Conference

Dr. Lin Zhu is a medical sociologist and social epidemiologist at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, where she is deeply committed to advancing both research and mentorship. Her work explores how social, cultural, and contextual factors shape health behaviors and outcomes, with a focus on cardiometabolic diseases, mental health, and cancer prevention and care. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, she studies how biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors come together to influence health across diverse communities, guided by the NIH Whole Person Health framework. Dr. Zhu currently leads NIH-funded research on allostatic load and chronic conditions among Asian Americans and contributes to major national cohort studies such as MOSAAIC and ASPIRE. In addition to her research, she is a dedicated mentor who prioritizes empathy, support, and empowerment in guiding students and trainees from diverse backgrounds.

Connie is a third year osteopathic medical student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem, New York. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Entrepreneurship. At TouroCOM, she has taken on leadership roles in medical education, mentorship, women’s health, and student advocacy. She has been especially active in the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), first through her local chapter and now at the national level, where she continues to support outreach, education, and advocacy focused on Asian and Asian American health. She is currently involved with the Alcohol Intolerance (AL-I), where she focuses on outreach and education to increase awareness of alcohol flushing, its underlying biology, and its associated health risks.

Eric Gross, MD PhD: Dr. Eric R. Gross MD, PhD, FASA (@ericrgross.bsky.social, @ericrgross) is a physician-scientist and practicing anesthesiologist within the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University. He runs a NIH-funded research laboratory studying how alcohol metabolism impacts anesthesiology and in general human health. He is a member of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Neuroscience Institute, and Center for Asian Research and Education (CARE). Dr. Gross is also the section editor for basic science for the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia and the editorial fellowship director for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Today, Dr. Gross will discuss the health implications of alcohol flushing.

Dr. Kuo is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She also serves as the Chief of the Division of Endocrine Surgery, as well as Associate Program Director for the general surgery residency program. Dr. Kuo is the Treasurer of the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons.

AJ is a third year medical student at New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY. He graduated from Tufts University in 2022 with a degree in Biochemistry, where he first developed a passion for teaching science and exploring medical treatments. Now, he has developed an interest in public outreach and education for Asian American patients as well as other underserved populations and works to give a voice to these marginalized communities. Through research projects and community fairs, he has continually looked for opportunities to spread the word on Asian American health issues, and he is currently a member of Alcohol Intolerance (AL-I) to better the surrounding New York and New Jersey communities and hopes to help the growth of the project.

Aric is a third-year medical student at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a degree in Human Biology and led the local Pre-Med APAMSA chapter in training student volunteers for health screenings and connecting them with community health events. He continued his involvement with APAMSA at the University of Vermont as one of the chapter leaders in 2025, where he increased awareness of Asian cultures in Vermont and advocated for Asian health and community needs. At the same time, he collaborated with the UVM Department of Anesthesiology in testing and evaluating prototypes in the operating room, and he has been working with Dr. Eric Gross in developing a campaign to increase physician and community awareness of alcohol flush, a seldomly-discussed condition that affects over 500 million people globally.

Dr. Henry K. Siu, MD earned his Medical Degree from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education/SUNY Downstate Medical Center, with post-graduate training at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Currently in private practice as a general and interventional cardiologist, he manages the spectrum cardiovascular care from prevention to intervention of a predominately Chinese American population in New York City. He fulfills the academic promise as a physician-educator and remains involved clinical research, along with passion for community service. In his free time, Dr. Siu enjoys exercising and playing the piano.

Angela is a third-year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is interested in a career in Medicine-Pediatrics and is passionate about caring for underserved populations, especially patients who prefer languages other than English.

Kenneth is currently a third-year medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He plans to pursue a career in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and is passionate about women’s health, abortion access, and gender affirming care. He is excited to be a part of APAMSA and to find synergy between his personal goals and the AANHPI community.

Brian Vu is a third-year medical student at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Originally from Austin, Texas, he has ancestral roots in Vietnam. Brian earned his BA in Biology with minors in Asian American Studies and Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to medical school, he worked as a medical scribe at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and served as a health outreach coordinator at VietLead, a community-based organization supporting the Southeast Asian community in Philadelphia. As a medical student and future physician, Brian is passionate about drawing from his experiences with APAMSA, Brown, and VietLead to continue advocating for the Asian American community.

