Event

Most recently, Dr. Lori Werth served as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at the University of Pikeville, where she oversaw Advancement and Alumni Relations, Admissions, and the university’s colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Optometry, and Dental Medicine. She led strategic initiatives focused on healthcare education, workforce development, and expanding access to care.

Previously, Lori served nearly eight years as Provost and Chief Academic Officer, leading academic innovation, enrollment growth, accreditation efforts, and student success initiatives. In 2022, she was named a Fulbright Scholar and studied Japan’s education system while building international partnerships.

Throughout her career, Dr. Werth has championed innovation, research, and workforce development, including helping establish the Tanner College of Dental Medicine and the Sachdeva Research and Entrepreneurship Incubator.

A first-generation college graduate and Romanian immigrant, Dr. Werth is passionate about expanding educational opportunity, advancing healthcare workforce development, and improving access to care in underserved communities.

She and her husband, Dr. Eric Werth, have three daughters: Erica, Emily, and Ellie, and are excited to welcome future son-in-law Zac to the family. Their household also includes an Australian Shepherd and a beloved cat, both of whom are moving to Colorado.

Dr. Chia-Yu Chiu is a transplant infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado. He earned his medical degree from the National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan. Dr. Chiu completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center (Class 2021), followed by an infectious disease fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/MD Anderson Cancer Center (Class 2023), and a transplant infectious disease fellowship at Mayo Clinic  (Class 2024). His research primarily focuses on viral hepatitis, and critical aspects of pre-transplant evaluation (viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, antibiotic allergy, fungal screening, and vaccine efficacy/compliance). Additionally, he has been elected as the communications lead for the Hepatitis C Special Interest Group of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), a position he will hold from 2024 to 2026.

His research focuses on viral hepatitis and infectious disease considerations in pre-transplant evaluations, including tuberculosis, antibiotic allergies, fungal screening, and vaccine efficacy and adherence. He also serves as the Communications Lead for the Hepatitis C Special Interest Group of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) from 2024 to 2026.

About the Topic – Addressing Viral Hepatitis in Minority Populations: Progress, Gaps, and Future Directions

People with minoritized sexual and gender identities experience a disproportionate burden of viral hepatitis infection, such as higher prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C infection and higher incidence of acute hepatitis A. Despite being a priority population for global viral hepatitis elimination, awareness, vaccination coverage, and access to timely care remain inadequate. These gaps are exacerbated by the effects of minority stress and intersecting social determinants of health in this population, such as stigmatization, access to health care and different health behaviors. Furthermore, co-infection with HIV is also more common in people with minoritized sexual and gender identities, and the increasing use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in this population raises important considerations for hepatitis screening and monitoring. Effective management of viral hepatitis among people with minoritised sexual and gender identities must move beyond pharmacologic interventions to include culturally sensitive and community-centered approaches to care.

Jin Tsuchiya (he/him) is the volunteer project director of the Colorado Lotus Project, a first-of-its-kind statewide needs assessment of Colorado’s AANHPI communities. He has been instrumental in developing the Colorado Lotus Project from original conception, to the first final report, and now, the development of advocacy and policy opportunities, and beyond.

Jin is Japanese and Polish-American, grew up in Chicago, earned his BA from Saint Louis University in Missouri, and his MPP from the University of Denver in Colorado.

He lives in Denver with his wife, two children, and dog.

About the Topic – Colorado Lotus Project

The Colorado Lotus Project, a groundbreaking data research initiative focused on understanding the experiences and needs of Colorado’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, is officially launching its next phase. The project will now operate under the nonprofit Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (CACEN), a 501c3 organization dedicated to uplifting and strengthening AANHPI communities through culture, education, and civic engagement.

The report revealed a striking gap: in 2018, only $0.60 of every $100 awarded by foundations in Colorado explicitly supported AANHPI communities, underscoring the importance of elevating this data so these communities are not overlooked.

