Daniel T. Leung, MD MSc
Professor, Department of Pediatrics – University of British Columbia
Professorship in Global Child Health, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Institute for Global Health, BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases; Adjunct Professor, Division of Microbiology & Immunology – University of Utah
Daniel received his BSc (’98) and MSc (’01) from the University of British Columbia, and an MD (’05) from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Washington, and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School. From 2010 to 2014, Daniel lived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, working on diarrheal disease immunology as a joint research fellow of Massachusetts General Hospital and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). He sees patients on the Infectious Diseases consult service at the University of Utah Hospital and in the Travel Clinic. His research focuses on the immunology, microbiology, epidemiology, and clinical management of diarrheal diseases and other mucosal infections. In his free time, Daniel enjoys hiking, skiing, playing violin, and hanging out with his family.
Sarah Dallas, BS
Research Analyst – University of Utah
Sarah graduated with a BS from University of Utah in 2026. She joined the Leung Lab in 2023 as a research assistant and transitioned to Research Analyst in January of 2026. Sarah supports projects focused on pediatric diarrheal diseases and antibiotic stewardship, the microbial load of breastmilk, and the experiences of families with children hospitalized with measles. She hopes to pursue graduate school and become a professor. Sarah is interested in designing interventions to support health equity for women and children. In her free time, she enjoys hot yoga, camping, and exploring Salt Lake!
Ali Akeefe, BS
Biomedical Informatics PhD Student – University of Utah
Ali received his B.S. in Bioinformatics from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2022. After graduating, he worked as a clinical data analyst for a medical device startup, where his interest in clinical prediction first emerged. Ali joined Dr. Leung’s lab in 2024 and works on research projects related to clinical prediction of pediatric diarrhea. In his free time, he enjoys staying active at the gym, gaming with friends, watching NBA games with family, and exploring new recipes in the kitchen.
Grace Helen McGee, BA
Women’s+ and Children’s Health PhD Student – University of British Columbia
Grace received her BA in Botany from Connecticut College in 2020. After graduating, she worked as a technician in a lab in Portland, Oregon, whose research focused on cancer immunotherapy and understanding the role of intratumoral microbiota on immunotherapy response. Grace joined Dr. Leung’s lab in 2025 as a graduate student, and she is working on elucidating MAIT cell anti-tumor mechanisms in the context of colon cancer. In her free time, Grace enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, spending time on the Oregon and Washington coasts, and reading memoirs.
Tatum Heiner
Lab Aide – University of Utah
Tatum is a student lab aide in the Leung Lab. She is a pre-nursing major and will be graduating in 2026. She is BSL2 certified and has enjoyed exposing herself to the core of healthcare in a research setting. She has learned a lot by participating in research such as vibriocidals and DNA extraction of fecal samples, as well as being surrounded by intelligent scientists. Her goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner and possibly take part in more research of her own in the future. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, spending time with loved ones and furry friends.
Tiffany Nguyen
Lab Aide – University of Utah
Tiffany is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology and Health, Society, & Policy. She joined the Leung Lab in 2025 and is enjoying learning from those around her in a laboratory environment. She is interested in public health, especially infectious diseases, and hopes to attend graduate school to become an epidemiologist someday. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys spending time with loved ones, drawing, and playing piano.