Katherine Yun (she/her) is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, an attending physician in both the Division of General Pediatrics and the Refugee Child Health Program at CHOP, and director of the Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship and Short Course on MARS at CHOP. Dr. Yun’s primary interest is refugee and immigrant health, specifically the well-being of children in immigrant families in the United States.

Dr. Qingliang Tony Wang is currently a Professor & Vice Chair of Neurology at Maimonides Health and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York and the Medical Director of the Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center. Dr. Wang received his medical degree in China and his Ph.D. in Human Genetics at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his Medicine and Neurology residency at the Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center, followed by multiple clinical fellowships in Stroke/Cerebrovascular Neurology, Diagnostic & Interventional Neuroradiology/Endovascular Neurosurgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to become a quadruple board-certified neurointerventionalist and stroke neurologist. In addition to pursuing his academic career, Dr. Wang practices general neurology at his private offices in Flushing, Queens, and Brooklyn while also serving as a board member of the Chinese American Neurological Association (CANA) and the Coalition of Asian American IPA (CAIPA) in the New York communities.

Dr. Yang is a radiologist with over 23 years in private practice, having served as managing partner of Main Street Radiology LLC based in Flushing, NY. He completed his training in Diagnostic Radiology as well as fellowship training in Neuroradiology at NYU Medical Center in New York, NY. He holds clinical appointments at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens in Flushing, NY as well as The Valley Hospital in Paramus, NJ.

Roger Zhu is Thoracic Surgeon/Assistant Professor at Northwell Health System focusing on minimally invasive lung and foregut surgery. He has completed general surgery residency at New York Presbyterian-Queens/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He also has completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein School of Medicine and in thoracic and foregut surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He has academic interests in medical education and surgical outcome research.

I am currently a general/non-invasive cardiologist and am part of the faculty at Thomas Jefferson University – Sidney Kimmel Medical School. I completed medical school here in Philadelphia at Drexel University College of Medicine, followed by residency and cardiology fellowship at Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson. My clinical interests include women’s cardiovascular health, echocardiography, and preventative health.

Dr. Steven Cai, MD, MS, FACS is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a position he has held since 2013. A dedicated general surgeon with a specialized focus on breast surgical oncology, Dr. Cai has spent his career advancing precision-driven, evidence-based care to improve clinical outcomes in breast surgical disease and help patients achieve culturally concordant care. He is deeply committed to health equity, focusing a significant portion of his clinical practice on providing high-quality surgical care to underserved and underinsured populations within New York City and has taken the mission to low resource countries such as Cuba. Dr. Cai’s rigorous academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Science in Food Microbiology/Immunology from Cornell University. He earned his Medical Degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) School of Medicine at Buffalo. He completed his surgical residency training at both Vanderbilt University Medical Center and SUNY Upstate Medical Center.  His published research spans critical topics in oncology, including investigating the surgeon’s role in risk-reducing medication uptake in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, evaluating the clinical utility of the Tyrer-Cuzick lifetime risk model in The Breast Journal, and documenting rare oncology presentations in Current Problems in Cancer.

I’m a gynaecologic/perinatal pathologist at Jefferson, but my time is split between clinical work and education, as I’m also the departmental vice chair of education/residency programme director/medical school pathology curriculum co-director. My academic interests include humanities in medicine education, social determinants of health as applies to gynaecologic/perinatal pathology, and placental markers of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. I grew up in Singapore where my first job was as a professional ballerina, but when I retired from dance, I came to the US for university(Johns Hopkins)/medical school (Penn State)/training (Cornell). Outside of the hospital, I still dance (train at Koresh Dance in Rittenhouse) and work with extensively with two non-profits, A Book a Day (early childhood literacy) and PhillyHealth Cares (equitable healthcare access, particularly for vulnerable populations)

Assistant Professor in Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.
Clerkship director for Pediatric Gastroenterology for third year and fourth year medical students.
Area of interest in Aerodigestive GI conditions and Eosinophilic Esophagitis/Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases.

