Meet Luke Miller, MD!
Assistant Professor
Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences
Clinical Interests: Neuroradiology, neurodegenerative disease.
Research Interests: Neurodegenerative disease, informatics, health economics.
Hobbies: Hiking, travel, culture, history.
Meet Faisal S. Jehan, MD!
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology
Clinical Interests: I am a hepatopancreatobiliary surgical oncologist. My clinical practice is dedicated to the care of patients with malignant diseases of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts. I have a special interest in minimally invasive and robotic techniques that allow me to perform complex HPB operations - such as robotic total gastrectomy, major hepatectomy, and pancreatoduodenectomy - with precision and a focus on faster recovery for patients.
Research Interests: My research focuses on improving outcomes for patients through clinical outcomes and health service research. I am particularly interested in patient prognostication, risk modeling, perioperative outcomes, and the unique challenges faced by frail and older adults with cancer. In addition, I study the tumor microenvironment and explore strategies to enhance its permeability to drugs and therapeutic agents, with the goal of advancing more effective and personalized cancer therapies.
Education Interests: One of my greatest passions is education. I enjoy teaching medical students, residents and fellows and I continue to believe in the power of a marker and whiteboard to bring concepts to life through simple, engaging illustrations that make learning more memorable. I emphasize repetition as a cornerstone of building long-term understanding and mastery. I am also deeply committed to surgical skills training, particularly in robotic surgery. I work with trainees in simulation labs, guiding them through the use of robotic platforms, suturing techniques, and developing the precision and confidence needed to translate these skills into the operating room.
Hobbies: Outside of surgery, I enjoy traveling, playing pickleball, and skiing. I have had the opportunity to ski the slopes of Colorado, Vermont and Whistler, and I am looking forward to exploring the Utah mountains this year.
Fun fact: I love exploring new cuisines when I travel and have a soft spot for hunting down the best local desserts.
Meet Ibrahim Yaghnam, MD!
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Interventional Endoscopy
Clinical Interests: I am interested in pancreatic cysts and EUS-guided chemoablation of high-risk pre-malignant cysts. I am also excited to start performing per-oral endoscopic myotomy for patients with Achalasia.
Research Interests: I am interested in research related to endoscopic mucosal resection of large colorectal polyps and improving on the current techniques.
Education Interests: I am interested in medical education on the level of both GI fellows as well as residents and medical students who rotate on our service. I am to engage in primary medical student education through the College of Medicine, as well.
Hobbies: I love bike riding (both flat trails and mountain biking) in addition to grilling on my Big Green Egg and playing board games.
Fun fact: I have travelled to over 40 countries and visited every state in the United States.
Meet Ygit Baykara, MD!
Assistant Professor
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Clinical interests: Transfusion medicine, coagulation, apheresis.
Research interests: Cellular therapy, coagulation, immunology.
Educational interests: Teaching histology, pathology and hematology.
Hobbies: I love skiing, and I am looking forward to skiing on the mountains of Colorado. I am a saxophone player, and I have my own composition on YouTube. I like hitting the gym and swimming laps in the pool.
Fun fact: I watched all the medical dramas when I was in medical school.