National Board

Hello, my name is Neil Vuppala and I am a DO student at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Before medical school, I obtained my B.A. at Washington University in St. Louis with a major in Chemistry and a double minor in Physics and South Asian Cultural Studies. During this time I also conducted research at WashU on student performance in introductory STEM courses and helped create and modify interventions to help every student succeed. Afterwards, I taught Introductory Chem Lab for a year also at WashU. Currently, I am doing research at Johns Hopkins University on the topic of re-irradiation on glioblastoma patients in my field of interest, radiation oncology. In my free time, I enjoy working out, playing video games, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Hi APAMSA! My name is Nicholas Wu, but I go by Nick. I’m currently a second year at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, and serve as the Regional Director for Region VI. I’m originally from the Bay Area, and graduated from UCLA with a degree in Molecular Biology and double minors in English and Biomedical Research in 2019. In my free time, I love learning about music production and practicing my skills as an amateur DJ!

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Ngo, and I am a third-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). I am originally from Garland, TX, and I earned my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. In my free time, I love spending time outdoors, playing pickleball, trying out new recipes, and hanging out with my dog, Lily, who lives to play fetch on the beaches in Galveston. I previously served on the 2022 National APAMSA Hepatitis Conference Committee and as VP of Administration for my local APAMSA chapter. I am excited to use my previous experiences and skills to advocate for the AANHPI community!

Hi everyone! My name is Mason Zhu and I’m currently a 2nd year medical student at Georgetown University School of Medicine. I’ll be one of your new Region III Directors for the 2023-2024 year. I’m originally from California and received my BS and MS from UC San Diego. Before medical school, I worked as a clinical research associate in cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills. Joining APAMSA has helped me connect back with my roots and taught me how to advocate for the community to which I belong and love the most. My goal is to be able to serve the AANHPI community and bridge the health gaps and language barriers to better address and reform health inequities that separate our communities. I am also interested in serving the LGBTQIA+ community and other underserved groups in the United States. In my free time, I love playing beach volleyball, learning new languages, listening to electronic music, and working out. I’m looking forward to meeting each and every one of you and if you see me, say hey!

Hi, my name is Cindy and I’m a 4th year medical student at Texas Tech! I grew up in the Dallas area and attended undergrad at UT Austin. I’m excited to work as an APAMSA Region 9 Director and serve the healthcare needs of AANHPI populations in this region. In my free time, I enjoy exercising, watching TV, and game nights with friends. I look forward to another great year on the APAMSA National Board!

Hello, my name is Paul Tominez and I am a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. Before medical school, I attended the University of California, Davis where I received my B.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. I subsequently worked as a Junior Specialist with the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine. My current medical interests are in emergency medicine, global health, and systems improvement. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, taking care of my plants, and cooking. I am excited to be serving you as the APAMSA Region 8 Co-Director!

Hi! My name is Daiana Takashima and I am an M1 at Emory SOM. I was born and raised in the Bay Area but spent part of my childhood in Japan. I went to Williams College for undergrad and spent my gap years working as a high school biology teacher at a 5-day boarding school in the suburbs outside of Boston before moving to Atlanta for medical school. Attending a predominantly white undergraduate institution motivated me to get involved in APAMSA and stay connected with the AANHPI community. I am specifically interested in mentorship, further exploring the collaborations between Eastern and Western medicinal practices, and bridging health literacy gaps for AANHPI immigrant communities in particular. Outside of school, I love playing volleyball, hiking, and watching kdrama/anime.

I am a 6th year MD/PhD student at Ohio State. I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from Yale in 2016. My research focuses on discovering bacterial natural products and elucidating their biosynthesis in an effort to develop novel therapeutics. I’ve served as one of the APAMSA Alumni Directors for the past few–probably too many–years.

Janet Guo originally hails from Lexington, KY and is now a medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is thrilled to serve as the Research Director for APAMSA. In her free time, Janet enjoys exploring bubble tea shops and practicing yoga.

Hello, my name is Donna Tran. I am an MD student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and obtained my MPH from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, respectively. Outside of school, I serve as the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) National Immediate Past President and Medical Student Representative of the Association for College Psychiatry. Previously, I was the 2020 – 2023 APAMSA National President and a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Health Policy Intern. Before medical school, I obtained my B.S. Neurobiology and B.A. Psychology from University of California, Davis and worked as a Stanford University and UCSF clinical researcher, improving quality of life and cognitive function and addressing psychological illnesses in women and older adults. For research, I focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) minority issues, public mental health/psychiatry, leadership and academic medicine, and older adults and cognitive aging. In my free time, I enjoys rock climbing, my French bulldog (Boba Princess), and TED Talks, particularly as a past TEDx Speaker myself in 2020 “Meaning in Cancer”.