Originally from Massachusetts, I went to medical school at BU School of Medicine and completed general surgery residency at UMMS Chan Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. During residency I fell in love with vascular surgery, and I recently completed vascular surgery fellowship at Temple University. I have just started my first faculty position at UNC Chapel Hill.

Ning Lin, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Director of Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery and Co-Director of Stroke at New York-Presbyterian Queens. An award-winning cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon, Dr. Lin specializes in both microsurgical and minimally invasive endovascular treatment of complex vascular disorders of the brain and spine, including cerebral aneurysms, stroke, arteriovenous malformations, carotid stenosis, cavernous malformations, Moyamoya disease, intracranial atherosclerotic disease, and intracranial hemorrhage. His clinical practice also encompasses brain and spinal tumors, pituitary tumors, and Chiari malformations. Dr. Lin received his Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University and was given the Leonardo da Vinci Award upon graduation. He obtained his Medical Doctor degree and graduated Cum Laude from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Lin completed his neurosurgery residency and served as chief resident at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital and obtained fellowship training in endovascular neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology at the Gates Vascular Institute, SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Lin’s research interests include neuronal protection and restoration post-stroke and intracranial hemorrhage; hemodynamic alteration after aneurysm treatment via flow diversion; and outcome studies of innovative, minimally invasive neurosurgical devices and techniques. He currently serves as the President of the Chinese American Medical Society.

Eliza Ng, MD, MPH, FACOG, DipABLM, is Chief Medical Officer of CAIPA, a leading independent practice association and accountable care organization serving more than 500,000 patients across the Greater New York region. She is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and lifestyle medicine diplomate, with expertise in value-based care, population health, quality strategy, digital health, and care-delivery innovation. Dr. Ng currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Maimonides Medical Center and a Board of Director at Healthix. She has held senior leadership roles across CAIPA, RWJBarnabas Health, Montefiore Health System, EmblemHealth, and digital health, including as founding Chief Medical Officer of Curio Digital Therapeutics.She has led population-health innovations that advance clinical quality, affordability, patient access, and clinician support. Most recently, she has led CAIPA’s work to integrate health-related social-needs screening and connections to community services into clinical care under New York’s Medicaid 1115 waiver, enabling CAIPA clinicians to identify social needs and connect patients to food, housing, transportation, and related supports leveraging innovative interoperability solutions. Dr. Ng earned her BA from Yale University, MD from Drexel University School of Medicine, and MPH in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency training at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Kelly is a third-year medical student at Duke University School of Medicine and the current Strategy Vice President of National APAMSA. She has served on both the National APAMSA Board and Duke APAMSA Board for three years. She has a particular interest in AANHPI health, including supporting the development of AANHPI medical students.

Kelly holds a BS in biomedical engineering from Columbia University and recently completed an MSc in History of Science, Medicine and Technology at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Judy Tung is the Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She is a primary care internist who obtained her M.D. at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, completed her residency training in primary care internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), served as a chief resident at New York University Medical Center- Bellevue Hospital before joining the faculty at New York Presbyterian- Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Tung also directs a faculty development program called the Leadership in Academic Medicine (LAMP) and is nationally known for her work in mentoring, medical education and leadership development. She was one of the student leaders helped to found APAMSA, organizing the first national conference in 1995.

I am a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at Thomas Jefferson University. I received my MD at New York Medical College, completed my Neurology Residency at New York University, and pursued Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. I currently serve as the Associate Program Director for the Neurology Residency Program. Past leadership roles include EMG Lab Director and Neuromuscular Fellowship Program Director. I have a particular interest in mentorship and education of future neurologists.

Dr. Wu is a faculty member in the Division of General Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). She received her MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin and MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, followed by internal medicine training at New York University Langone Health and a general medicine fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and HMS. Her research focuses on improving cardiometabolic disease outcomes through promoting healthier nutrition and addressing health-related social needs such as food insecurity. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, is a founding member of the National Asian Physicians Association, and serves on several committees for the Chinese American Medical Society. As a past national president of APAMSA, she remains passionate about serving the AAPI community.

