National Board Bio

Hey APAMSA! I’m Hannah Moon and I’m a second-year medical student at OHSU. I’m a child of Korean immigrants, grew up in Portland and went to undergrad at WashU in St. Louis, majoring in Neuroscience. I served as co-president for OHSU APAMSA 2020-2021 where Joyce and I focused on expanding and strengthening the Asian American community within OHSU (particularly in a pandemic virtual environment) and bridging the different diversity student groups and communities. Outside of school, I enjoy running, collecting food recommendations, learning languages, and fostering kittens!

Hello, hello! My name is Aliah, and I am an MS2 (soon to be MS3) at Oregon Health and Science University. I was born in Canada, but raised in Gresham, Oregon. I was able to obtain my Bachelor’s of Science degree at Portland State University, majoring in general science and minoring in biology. My heritage is unique in that my dad’s side is from India, but my mom is mixed Thai/Lao and Pakistani. The cultures I grew up with are an integral part of who I am, and I am proud of my South and Southeast Asian background. I enjoy poetry, snowboarding, and discovering new places to eat with friends! Looking forward to the National Conference and being more involved with APAMSA!

Hi everyone! My name is Se-Jin Kim, but I go by Joyce. I am a Grad 1 MD/PhD student at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). I grew up in South Korea and did my undergraduate at Carleton College. I did immunology research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for 3 years before coming to Portland, OR. For my pastimes, I enjoy exploring nature and doing outdoor activities with friends. I am very excited for the opportunity to serve AANHPI community and help out with hosting the National Conference 2023 at OHSU!

Hello! My name is Ashley Tam and I’m a second year medical student at Oregon Health & Science University. I was born and raised in the Portland metro area and went to Cornell University for undergrad. As a child of immigrants I was constantly surrounded by Chinese culture and traditions, but it wasn’t until undergrad that I was surrounded by AANHPI peers and I realized how important that was to me. Now back home in Oregon I’m excited to put together the APAMSA National Conference! When not running around for rotations I like to play phone games, bake Chinese pastries, watch anime, and try out new restaurants.

Hi everyone! My name is Tracy Gao, and I am a medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. I joined APAMSA at SKMC during my first year of medical school as the community service and advocacy director, and served as a Region 3 co-director for two years. This year, I am excited to be serving as the Network Director for National APAMSA. I attended Johns Hopkins University for undergrad and studied anthropology and women, gender, and sexuality studies. After college, I worked at Womankind before medical school as a residential advocate, providing counseling and case management services to survivors of gender based violence in the Asian-American, Immigrant, and other marginalized communities in New York City. My research interests include intimate partner violence, trauma-informed care, and pregnancy screening. Outside of school, I enjoy pottery, photography, graphic design, flower arranging, gardening and building new rooms for my kitten’s cardboard castle.

Hi! My name is Hersh Gupta and I am a 1st Year MD/PhD student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Along with serving as the South Asian director for APAMSA, I also volunteer for educating predominantly Asian high school students on Hepatitis C and do research on studying genetic causes of disease in various populations. I went to undergraduate at Brown where I earned my degree in chemistry and computational biology. Afterwards, I spent 2 gap years at the Broad, studying cancer genomics. Outside of school, I enjoy cooking, exploring NYC, and exploring Netflix.

Hey! I’m Daniel Jung and I’m an MS1 student at University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine. I’m very interested in tech, so one of my interests as a medical student is getting exposure to the new technological innovations in medicine and networking with fellow peers who also find them fascinating! When I’m not busy with school, I like to do creative activities. I love listening to music (K-rnb and Jpop) and making music as well (Lofi, hip hop). I also like to create content! Connect with me at @Daniel.k.jung on instagram 🙂

Hi there, I’m John P. Lee, a medical student at the Penn State College of Medicine. My current involvement with the Penn State College of Medicine includes being a student in the Global Health Scholars Program for the São Paulo, Brazil site and doing research in the fields of infectious diseases, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and refugee healthcare. Beyond Penn State, I am the 2023 Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) National Medical Education Director, and I am an officer in the US Navy Reserve as part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program.

Prior to medical school, I graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Biological Anthropology from Penn State University Park and then graduated with an M.S. in Anatomy from the Penn State College of Medicine. I spent four years as an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Lebanon Valley College where I taught general anatomy, functional musculoskeletal anatomy, human physiology, and exercise physiology. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, hiking, kayaking, skiing, reading, playing board games and card games, learning new languages, and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts!

Mālō e lelei! My name is Piueti Tu’ulelei Maka and I am a Tongan MD student at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Hawai’i. Outside of school, a few of my leadership roles include my service as the Pasifikas in Medicine Vice President: Chair of Internal Affairs, Western Region ​​National Association of Medical Minority Educators Student Ambassador, and ‘Imi Ho‘ola Post-Baccalaureate Program Student Ambassador. Before medical school, I obtained my B.A. Biology from Pepperdine University and worked various jobs that gave me extensive experience in medicine, fashion, and general labor. For research, I focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) minority issues, especially as it relates to health, and also participate in various surgical subspecialty research. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, photography and videography, and spending time with my loved ones and cats!

Hi everyone! My name is Michael Nguyen and I am a third-year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, attended Stanford University for undergrad, and worked in tech for a few years before deciding to pivot into medical school. As a gay, first-generation medical student raised by Vietnamese refugees, I am deeply passionate about giving back to underserved communities and advocating for health equity and social justice. In my free time, I enjoy dancing (formerly on a hip-hop dance team), playing video games, and exploring new restaurants across Philly.