Johnny Pham, South East Asian Committee Member
Network Director
Johnny Pham is currently in his gap year after graduating from Binghamton University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature. During his time at Binghamton, he founded his local chapter in 2024, served as President, and the following year took on the role of Advisor. He has been actively involved in both the Pre-Health and Southeast Asian committees and is excited to continue into his second year with the SEA committee. During his gap year, Johnny plans to work and travel as he prepares to apply to medical school, where he hopes to pursue Plastic Surgery.
Krishna Sinha, South Asian Committee Member
Network Director
Krishna Sinha is a fourth-year medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. He went to college at Duke University, majoring in Neuroscience. He enjoys traveling, painting, photography, playing music, listening to podcasts, baking, and keeping his Wordle streak.
Jashanpreet Chahal, South Asian Committee Member
Network Director
Jashan is a first-year medical student at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Originally from the village of Fateh Nangal, India, she immigrated to the United States in 2018, earning her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Biology from SUNY Stony Brook and her Master of Medical Sciences from Boston University, where her thesis research at Massachusetts General Hospital focused on alternative therapies and vaccines for Shigellosis.
Her research interests center on multidrug-resistant infections, with her current work exploring bacteriophage therapy as a promising intervention. Clinically, she has worked as both a Dialysis Patient Care Technician and Ophthalmic Technician, and has held teaching and mentoring roles throughout her training.
Jashan is an active member of APAMSA, currently serving as Community Outreach and Engagement Co-chair and House of Delegates Representative, and contributes to two student-run clinics. She is passionate about developing outreach programs that address social determinants of health within the Asian and South Asian diaspora, and hopes to bridge basic science research with equitable care for underserved communities worldwide. In her free time she enjoys long walks, yoga and cooking new vegetarian recepies.
Indraneel (Neel) Deshpande, South Asian Committee Member
Network Director
Indraneel Deshpande is a first-year medical student (OM-I) at the Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City. Raised in Olathe, he identifies as Indian American and is passionate about serving diverse and underserved communities. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Kansas.
Indraneel currently serves as an EMT Medic at local soccer complexes in the Kansas City area and previously worked as a Medical Assistant in the Urology Department at the University of Kansas Medical Center. In addition to his clinical work, he participates in independent research projects and remains committed to expanding his understanding of patient care.
As a member of the South Asian Committee, Indraneel is dedicated to improving healthcare accessibility and affordability for minority populations. He hopes to pursue a career in Pain Medicine and Rehabilitation, where he aims to help patients manage acute and chronic pain and improve quality of life for those with neuromuscular conditions.
Samantha Tsang, Advocacy Committee Member
Network Director
Samantha Tsang is a first year osteopathic medical student at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was born in New York and grew up in Pennsylvania. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, followed by a Master’s in Bioethics and Medical Humanities from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Prior to medical school, she worked as a Research Associate and Lab Manager at CWRU, where she conducted research on rare pediatric disorders and independent research on pediatric patient advocacy – experiences that solidified her passion for improving outcomes for vulnerable populations. Currently in medical school, she is integrating her background in bioethics and research by conducting a community health study on pediatric health education for parents. She is also co-chair on the Overdose Prevention Task Force at VCOM. She is active in the National Student Bioethics Association (NSBA) as part of the Outreach Committee. She is excited to be a part of the Advocacy Committee of APAMSA and wants to foster connections between local APAMSA chapters and amplify underrepresented voices. Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a career in pediatrics, with the ultimate goal of advocating for health equity for vulnerable populations. Outside of clinical and academic pursuits, she loves traveling to new places, distance running with friends, cooking new recipes, and playing musical instruments like the viola, piano, ukulele, and guitar!
Amanda Duong, Advocacy Committee Member
Network Director
Amanda Duong is a third-year medical student at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally from Orange County, California, she completed her B.S. in Human Biology at the University of California, Irvine. She previously served as Co-President of the Drexel APAMSA chapter and is excited to take the next step by contributing to advocacy at the national level. She looks forward to working with the Advocacy Committee to continue and expand the impactful work that APAMSA does. In her free time, she enjoys tennis, ceramics, hiking, photography, and watching F1 races.
Preston Dang, Advocacy Committee Member
Network Director
Preston Dang is a second-year osteopathic medical student at Western University-College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California. He is originally from Orange County, California, completed his B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA, and M.P.H. at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. From his college years until now, he has been heavily involved in local outreach within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, volunteering and coordinating free clinics providing health services such as glucose and cholesterol screenings and osteopathic manipulative treatment to the local community, as well as community health research among AANHPI populations. He also participates regularly in state- and national-level advocacy, from serving as a primary delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates to direct advocacy as a representative of the Los Angeles County Medical Association during annual legislative days in Sacramento, California, organized by the California Medical Association. Having previously been a member of Advocacy Committee during the prior term, he is excited to continue to contribute to APAMSA’s advocacy initiatives and priorities over his second term on Advocacy Committee. After medical school, he hopes to be able to draw on his previous experiences and to continue participating in advocacy efforts as a family medicine physician.