Karam H. Ahmad, MPH, is Managing Director of Partnerships and Development at the Colorado Health Institute, where he builds relationships and develops opportunities to advance health through research and collaboration. His background spans evaluation, community engagement, policy analysis, and the intersection of climate policy and public health. He helped lead the Colorado Lotus Project with the Colorado AAPI Circle and now CACEN, combining data and community stories to illuminate diverse Coloradans’ experiences. Karam holds an MPH from the Colorado School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in ecological biology and psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder. He was named to the Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2025.

About the Topic – Colorado Lotus Project

The Lotus Project organizes its findings into seven key domains that shape quality of life and opportunity for AANHPI communities: (1) Demographics, (2) Health, (3) Housing, (4) Income and Economic Opportunity, (5) Education, (6) Crime and Justice, (7) and Democracy.

Joseph Dantin is a third-year osteopathic medical student at Rocky Vista University with a background in law, environmental science, and public service. Originally from South Louisiana, he earned a Juris Doctor and two Master of Science degrees before pursuing medicine. His previous work in environmental and administrative law, along with his experiences serving rural and underserved communities, helped shape his interest in patient-centered care and community health.

At Rocky Vista University, he has been involved in medical student leadership, research, peer tutoring, and ultrasound education. He has also earned certification in Advanced Wilderness Life Support and has a particular interest in rural and wilderness medicine.

Jocelyn Selan is a fourth-year osteopathic medical student at Rocky Vista University with an interest in pursuing diagnostic radiology. She previously served as an ultrasound scholar during her second year of medical school and currently serves as a Predoctoral Clinical Scholar of Ultrasound. Through her involvement in ultrasound education, she has developed experience in teaching and applying point-of-care ultrasound techniques in clinical settings.

About the Workshop

The RVUCOM US Fellows and US Scholars will conduct a modified RUSH exam to focus specifically on hepatic anatomy and potential pathology. Focusing specifically on technique and instrumentation.

Yiqun G. Shellman, PhD, is Professor of Dermatology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Wuhan University and her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado. Her research bridges basic science and clinical medicine, with a focus on melanocyte biology, inherited pigmentation disorders, and melanoma.

Dr. Shellman’s research on SASH1 grew from a collaboration centered on a family with an unexplained inherited pigmentation disorder. Following the identification of a disease-associated SASH1 variant, her laboratory focused on understanding how the variant causes disease and what it could reveal about normal melanocyte biology. Her basic research uncovered mechanisms underlying the disease and new biological functions of SASH1, and also led to the recognition of a previously unrecognized clinical phenotype in affected patients. Using human cells, animal models, structural biology, and biochemical approaches, her team is working toward a unified understanding of how SASH1 regulates melanocyte biology and other cellular processes.

In parallel, Dr. Shellman studies melanoma treatment resistance, particularly mechanisms involving the BCL2 family and resistance to apoptosis. Her team is developing approaches to target both melanoma cells and the tumor immune microenvironment, with the ultimate goal of improving therapeutic responses and patient outcomes.

Dr. Shellman is also passionate about mentorship and education. She has mentored students, trainees, and junior faculty at many stages of their careers and finds particular meaning in helping young physicians and scientists discover their own paths and develop into independent professionals. In her spare time, she is a mediocre but enthusiastic ping-pong player and swimmer.

Dr. Somin Lim grew up in Seoul, South Korea before immigrating to Southern California as a 1.5-generation immigrant. She is currently a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at UC Irvine and serves as the APA Assembly’s Area 6 Resident Fellow Member Representative.

With a lifelong background in both music and medicine, Dr. Lim seeks to integrate creative modalities into psychiatric care to inspire and deepen therapeutic impact. Interests include advocacy, cross-cultural psychiatry, LGBTQI health, eating disorders, and psychotherapy.

