Our Team

CIH Director & Founder

Director and Founder, Dr. Jason Deen (He/Him) is a member of the Blackfeet Tribe and is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Washington, in the Divisions of Cardiology. He is the director of UW Medicine’s Center for Indigenous Health. He is a graduate of the American Indian Health Pathway through the Center of American Indian and Minority Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Deen serves as the Vice Chair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Department of Pediatrics, Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Native American Child Health, and co-Chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Internal Medicine Pathway program, leading the  Indigenous cohort. As a Multiple Principal Investigator of the Strong Heart Study, his main research interests are cardiovascular health disparities in American Indian communities and cardiovascular risk stratification in American Indian youth.

Tribal Liaison & CIH Manager

Tribal Liaison and Center Manager, Millie Kennedy (She/Her) is an Alaska Native enrolled with the Tsimshian Tribe of the Metlakatla Indian Community. She previously worked for over twenty-five years with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. She earned her JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Law and has a passion for addressing social justice issues for Indigenous peoples. In addition, Millie has several years of experience practicing Tribal and Federal Indian Law, including access to justice for Indigenous peoples. In 2021, Millie returned to the UW School of Medicine (UWSOM) to work with Dr. Jason Deen as a Tribal Liaison for the Indian Health Pathway program in the Office of Healthcare Equity, where before her legal career she worked at the UW Native American Center of Excellence. In August of 2023, Millie became the Center for Indigenous Health’s Manager and Tribal Liaison, in the Department of Pediatrics. She looks forward to advancing the efforts of the Center by carrying out its mission to increase the success of Indigenous physicians entering medical careers in Tribal/Urban Indian communities and academic medicine. Millie does outreach in Tribal and Indigenous communities to help build the partnerships for the Center and the Indian Health Pathway program.

Engagement Coordinator

Alicia Finch (She/Her) is the Engagement Coordinator at the UW Medicine’s Center for Indigenous Health. She is the granddaughter of a Spokane Tribal member and was born and raised in Spokane. As a non-traditional student, she received an Associates of Arts from Spokane Falls Community College and a Bachelors in Communications Studies with a minor in Political Science from Gonzaga University. Previous experience includes the State Legislature, the Seattle Indian Health Board, and the University of Washington Office of Admissions. Indigenous health and wellness are a central focus of Alicia’s work whether through food, housing, or medicine, she strives to center traditional practices in conjunction with modern medicine. She looks forward to building connections with Tribal communities and encouraging the next generation of  Indigenous students to pursue a career in medicine.

Prior Student T.A.

Student T.A., Shelby Snyder (she/her) is Diné (Navajo) and Southern Ute. She attends the University of Washington School of Medicine as a third-year medical student. She is part of the Indian Health Pathway at UWSOM and a co-lead of the UWSOM ANAMS chapter as of 2025. She also serves as the secretary for the National ANAMS organization. She grew up in Utah and received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in Biology and Native American Studies. Her passions include Indigenous health and representation, with a particular interest in creating spaces that incorporate Indigenous ways of being in Western medicine. She also enjoys creating and expanding Indigenous support networks. When she is not studying for an exam, you can find her at a cultural gathering or powwow — where she dances fancy shawl. 

Prior Student T.A.

Serving as our inaugural Student T.A., Nizhoni Sutter completed her first year of medical school at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from BYU-Hawaii. She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation (Diné). Her clans are Tsé Deeshgizhníí born for the Bilagáana with her maternal grandfather from the Tl’ízí Laní. Nizhoni is in the Indian Health Pathway and a member of the UWSOM ANAMS chapter. Nizhoni is deeply committed to increasing the representation of Native American and Alaska Natives in medicine and improving quality healthcare access for Indigenous communities.