Response to ICE Detention of Dr. Rubilez Bolivar and Dr. Ezequiel Veliz
On April 6, 2026, Dr. Ezequiel Veliz, a family medicine physician serving in the Rio Grande Valley, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents at a checkpoint in South Texas. Days later, on April 11, 2026, Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, an emergency medicine resident in a federally designated medically underserved area, was detained at an airport in McAllen, Texas while traveling with her 5-year-old U.S.-citizen daughter to attend a scheduled asylum interview. These events occur amid broader immigration enforcement policies that have disrupted the ability of foreign-trained physicians to continue practicing in the United States, particularly in underserved communities.
Immigration enforcement actions have increasingly targeted immigrants and pose a significant threat to healthcare access at both local and national levels. International medical graduates represent one in four physicians in the U.S. medical workforce and disproportionately serve medically underserved communities. In medically underserved regions, the removal of even a single physician can disrupt care delivery and strain already-limited resources. More broadly, such actions risk creating a chilling effect across the medical workforce by discouraging physicians from training or practicing in high-need areas. Recent increases in H-1B visa filing fees and stricter immigration policies have already contributed to this effect, with some residency programs no longer accepting H-1B applicants due to new fees that increase sponsorship costs for foreign-trained physicians by up to 4900%. Despite recent exemptions for some applications submitted by immigrant physicians, ongoing enforcement practices continue to contribute to fear and instability among immigrant healthcare workers. These barriers threaten the ability of immigrant physicians to continue filling critical shortages seen in underserved communities.
Immigration enforcement actions also contribute to a growing climate of fear among immigrant communities, discouraging individuals from seeking medical attention even in urgent situations. A recent survey found that nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults and 14% of immigrant adults overall reported avoiding medical care due to immigration-related concerns. When patients fear detention, healthcare settings cease to function as safe spaces, creating significant barriers to essential care.
National APAMSA strongly condemns the detention of Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar and Dr. Ezequiel Veliz in addition to broad, indiscriminate immigration enforcement practices that have resulted in the detention of law-abiding individuals. These actions directly conflict with established APAMSA policies, which oppose the presence of immigration enforcement in healthcare settings and recognize fear of detention as a major barrier to care. APAMSA further supports expanding healthcare access regardless of immigration status and advocates for the health and safety of migrant populations. We express deep concern over enforcement practices that disrupt patient care and threaten public health, and call for increased transparency, accountability, and policy reform to protect both patients and healthcare professionals.
For questions regarding this statement, please contact the Rapid Response Director, Pehr Williamson at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
Statement on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act
On March 17, 2026, the U.S. Senate began discussions on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which aims to address allegations of widespread voter fraud and election integrity by introducing more stringent requirements for personal identification and proof of citizenship. However, this may impose additional barriers by shifting the burden of proving eligibility to the individual voter, potentially reducing civic participation.
What changes are proposed?
The SAVE Act requires:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship using a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate for voter registration
- A government-issued photo identification for requesting and submitting mail-in ballots
- States to verify voter eligibility through federal databases in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security
How could this affect you?
- Roughly half of U.S. citizens do not have a passport, meaning they may need to rely on a birth certificate for voter registration
- REAL IDs in many states do not indicate citizenship, making them insufficient for verification without additional proof of citizenship
- About 80% of women in heterosexual marriages take their partner’s last name, complicating their ability to register without proof of legal name change
- Stricter registration requirements could reduce the accessibility of voter registration through online and in-person voter registration drives
- Potential changes in status (e.g., name changes, naturalization, moving to other states) could lead to ballots being flagged during federal verification, and in some cases, not counted
- The financial burden to acquire the documents necessary to register to vote may create barriers for those facing financial strain
- To vote by mail, voters may need to send a copy of their ID to request a ballot, and another copy when they submit their ballot
Why does this matter?
National APAMSA strongly condemns this bill due to its potential to create barriers to civic participation and equitable access to voting. These changes may disproportionately impact communities with limited access to documentation, including naturalized citizens and historically marginalized populations. In alignment with our policy compendium and as mentioned in previous statements, National APAMSA recognizes that access to voting is a critical social determinant of health, with direct implications for both individual and community well-being.
What can you do?
We urge you to contact your local senator to express your opposition to the SAVE Act. Resources such as 5 Calls and When We All Vote can help you find and reach your elected officials.
For questions regarding this statement, please contact the Rapid Response Director, Pehr Williamson at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
Alumni of the Year Award 2026
This award honors her enthusiastic participation in the APAMSA Alumni Advisory Board, commitment to AANHPI research, and dedication to mentoring APAMSA students.
Lindy Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Oncology and Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. She is a child of immigrants and the first in her family to pursue a post-bachelor’s degree. Dr. Zhang completed her medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine with distinction in clinical research and her pediatrics residency at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. She then pursued a pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship at the combined Johns Hopkins-National Cancer Institute program. During her fellowship, she received additional translational research training by completing a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on NF1-associated tumors and the application of molecularly targeted therapies. Her academic interest is to define the interactions between molecularly targeted agents and the tumor immune microenvironment in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) and establish the potential role of immune-based therapies in novel therapeutic combinations. In addition, Dr. Zhang is passionate about diversity and inclusion in academic medicine. Her medical education research focuses on Asian American representation and experiences of microaggression and discrimination in medical school.
To read more about the APAMSA Alumni of the Year Award, click here.
Questions? Please reach out to strategy@apamsa.org.