Dr. Poojajeet Khaira is the Academic Chief Resident at MetroHealth Hospital – Case Western Reserve University and a University Hospitals Public and Community Psychiatry Fellow. She serves as Chair of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Assembly Committee of Resident-Fellow Members, Vice Chair of the APA/APAF Leadership Fellowship, and Co-Chair of the APA Resident-Fellow Member Caucus. She also chairs the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association’s (OPPA) Resident-Fellow Member and Social Media Committees. Additionally, she is co-founder of the Sikh Mental Health Summit.

Dr. Khaira has received multiple honors, including the 2025 Association of Academic Psychiatry Resident Psychiatric Educator Award, 2025 APA William Sorum Assembly Resident-Fellow Member Award, the 2025 OPPA President’s Award, and the 2022 U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award.

Her work focuses on workplace violence prevention, medical education, advocacy, and cultural psychiatry, and she has authored multiple action papers passed by the APA Assembly.

Timothy “TJ” Simba-Medel (he/they) is a performing artist, wellness coach, and arts educator rooted in the art of spoken word, theater, and improv. Raised in New Jersey, TJ performed in HBO’s Brave New Voices in high school, has won numerous poetry slams, and would eventually become the first Filipino American to teach at all three schools of Improv (Second City, Annoyance, iO) in Chicago.

At the heart of TJ’s creative profession is being a teaching artist. He has served as a teaching artist for the American Theater Company, Mulark Children’s Theater Company, The Poetry Center of Chicago, Chicago Improv Productions, Silk Road Rising Theater, Theater Unspeakable, After School Matters, University of Arkansas Little Rock’s Children’s International Program, Arkansas Repertory Theater, and Argenta Community Theater. In 2022, TJ cofounded Brokada Healing Collective, a space for fellow Filipino men & gender nonconforming individuals to harvest healing & liberated masculinity, and continues to host healing circles with Filipinx/a/o folx throughout the world. TJ moved to Denver last November 2025 and looks forward to working with APAMSA to achieve whole health and wellbeing in all we do.

About the Workshop

In our pursuit of social impact and community building, we often focus on the external structures we want to change. However, the most resilient communities are those that prioritize the internal whole health and well-being of their members. This session, facilitated by the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, introduces Achieving Whole Health – an essential toolkit for promoting holistic health and identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of mental distress. Through improvisation exercises and somatic movement, participants will learn how to better support their whole health – body, mind, and spirit.

Krystle Canare (she/her) is a proud Filipina American, the eldest daughter of first generation immigrant parents, the descendent of Filipino farmers, fisherman, and warriors, and carries both their generational wounds and legacy as a person with lived mental health experience and as the Interim Executive Director of NAAPIMHA, the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, a national organization dedicated to promoting and redefining the mental health of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) across the United States.

Krystle is a national health equity leader with extensive leadership and management experience in the federal government, the nonprofit sector, academia, and AANHPI-serving organizations. Prior to NAAPIMHA, Krystle served as consultant for the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, an ambassador for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, steering committee member for the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health, health equity ambassador for the American Psychological Association, staff at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Georgetown University’s National Center for Cultural Competence, and founding Vice Chair of the Asian Mental Health Collective.

Currently, Krystle serves as Health Committee Co-Chair for the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Mental Health Advisor for the Filipino Young Leaders Program Tayo, and enjoys living as a digital nomad and way finder traveling the country, reconnecting with the land, and living full-time in her RV with her partner and puppy, Evie.

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.

About the Workshop

In this workshop, participants will discuss barriers to healthcare access that Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities might face. Using a real patient story as a case study, participants will explore cultural differences, language barriers, and heath disparities affecting AANHPI communities, while reflecting on their own experiences and considering actionable changes for the future. Participants will also be asked to complete brief anonymous surveys on their workshop experience as part of a research study.

Please register in advance via this online form: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0lJtQ66Q7I3p8N0. You can also check in-person before the session begins if there are open spots.

For questions about the workshop, please contact Kelly Pu at kelly.pu@duke.edu.

