Jessie Chen, Advocacy Committee Member

National Board

My name is Jessie and I’m a second-year med student at the University of Miami. Super excited to continue advocating for AANHPI communities and work with APAMSA to continue building on our strong foundation!



Preston Dang, Advocacy Committee Member

National Board

Hey y’all! My name is Preston Dang and I am a first-year osteopathic medical student at WesternU-COMP in Pomona, California. I’m originally from Orange County, California, attended UCLA for undergrad, and Tufts University in Boston for my MPH. I am fortunate to have been heavily involved with service and advocacy within local Asian and Pacific Islander American communities throughout my educational journey. I am excited to take the next step in this journey by contributing to advocacy on the national-level as part of Advocacy Committee!



Adileen Sii, Advocacy Committee Member

National Board

Hi! My name is Adileen, and I’m currently a second-year medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I first got involved with APAMSA as an MS-1 liaison and chapter president, and I’m now thrilled to be serving on the Advocacy Committee. In my free time, I enjoy painting, dancing, and exploring new coffee shops!



Tiffany Chen, National Conference Director (Speaker Relations)

National Board

Tiffany Chen is a first-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco. She was born in China and immigrated to Southern California at the age of 14. She completed her B.A. in Public Health and Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Before medical school, she worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at UCSF. Tiffany is passionate about serving immigrant and limited English proficiency (LEP) communities. Since her undergraduate years, she has volunteered as a health interpreter and served as a leader of the Volunteer Health Interpreters Organization at UC Berkeley, providing free interpretation and translation services across the Bay Area. At UCSF, she currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) local chapter. Her academic and professional interests lie in clinical research, health disparities, and immigrant and women’s health. She is also deeply committed to mentorship and education to support disadvantaged populations. Ultimately, she hopes to combine her passions for research, advocacy, and community engagement to improve healthcare access and outcomes for the community.



Katherine Chua, National Conference Director (Speaker Relations)

National Board

Katherine (pronouns: she/her/hers) is a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) who is part of the Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US). She is a second-generation Chinese Filipino American from Santa Clarita, California. Katherine graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.S. in Human Biology and Society and a minor in Asian American Studies. As a medical student, she has been involved in student organizations that promote health equity in underserved communities across the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and bring to light the systemic injustices they face. She serves as co-chair of APAMSA at UCSF and co-president of the Filipino American Medical Student Association (FAMSA) at UCSF, where she strives to foster a supportive community of medical students and enhance diverse representation in medicine. Beyond health equity, she is also passionate about mentorship, ethnic studies, and expanding educational access. Katherine aspires to become a physician advocate who provides patient-centered care and partners with local leaders to create community-driven programs in underserved areas.



Jeanna Shaw, National Conference Director (Communications)

National Board

Jeanna Shaw is a medical student at the University of California San Francisco. She was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in an immigrant household and has dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was 3 years old. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with Highest Honors with a degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology from Harvard University, where she completed an honors thesis studying an induced pluripotent stem cell therapy for myocardial infarctions. Now a medical student, she serves as the Community Engagement co-chair and Advocacy chair at UCSF and is excited to step into the role of Logistics Co-director for the 2026 APAMSA National Conference. Jeanna is passionate about tackling healthcare inequities, particularly in immigrant communities with a specific focus on maternal healthcare disparities and structural barriers to healthcare literacy and access. In her free time, she loves art and music, running, and enjoying the outdoors.



Nelson Lin, National Conference Director (Logistics)

National Board

Nelson Lin (he/him) is a medical student at the UC Berkeley – UCSF Joint Medical Program. His interests include language justice and cardio-metabolic health within AAPI communities. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball and making matcha lattes.



Brian Tangsombatvisit, National Conference Director (Logistics)

National Board

Brian Tangsombatvisit is a first-year medical student at UCSF with a background in physiological sciences from UCLA. Originally from Clayton, California, he developed an early interest in healthcare through his time as a medical scribe at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute, where he worked closely with physicians across multiple disciplines, including orthopedics and neurology. Those experiences sparked his passion for diagnostic radiology, especially in the musculoskeletal domain.
As a representative for APAMSA, Brian is excited to help build a supportive space for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) medical students. He’s committed to promoting cultural understanding, increasing awareness of community health issues, and creating pathways for advocacy and mentorship within medicine. Brian looks forward to contributing to APAMSA’s mission while continuing to explore how his interests in imaging, equity, and education can intersect throughout his journey in medicine.



