Resident, OB/GYN | Stanford
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025. Dr. Ludwigson, a Colorado native, has a strong background in research and a deep dedication to women’s health. While completing a research track in medical school, she studied the intersection of COVID-19, health policy, and breast cancer diagnosis. Her interests in high-risk pregnancy and fetal diagnosis have inspired her to pursue maternal-fetal medicine.
Jamie Burke, MD
Resident, Internal Medicine | University of Minnesota Medical School
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025. Jamie is a Coloradoan born and raised. Her early love for science always pushed her towards medicine. After working at a hospital near a refugee center, she began researching social determinants of health and health equity and knew that her future in medicine would also include a future in health equity.
Yoojin Yoon, BS
Resident, General Surgery | Boston University
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025. Yoojin received a B.S. in Biology and Community Health from Tufts University and spent two years as a senior healthcare associate consultant in Boston before starting medical school. In her free time, YooJin enjoys snowboarding, hiking, cooking, and anything art related.
Brandon Bellen, MD
Resident, General Surgery | UC San Diego School of Medicine
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025. Jessie grew up in Chico, California. She received a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Music Performance from Emory University. She enjoys playing and listening to classical piano, baking, walking her dogs Lucy and Chloe, and of course, hiking. Her appreciation for the arts is as strong as her passion for medicine and research. Jessie has been committed to creating a community for women interested in surgery at CU through Association of Women in Surgery, and she has been involved in transplant, surgical oncology, ENT, and now breast cancer care research.
Bridget Foy, MD
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025
CU School of Medicine Class of 2025. Bridget grew up in California and went to UCLA for her undergraduate where she studied Marine Biology. She loved spending weekends playing beach volleyball and going surfing. Since moving to Colorado for medical school, she traded in her surfboard for skis and tries to squeeze time in during the school year to hit the slopes. She loves spending a morning off drinking a homemade iced oat milk latte and enjoying a home-cooked breakfast.
Alexandra “Allie” Kovar, MD
Surgeon, Aspen Valley Health | Aspen, CO
Allie specializes in surgery using laparoscopic and robotic techniques, as well as foregut surgery. Allie completed a Fellowship in Bariatric Surgery at Stanford in 2024 and is now part of the Aspen Valley Surgical Specialists team. Alex was one of the first general surgery residents to work in Dr. Tevis’ research lab. She focused on health sciences research related to prevention of surgical site infections and access to care for breast cancer patients. She also participated in the Institute for Healthcare, Quality, Safety, and Efficiency program with Dr. Tevis where they aimed to improve the quality of care provided by our Breast Cancer Multi-Disciplinary Clinic. After graduating general surgery residency, she hopes to use the skills she gained in the Tevis Lab at Stanford University while completing her Bariatric Surgery Fellowship.
Victoria Huynh, MD
Assistant Professor| Breast Surgeon | The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dr. Victoria Huynh is an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery. She joined the faculty of the UAB Department of Surgery in 2025.
After attending medical school at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, she completed her general surgery residency at the University of Colorado and was a breast surgical oncology clinical research and quality improvement resident. She then completed a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Huynh’s research interests include improving access to breast cancer care among the general population and special or disadvantaged populations.
Malcolm Su, MD
Resident, Internal Medicine | UT Southwestern
Malcolm participated in several projects in the lab during medical school. His interests ranged from quality improvement projects to characterizing the longitudinal care of patients at increased risk of breast cancer. Malcolm is currently starting his Internal Medicine residency at UT Southwestern.
Taylor Neilson, MD
Resident, General Surgery | The Ohio State University
Taylor participated in the Department of Surgery Medical Student Summer Research Program and continued to work in the lab after doing outcomes research on the financial stress breast cancer patients face. Taylor is currently her third year of General Surgery residency at The Ohio State University.
Kristen Vossler, MD
Internal Medicine Resident
Kristen is currently doing residency in Internal Medicine at UCSF after graduating from medical school at the University of Colorado. Her interests include medical education, health equity, and palliative care. She also loves running, attempting the NYT crossword, and watching rom coms.
Jerry Yang, MD
Resident, Integrated Surgery | University of Colorado
Jerry grew up in Beijing, China and moved to California with his family in middle school. After starting medical school at CU, he found Dr. Tevis as his research mentor and joined her lab. In his free time he enjoys hanging out with friends, going on hikes, and playing online games.
Patient Aligned Care Throughout Treatment Lab 