Dr. Zhang is the associate professor and clerkship director of Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Zhang is a triple graduate of Tufts University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Masters in Biomedical Engineering, as well as a Medical Doctorate Degree within nine years of rigorous and interdisciplinary training. He completed his residency at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he was an active leader and contributing member to both undergraduate and graduate medical education. During residency, Dr. Zhang was elected as the Chair of the EMRA Simulation Committee and created lasting grant opportunities. Dr. Zhang received his Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) in 2023 and he has been consistently and substantively involved with education and teaching and distinguished himself among his peers with his curricular developments, teaching opportunities, community service, innovative medical inventions, publications, scholarships, awards, and national presence. He was elected as the Co-Chair of the Council of Program Directors in Emergency Medicine Advising Student Committee (CORD ASCEM) based on his leadership, experience, and research in student advising. His academic interest include gamification, implicit bias, simulation, medical student advising, and interprofessional education. Dr. Zhang was named as a “Top Physicians Under 40 Award” by The Pennsylvania Medical Society’s (PAMED) and has received numerous institutional awards for his outstanding professionalism, education, bedside and classroom teaching, and was listed as a top educator on the Education Honor Roll for many consecutive years. He received the prestigious Early Educator Award from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) in 2024.

Aisha Bhimla is a health disparities researcher and Assistant Professor at the Center for Asian Health at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Her research integrates epidemiological analyses, behavioral frameworks, and community engagement to address chronic disease and cancer outcomes in underrepresented communities. She is particularly interested in how neighborhood environments shape lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity and tobacco use. She also serves as the Research Committee Co-Chair for the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA).

Dr. Esther Castillo is a sociologist and organizer who leads the New America Initiative in Pennsylvania State Senator Art Haywood’s office, which brings BIPOC leaders onto boards. She also leads Accesso Care, a Philadelphia home care agency, and its nonprofit arm, Accesso Care Works. She immigrated to the United States from Macau at 19 and earned her PhD in Sociology. She has taught data analysis at the college level and worked in public health, racial equity, and city and state government. She founded the Chinese Immigrant Families Wellness Initiative, a CDC-recognized mental health initiative in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. Her work centers on care, community health, and building power through relationships.

Brianna Cea (she/her) is the Executive Director and Founder of Generation Vote (GenVote), a national youth-led organization building a youth movement for voting rights and a just democracy for all in the United States. A proud New Yorker, Bri has been on the frontlines of the fight for voting rights in New York since 2017, including passing the first on-campus poll site law and advancing the first statewide voter reforms in over 100 years. As Executive Director of GenVote, she oversaw the organization’s relaunch as a national entity, expanding its chapter network to 10 states, mobilizing young voters in critical Secretaries of State elections, and building the largest nonpartisan youth election defense program in the country.

Dr. Hua is an Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her research aims to prevent diet-related chronic diseases by identifying and evaluating strategies to promote a healthier food environment in an equitable manner. Her work tests innovative behavioral science interventions and food is medicine interventions to steer consumers toward healthier options. She also evaluates the impact of health policies such as the Philadelphia beverage tax. Dr. Hua received her BS in Psychology and MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Yale University and her PhD in Population Health Sciences from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Vivian Ogbonnaya, MPH, is a Program Manager for Clinical Care Innovation and Health Equity at Independence Blue Cross. In this role, she leads regional initiatives focused on advancing equitable clinical practices, including the Coalition Advisory Council of Experts (CACE), a collaborative of healthcare institutions working to address potential bias in clinical tools and decision-making. Her work spans clinical health equity, health system implementation, research, policy, and academic engagement with medical students and residents. Vivian earned a Master of Public Health from the University of the Sciences, now part of Saint Joseph’s University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from Temple University. She is especially interested in translating complex health equity issues into practical strategies that clinicians, healthcare organizations, and future healthcare leaders can apply.

Dr. Oh is an assistant professor of vascular surgery in the Department of Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He completed his integrated vascular surgery residency at the University at Buffalo, and received his MD from Temple in 2018 and JD also from Temple in 2007. His research and education interests include access to care for underserved populations, especially equitable access to innovations in vascular care. He serves as the director of the Temple Health Non-Invasive Vascular Imaging Lab, and as medical director of the Temple Health Advanced Wound Care Center at Episcopal Hospital.

