Network Director

Herbert Villaflores is a first-year medical student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He is progressing towards both his bachelor’s and medical degree at UMKC in the six year combined program. He has previously served as UMKC APAMSA’s Co-Conference Chair. In his free time, he enjoys playing hockey, ultimate frisbee, and golf.

Aaron is currently a 3rd year medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He is originally from Philadelphia and completed his B.S. in Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as president of his local APAMSA chapter and is excited to start his involvement within National APAMSA. He is most interested in emergency medicine or internal medicine. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and going to concerts and festivals.

Vance Li is an incoming third-year student (M1) in the six-year BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, he has spent his entire life in the Kansas City metro area. For the past two years, he has served as his local APAMSA chapter’s Year 1 Representative and Treasurer. As the Network Member of the Communications Committee, he is committed to extending organizational outreach by improving and maintaining APAMSA’s online presence through the official website. Outside of medicine, Vance enjoys playing video games, traveling, and bouldering (V4).

Wendy Yang is a rising second year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She was born in the Bay Area, but moved to San Diego when she was 9.

Prior to starting at DGSOM, Wendy graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.S in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in psychology. At Hopkins, Wendy was actively involved in research, spending three years as an undergraduate research assistant under the mentorship of Dr. Aleksander Popel studying novel anticancer peptides. She also briefly conducted research under Dr. Esther Kwon at UCSD on nanosensor development for traumatic brain injury detection, along with research under Dr. Darren Roblyer at Boston University developing wearable probes for breast cancer patients. After medical school, she hopes to pursue a career in radiation oncology.

Alongside her research, Wendy has always been interested in the intersection of community and storytelling in medicine. As a current member of DGSOM’s APAMSA Communications Committee, she has seen firsthand how thoughtful and engaging content can foster connection and increase community within a chapter. Her background in digital media and communications spans roles from VP of Marketing of The Women’s Network at Hopkins to serving as a National PR & Social Media Intern for alpha Kappa Delta Phi. Through her experiences, she has developed a strong interest in using digital media to build community and spread cultural awareness among AAPI audiences. As a part of the National APAMSA Communications Committee, Wendy hopes to continue creating meaningful relationships with her peers while celebrating the diversity within the national APAMSA chapter.

Connie Cao is a third-year osteopathic medical student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem, New York. She was born in Whittier, California, and attended the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Entrepreneurship. During her undergraduate training, Connie spent one year conducting research in urology and two years in the extracorporeal life support (ECLS) laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Robert H. Bartlett and Dr. Alvaro Rojas-Peña. Following graduation, she worked in a surgical dermatology practice in Northborough, Massachusetts, where she served as both a medical assistant and medical scribe. In medical school, Connie has been actively involved in APAMSA, where she served as the Hepatitis B Chair and looks forward to continuing her involvement throughout her medical career. She is interested in pursuing Obstetrics and Gynecology and is passionate about patient advocacy and advancing women’s health in minority populations. In her free time, Connie enjoys Pilates, golfing, trying new foods, playing games, and spending time outdoors in the sunshine.

Adrian Lim is a rising second year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Born and raised in Southern California, he grew up in Arcadia, a predominantly Asian American community that gave him early insight into how culture and community shape health and healthcare experiences.

Prior to medical school, he earned his B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA. During his third year, he began conducting pancreatic cancer research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and continued this work as a full-time research associate during his gap years. He remains involved in research part-time under the mentorship of Mouad Edderkaoui, PhD, and Stephen Pandol, MD, focusing on mechanisms of chemoresistance and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. These experiences have guided his interest in pursuing a career in medical oncology.

As the child of immigrants from Myanmar, Adrian’s perspective on medicine has been shaped by his family’s experiences navigating the healthcare system. He is especially interested in addressing gaps in care affecting AAPI communities and improving access to culturally responsive healthcare. Through his involvement with APAMSA at both the local and national levels, he hopes to continue learning from and working alongside others who are committed to these efforts. He is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to APAMSA’s mission and to grow alongside a community dedicated to service and advocacy.

Nikhita Tandon is a fourth-year student at UC Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She is a pre-med student with aspirations of pursuing an MD to become a physician advocate for underserved communities. As a committee member for APAMSA, she is excited to support and uplift AANHPI students while promoting health equity and expanding access to resources within these communities. Outside of academics, she enjoys going on long walks, listening to true crime podcasts, and spending time with friends.

Witty Kwok is a fourth-year medical student at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. Witty grew up in Hilliard, Ohio and went to The Ohio State University where he graduated with a major in neuroscience and minor in music. He has been involved with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) since medical school and has served as one of his local chapter’s Mandarin Chairs, where he provided monthly Mandarin lessons to prepare medical students for light conversations with patients and a final Mandarin OSCE. He hopes to stay involved with APAMSA to continue improving accessibility to mentorship and resources, and reduce disparities seen within minority populations. In his free time, he loves to play piano, listen to K-pop, play board games, and watch mystery/horror movies.

Ethan Hsu, BS, is currently a MS candidate at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts before moving to Ohio. Since then, he has completed his B.S. in Molecular Genetics at The Ohio State University, worked at the NIH and Dana-Farber Cancer Center. Additionally, he has spent over 4 years with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) as OSU’s Pre-Medical APAMSA Mentorship Chair. He enjoys research and medical interpretation hoping to integrate them in advancing healthcare opportunities and improving the lives of minority populations, especially the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. Eventually, he hopes to integrate all of these interests into his medical practice in the future. After medical school, he aims to to pursue a career in internal medicine, sub-specializing in pulmonology or GI. Outside of school, Ethan likes cooking, baking, hiking, playing basketball and badminton.

Jessica S. Te is currently a first-year medical student at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She was born and raised in St. George, Utah, a small town with limited access to specialized medical care. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Utah and has worked as a Registered Behavior Technician, Research Assistant in Alzheimer’s research, and now serves as Event Coordinator for her local chapter of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA).

Her experiences in clinical and research settings have shaped her understanding of how communication and access can influence patient care. Growing up in a small town with limited healthcare resources has especially influenced her interest in advocating for better access to care for underserved communities. Through APAMSA, she is interested in getting more involved in efforts that support health equity and engagement within Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

In the future, she hopes to contribute to efforts that improve healthcare equity and expand access to care for underserved communities.