Matthew Kim, National Conference Director (Finance)

National Board

Matthew Kim is currently a first-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He was born in Glendale, California, and raised in La Cañada. He completed his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis, worked as a Process Engineering Intern at Genentech, and spent his gap year at Stanford University as an Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Radiation Oncology, where he contributed to imaging-based cancer research and health access disparities.
In addition, Matthew has remained committed to service and mentorship throughout his journey. At UCSF, he currently serves as the Admissions Advisory Council Coordinator as a liaison for APAMSA and the admissions committee to support and connect incoming students who identify with the AANHPI community with school resources. He now acts as the NC Financial Director for the 2026 National Conference. He is passionate about equitable health access, community-centered care, and the intersection of medicine, technology, and education, and he hopes to continue his interests as he pursues a career in Radiation Oncology or Diagnostic Radiology.



A Message From Our President

Welcome to the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)! Here, you’ll discover how we’re tackling critical health disparities in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities by uniting the next generation of AANHPI medical students and healthcare leaders in our collective mission for health equity.

As the largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit representing the AANHPI medical community, APAMSA unites healthcare professionals at every career stage—from pre-medical students to seasoned attending physicians—in our shared mission to transform AANHPI health outcomes. For over 30 years, we’ve served as a national leader in health equity through advocacy, philanthropy, leadership, and professional development. What started as an Internet message forum has grown into a powerful network of 180+ chapters nationwide, advancing our work from local communities to national platforms.

By mobilizing medical students, physicians, and community partners, we’re building a future where every AANHPI individual has access to culturally competent care, life-saving treatments, and equitable health opportunities. Through initiatives like bone marrow registration, hepatitis and cancer screening, mental health advocacy, and community outreach, we address disparities with data-driven action. Furthermore, now more than ever, we are deepening our commitment to inclusivity with dedicated committees and programs that uplift the unique needs of all AANHPI subgroups. This is more than medicine; this is justice in action—and we’re just getting started.


Join us in fulfilling our 2025-26 National Goals, which we call the year of “RICE”:

  • Recognition & ReverenceHonoring our past, securing our future.

We are committed to ensuring APAMSA’s sustainability for the next 30 years and beyond—through strategic sponsorships, fundraising, and the unwavering support of our community. By deepening engagement with our alumni, we will foster lifelong connections, ensuring APAMSA remains a pillar of support at every stage of a healthcare professional’s journey.

  • Invigoration & InitiativeBuilding pathways for impact.

We will pioneer research opportunities to advance AANHPI health, revitalize our pre-med mentorship program, and launch a robust alumni-mentorship initiative to keep our leaders invested in APAMSA’s mission. Additionally, from local health fairs and cancer and health screenings, to the launching of our inaugural National APAMSA Hepatitis & Health Equities Conference 2025, we will amplify awareness of the disparities facing our communities and drive actionable change.

  • Cultivation & CommitmentFrom advocacy to action.

We will empower our members with the resources, networks, and platforms to transform health equity principles into actionable policy and political impact—through tangible measures such as improving upon our advocacy toolkit and providing more funding for advocacy-based programming. Additionally, by forging stronger alliances with organizations like the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), the Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine (CYFAM), the Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA), the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), we will unite the broader medical community in solidarity. Through targeted professional development and leadership opportunities, we will ensure APAMSA champions intersectionality and elevates historically marginalized voices within the AANHPI community.

  • Expansion & EvolutionGrowing stronger, reaching further.

We will refine APAMSA’s brand as a beacon of hope and unity—from our local chapters to the National Board—ensuring every AANHPI medical student and pre-med feels seen and supported. By expanding our membership through new chapters, scholarships, and travel grants, we will break barriers and create a more inclusive, empowered future for our community.

Now, I would like to personally invite you to join our mission by becoming a member of APAMSA today. If you would like to stay connected with our organization, please consider following our Facebook, Twitter/X, Tiktok, Youtube, and Instagram, or signing up for our newsletter to stay in the loop for all things APAMSA—from scholarship opportunities, professional development workshops, and all other upcoming events. We look forward to you joining the APAMSA family and standing together in solidarity as we aim for true health equity. 

“Sometimes we can offer a cure, sometimes only a salve, sometimes not even that. But whatever we can offer, our interventions, and the risks and sacrifices they entail, are justified only if they serve the larger aims of a person’s life.” – Atul Gawande, MD, MPH

Yours Truly,

James Maxwell Chua, MS, OMS-II

He/Him/His
National President

president@apamsa.org