Stephen Lin

Membership Vice President

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Kenneth Tieu

Northeast Region Director

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Quynh-May Nguyen

Northeast Region Director

Georgetown University School of Medicine

Brian Vu

Northeast Region Director

The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Lara Castaneda

Northeast Region Director

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Middletown

Lucy Zhou

Northeast Region Director

Drexel University College of Medicine

Raymund Avenido

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

John Gorecki

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Cameron Mann

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Gina Wang

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Roger Xia

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Hannah Yoon

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Sprint Professor of Medical Oncology; Chief, Division of Medical Oncology; Associate Director, Cancer Center for Clinical Research

University of Kansas School of Medicine

VP of Membership, OCA Greater Washington DC Chapter

Pediatric Researcher, Pediatric Research Facility

Allergy/Immunology Fellow

University of Kansas Medical Center

Emergency Medicine Resident

University of Kansas Medical Center

Psychiatry Resident

University of Kansas Medical Center

Founder & Executive Director

Fountain of Life

University of Kansas School of Medicine

Individual information included in Program Booklet

Founder & Executive Director

Hella Good Deeds

Clinical Social Worker

Private Practice

Clinical Psychologist

Creative Inner Connection

Clinical Psychologist

Private Practice

Research Director

APAMSA National Board

Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Pharmacology & Department of Dietetics and Nutrition; Director of Nutrition Research, KU Diabetes Institute; Scientific Director of Clinical Research, Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyle & Nutrition

University of Kansas Medical Center

Associate Director & Psychosocial Services Director, Masonic Cancer Alliance

University of Kansas Cancer Center

University of Kansas School of Medicine

Individual information included in Program Booklet

Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Phoenix Children’s Hospital; Assistant Professor, University of Arizona School of Medicine & Creighton University; Medical Educator

Stephanie Ngo

Membership Vice President

University of Kansas School of Medicine

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Anh Luu

Midwest Region Director

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

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Matthew Jeon

Midwest Region Director

University of Minnesota Medical School

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Elton Tong

Midwest Region Director

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

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Daniel Park

Midwest Region Director

University of Kansas School of Medicine

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Nhu Do

University of Kansas School of Medicine

KU APAMSA Co-President

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Kayla Nguyen

University of Kansas School of Medicine

KU APAMSA Social Chair

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Monica Marni

University of Kansas School of Medicine

KU APAMSA Cultural Chair

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Richita Roy

University of Kansas School of Medicine

KU APAMSA Community Outreach Chair

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Norman Morikawa

University of Kansas School of Medicine

KU APAMSA Community Outreach Chair

Kassandra Wu

University of Kansas School of Medicine

KU APAMSA Social Chair

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Vaidehi Bhavaraju

University of Kansas School of Medicine

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Jadyn Hyun

Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

KCU APAMSA Co-President

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Johnny Dinh Phan

University of Kansas School of Medicine

Harrison Lee

Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

KCU APAMSA Co-President

Nhu Bui

University of Kansas School of Medicine

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Director of the Houston Health Department Theresa Q. Tran Carapucci, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.E.P., is a board-certified emergency physician and health policy leader with over 10 years of clinical experience. Dr. Tran previously served as Associate Vice President for Clinical Population Health and Advocacy at UTHealth Houston, Assistant Dean at the UTHealth School of Public Health and Director of Strategic Initiatives for Harris Health’s award-winning Multi-Visit Patient Program.
Her leadership has influenced state and federal legislation, educational reform and innovative public health initiatives. She received a B.A. in Business Leadership from the University of Dallas, an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, an M.B.A. from Rice University and completed her emergency medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic.
Recognized as one of the “Top 25 Under 45 Influencers in Emergency Medicine” by the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association, Dr. Tran continues to advance community health through both her professional and volunteer work. Within Mayor John Whitmire’s administration, Dr. Tran leads the coordination of medical, mental health, and wraparound services for the City of Houston’s plan to end homelessness.

Dr. Stephen Chao, M.D., M.P.H. (pronouns: he/him/his) is a family physician who has practiced in the underserved community health setting for more than 15 years in both Southwest and Northeast Houston. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he attended Rice University, graduating with degrees in Biochemistry and Health Policy. He received his medical degree from the Long School of Medicine and also completed his family medicine residency training, both at UT Health San Antonio.

