Network Director

Sirapa (Fern) Vichaikul is a rising third-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and immigrated to the U.S. when she was 16. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 and served as a National Health Corps (AmeriCorps) member with the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Street Medicine during her gap year. In that role, she piloted a patient navigation program to improve access to specialty care for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Fern is passionate about advocating for underserved populations and has a particular interest in mental health, addiction medicine, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. Through her involvement as a previous local APAMSA chapter president, she has worked to understand mental health-seeking behaviors in the AANHPI community through community education and research. Believing in a holistic approach to healthcare, she hopes to integrate her love for cooking and baking to promote food as medicine and advocate for more equitable food access. She plans to leverage her experiences and training in the Medical Partners in Public Health Certificate Program to develop population-based interventions and quality improvement projects to help reduce health disparity in underserved communities.

Shravani Khisti is rising third year medical student in the accelerated BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Shravani is a first-generation immigrant and spent most of her childhood in sunny Southern California. Her research interests span neurodevelopmental diseases, the intersection of AI and neurodegenerative surgeries, and disparities in migraine treatment. She has conducted research at The Ohio State University and worked on projects at the University of Missouri addressing healthcare inequities in neurology.

Shravani has been actively involved with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) for the past three years, serving on her local chapter board and most recently as Co-President of her chapter. Now, as South Asian Director, she is excited to further APAMSA’s mission of advocating for and empowering South Asian and broader AANHPI communities in medicine. Shravani is passionate about bridging technological advancements with patient care and addressing disparities in healthcare. After medical school, she hopes to specialize in neurology or ophthalmology, integrating her interests in research, AI, and health equity into her future career.

Aloha! My name is Caitlin Tanji, and I’m excited to be APAMSA’s Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Director. Born and raised in Aiea on Oʻahu, I’m passionate about health equity and culturally compassionate healthcare. I earned my B.S. in Human Biology & Society from UCLA, where I served as President and Director of Culture & Outreach for the Hawaiʻi Club. Through this role, I strengthened my commitment to community-driven initiatives and amplifying underrepresented voices in the Hawaiian & Pacific Islander community. Now, as an aspiring physician-innovator, I work at a biotech startup pioneering Microbiome Dermatology. Outside of work, you’ll find me cafe hopping, traveling to Japan, or trying new skincare products!

Christine Le, MS is currently an OMS-II at VCOM-Louisiana. She grew up in Coppell, Texas, and moved to the Silicon Valley in Northern California, where she completed her primary and secondary education. She then pursued her undergraduate studies in Southern California, earning a B.S. in Biology at UC Irvine. After graduating, she returned to Texas to complete an M.S. in Medical Sciences at UNTHSC in Fort Worth, Texas.

Throughout her journey, she has held various roles, including medical assistant, marketing intern, dog sitter, and andrologist. She values the sense of community and the impact of building a community. Being immersed in diverse cultural settings has given her an appreciation for the unspoken bond that connects people beyond words—a concept deeply rooted in AANHPI values of community, respect, and shared traditions. Noticing a lack of representation on campus, she co-founded her local APAMSA chapter to create a home away from home for members.

In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dogs—a Border Collie Mix and a Shiba Inu—cooking various dishes, and participating in outdoor sports.

Hi! My name is Callista and I am a medical student at California Health Sciences University – College of Osteopathic Medicine. I’m from Arcadia, California and went to UCLA for undergrad. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley (if you know, you know) and attending a university with such a large Asian American community have kept me connected to my roots and inspired me to learn how a career in medicine can help communities similar to the ones I grew up in. Outside of school, I’m always reading on my emotional support Kindle, watching Lakers games, or finding new boba spots. A fun fact about me: my friends and I developed a boba-themed finance tracking app during a Hackathon and it ended up going viral on the subtle asian traits Facebook group and was featured on NextShark!

Hey everyone! My name is Andrew Leung, and I am a third year medical student at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. I grew up in South Brunswick, New Jersey, and studied Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, so coming back to my home state for medical school was a great homecoming. Last year I had a blast as your Social Media co-director and am excited to make my return! Outside of school and rotations I like cooking different cuisines, watching movies and anime, playing the violin, connecting with friends on the new APAMSA Discord #NotAnAd, and listening to the White Coats & Rice podcast #AlsoNotAnAd. Anyways, I’m thrilled to once again be your Social Media Co-Director and hope you enjoy what’s to come this year!

Tiffany Liu is a fourth-year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. She grew up in central Florida, where she attended the University of Florida for her undergraduate studies in Biology and Chinese. She is passionate about advocating for the AANPHI community and became heavily involved in her school’s chapter of APAMSA during her first year of medical school. In her second year, she also began conducting a longitudinal research project on AANPHI medical students’ utilization of mental health resources, a study that she hopes to expand on a national level. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in internal medicine, potentially working in primary care or specializing in gastroenterology. Beyond medical school, Tiffany has over 7 years of experience as a professional portrait photographer. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, painting, cooking, and gardening.

Hi! I’m Xianzhen (Jen), and I’m so happy to be your Director of Organized Medicine for another year. I was born in Xi’an, China but grew up in California. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Asian studies and also received a masters in physiology before entering medical school. AANHPI issues have always been near and dear to my heart and my goal as a future physician is to help create more equitable and individualized care for my community. In my free time, I love to play video games (Genshin Impact!) and hang out with my Shih-Tzu, Anki.

Hello! My name is Brian Leung and I am a rising OMS-3 at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine. Growing up in the vibrant AANHPI community of San Jose, California inspired my commitment to community service. Prior to medical school, I graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in Biology and Community Health. Eager to strengthen AANHPI connections and become involved in advocacy, I joined APAMSA and currently serve as Secretary in our local chapter. In my free time, I love to experiment with new cooking recipes, relaxing with Netflix and anime, and spending time with my dogs.

Karen Zhang is currently a third-year medical student at McGovern Medical School in Houston TX. She completed her B.S. in Biochemistry at UT Austin. She was the co-president for her local chapter and is now the Medical Education Director. She is interested in urology, medical humanities, and education.