National Board Bio

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”.

Hello! My name is Tori Nguyen, and I am an MS2 at UCISOM. I grew up in Orange County and earned my B.S. in Biology with a minor in Global Health at UCLA. I discovered my academic interests, which include integrative medicine, hospice and palliative care, and medical education, during undergrad and my two gap years while working at a dumpling house and as a medical assistant for a gastroenterologist. I am so excited to be a Pre-Medical Director because I am passionate about mentorship and aim to promote APAMSA’s mission and service to the AANHPI community by cultivating connection within our network, creating culturally-sensitive professional development opportunities, and increasing accessibility to pre-medical resources.

Hello! My name is Madeleine Wong, I also go by Maddy! I am a fourth year medical student at New York Medical College (NYMC). This is my second term serving as the Communications Vice President, and third term on the National Board. My journey with APAMSA started as a mere local chapter member at NYMC from which I succeeded as chapter president. I participated in the 2019 National Conference as a member of the House of Delegate (HOD), became involved as a Hepatitis B/C Conference committee member, and officially joined National APAMSA as one of the Hepatitis B/C Directors before becoming the Communications Vice President. I am so grateful to have been apart of the APAMSA family throughout my medical school career, and so excited to see what’s more to come! Experiences in healthcare inequity, especially those unique to the AANHPI population, are no stranger to me or my family. Being able to contribute to an organization that addresses these disparities to empower the community of which I grew up in, has been a privilege. In my free time, I am an artist by nature – I love photography, graphic design, painting, drawing, you name it! Additionally, I am a dog-lover and spend a lot of time with my Australian Shepherd, Bourbon.

Håfa adai! My name is Michelle, and I am a third-year medical student at Oregon Health and Science University. I was born and raised on the island of Guam in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I moved to California for college and graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Kinesiology. I hope to help engage and connect our AANHPI community as one of the 2023 National Conference directors. Outside of school, I love spoiling my dog and online shopping! Looking forward to meeting you all!