Dr. Simeon Nittala, D.O. is an NMM/OMM Board Certified physician practicing in the greater Houston area. Dr. Nittala completed his medical education from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, Arizona and went on to complete a ONMM residency in Lewisburg, WV in 2024. In his free time, he enjoys working out, playing sports, spending time with his family and Golden Retriever. As an Osteopathic Physician, Dr. Nittala practices Osteopathic Medicine and performs Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment with his patients. He sees patients ranging from typical low back pain presentations to obscure, nonspecific body pains that can be explained through Osteopathy. His goals are to further the awareness and practice of Osteopathic Medicine in the US with hands on manipulation being a mainstay treatment regimen in patient care.

Dr. Gohar S. Manzar, M.D., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor, pediatric radiation oncologist, and physician-scientist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa, where she patented improved human iPS-derived pancreatic β-cells and studied cellular therapies and NK immunotherapy. After medical school at Mayo Clinic, she completed internship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and radiation oncology residency at MD Anderson. Her research focuses on radiation therapy and CAR-NK cell therapy synergy. Her professional interests include childhood cancer, narrative medicine, global health, and integrative medicine.

The Rice Asian Diasporic and Asian American Research (RADAAR) Collective carves out a space that facilitates interdisciplinary study, scholarly exchange, and community partnerships at and beyond Rice on issues, experiences, and histories of racialized Asian/diasporic populations. By “diasporic,” we purposefully recognize the tension inherent in the term “Asian American” that so often essentializes and homogenizes diverse groups of people, despite its roots of political solidarity. Transnational and transhistorical in scope, RADAAR centers the voices of people and movements situated in realities of white supremacy, capitalism, imperialism, and extraction.

Dr. Joanne Allieza G. Acevedo, M.D. was born in the Philippines and raised in Edinburg, Texas, after migrating to the United States at age five. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Medical Humanities, English, and Chemistry from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She then obtained her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, where she participated in the SEA-CHange pilot curriculum focused on competency-based medical education. Dr. Acevedo joined UTMB as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology after completing her residency and fellowship training there. Her academic and research interests include pediatric asthma, allergic rhinitis, and quality improvement.

Dr. Michael Nguyen, D.O. serves as Chief Family Medicine Resident at the Lonestar Family Health Center. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is committed to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care to individuals and families across the rural and underserved communities of Montgomery County.

Dr. Galant Chan, M.D. is a Program Director of Medical Education and Assistant Professor of Medicine-Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her AB from Harvard College and MD from Baylor College of Medicine, followed by an internal medicine residency at Columbia University/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Washington Medical Center. Her professional interests include HIV prevention and treatment, transplant infectious diseases, and advancing medical education.

Dr. Anoop Agrawal, M.D., is an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and has served as Program Director of the combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency since 2013. His work focuses on faculty development, educational technology, and generative AI in medical education. Named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2015, he has presented nationally and internationally on innovation in medical education. Dr. Agrawal earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Grant Pham, M.D. currently serves on the admissions committee at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU and previously served on the admissions committee at the Texas Tech HSC Foster School of Medicine. He has extensive experience with multiple mini interviews, traditional one-on-one interviews, and both virtual and in-person formats. He understands what distinguishes successful applicants and is pleased to share insights into committee decision-making and current medical school admissions trends.

Stephanie Ngo

Membership Vice President

University of Kansas School of Medicine

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Shawn Lim

South Region Director

University of Texas Medical Branch

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Samuel Li

South Region Director

Baylor College of Medicine

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Kimberly Cang

South Region Director

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia

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Francis Khuong

South Region Director

Texas Tech University Health Science Center

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Julie Trinh

South Region Director

Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

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Katie Chan

Rice University – Co-President and Coordinating Manager

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Shaylla Wilson

Rice University – Co-President and Organizational Manager

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Katherine Xie 

Rice University – Vice President

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Joy Kim

Rice University – External Affairs

Elijah Kim

Rice University – Treasurer

Truong Nguyen

McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

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Tony Tran

McGovern Medical School

Tri Truong

McGovern Medical School

Jada Truong

University of Texas Medical Branch

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Joshua Borja

University of Texas Medical Branch