Taemy Kim-Mander is a Korean American BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst, is the Founder and CEO of Open Heart Behavior Services, Co-Chair of the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission, Creative Producer of AAPI Culture Fest, Vice President of the Arc of Arapahoe, Douglas & Elbert Counties, and a board member of Show & Tell, a parent-advocacy organization for BIPOC families. She is passionate about her work with clients and families with developmental disabilities and/or autism, and works to build belonging and provide visible leadership for the next generation of Asian Americans.

Taemy is committed to living according to her values – combining her professional expertise in behavior analysis with her dedication to community service and cultural advocacy. Through her business and community involvement, she strives to make a meaningful impact while staying true to her identity and purpose.

About the Topic

For the first time in CDC history, autism is identified more often in Asian and Pacific Islander children than in White children — yet only 8% of Asian students receive special-education services, the lowest rate of any group. The highest need meets the lowest access.

Culture shapes every step of that gap. How a family recognizes a concern, whether they name it as a diagnosis, what support they’ll accept, and whether they seek care at all are all filtered through cultural beliefs, stigma, and the “cultural camouflage” expectation that a child should excel. Traits a clinician would flag can be read as virtues — and shame can keep families from ever reaching a provider.

This session equips future physicians to see past those barriers — and shows how civic engagement turns clinical insight into policy. Drawing on her work as Co-Chair of the Denver AAPI Commission, the presenter makes the case that representation at the table changes who gets served at all.

Bridget Anshus is a health policy analyst at Colorado Access, the state’s largest and most experienced public sector health plan, serving more than 500,000 Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) members. In her role, Bridget evaluates state- and federal-level policy changes and the impact on Coloradans. Previously, Bridget served as Senior Policy Advocate at Mental Health Colorado, helping advance efforts to improve the behavioral health system. Before moving to Colorado, Bridget worked on federal health policy issues in Washington, D.C. ake a meaningful impact while staying true to her identity and purpose.

About the Topic

Discuss impacts of HR 1 (also known as One Big Beautiful Bill Act or OBBBA) on members, providers, and the community writ large. This bill, signed into law on July 4, 2025, combines significant federal spending cuts, healthcare restructuring, agriculture and nutrition program changes, and permanent federal tax reforms.

Siddarth Sharma (he/him) is a proud descendant of Indian parents and is based in Washington, DC. He is passionate about connection and community building, and has served as the VP of Membership for the OCA Greater Washington DC chapter for 2 terms. He graduated from George Washington University with his MPH concentrating in epidemiology, and now works in pediatric research.

About the Topic

Advocacy 101 introduces APAMSA attendees to the importance of health advocacy and the role healthcare providers can play in advancing policies that impact their patients and communities. Using the NCAPA Health Policy Platform as a guide, attendees will explore how providers can turn patient experiences and community needs into meaningful policy advocacy, including what a typical legislative visit looks like and how to effectively engage with elected officials.

Greetings from Dallas, Texas! I’m Sami and I have been with Mirum Pharmaceuticals since 2021 in a few different roles based out of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs with mostly their line of iBAT products and now with an HDV product.

Originally from New York and raised in North Carolina, I have also lived in Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Pakistan, and am now happy to have called Texas my home for the past eleven years. I studied Medicine abroad at an International Medical College and returned in to the USA to take my license exams, after which I became heavily involved on various sides of Clinical Trials in various therapeutic areas (Nephrology, Cardiology, GI, Neurology, Psychiatry, Infectious Disease, and Pulmonology). I briefly practiced at a Primary Care Clinic for underserved patients in Kansas City, after which I joined research and industry full-time. I also thoroughly enjoy teaching, and have been fortunate to be an Adjunct Faculty member of the Clinical Research Management – Masters of Science program at the University of North Texas – Health Science Center in Fort Worth since 2019, where I teach a Clinical Data Management course and have supervised/mentored interns.

About the Topic

Disease State awareness, Epidemiology, Screening Practices, Emerging Therapies, and it’s impact on Asian Communities.