AAPI Alliance

The UCLA Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Faculty Alliance aims to provide opportunities for UCLA Asian American and Pacific Islander members with shared personal and professional interests to gather and network with one another.  

Past Events

2024 Events

• Underrepresentation of AAPI in Research Awards Yuh-Nung Jan, PhD
• Lunar New Year Celebration and Lantern Decorating with APAMSA
• Lunar New Year Dinner

2023 Events

• Holiday Dinner
• Health Equity and Research Reforms at DGSOM with Sung-Jae Lee, PhD 
• Mental Health Impact on Healthcare Workers with Cindy C. Sangalang, PhD
• Town Hall with AAPI Alliance, Dean Dubinett & JEDI Vice Dean McIntosh
• Challenges Faced by AAPI in Academic Medicine with Augustine M.K. Choi, MD
• AAPI Issues in Healthcare with Dr. Paul Song and Lisa Ling 
• Asian Leadership Paradox with Karen E. Kim, MD
• Lunar New Year Celebration

2022 Events

• Does Harvard Love Asians as Much as Asians Love Harvard?: What Challenges to Affirmative Action Tell Us with Mitchell Chang, PhD
• Standing Against Anti-Asian Hate: Then, Now, and the Path Forward with Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles CEO Connie Chung Joe, JD
• Stop the Hate: Addressing AAPI Racism in Healthcare and Society with Drs. Arpana Gupta, PhD, Alice Kuo, MD, PhD, MBA, and Daniel Lu, MD, PhD
• AAPI Heritage Month Dinner Gathering

History

The DGSOM AAPI Alliance seeks to advance opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at DGSOM and to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion broadly within DGSOM, UCLA, and the Los Angeles community.

Established in April 2021 at the height of the Atlanta shootings and rising hate crimes, the AAPI Alliance was formed to advocate for the rights of staff and faculty at DGSOM. All are welcome to join. Sign up for the email list to learn more upcoming events, meeting announcements, and more.

Mission Statement

The UCLA DGSOM Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Alliance aims to provide opportunities for UCLA Asian American and Pacific Islander members with shared personal and professional interests to gather and network with one another.  

AAPI’s initiatives (e.g., formal events, discussions, sharing of resources) aim to: 

• Build community, collaboration, and networking among AAPI members and other constituencies to enhance their UCLA experience through mentorship, leadership, connection, and visibility. 
• Create opportunities for engagement, education, discourse, and advancement related to anti-racism, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, with particular attention to the AAPI community.
• Promote the recruitment and other recognition of AAPI members, mentors, and leaders.
• Sponsor and share education, resources, and scholarship about the specific interests of AAPI.
• Advocate for health outcomes in AAPI populations to eliminate health disparities and barriers to advancement.
• Lead discussion and communication that promote academic and non-academic collaboration.
• Foster mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching opportunities that support personal, professional, and career development with a commitment to excellence.
• Advance anti-racist allyship with organizations within UCLA and Los Angeles.
• Develop partnerships with Los Angeles community-based organizations and community leaders to address health, healthcare, and social inequities experienced by AAPI communities.

Partners

Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Steering Committee

• Daniel Lu, MD, PhD, Neurosurgery — Co-Chair
• Alice A. Kuo, MD, Med-Peds (Internal Medicine and Pediatrics) — Co-Chair
• Mona AuYoung, PhD, MPH, MS
• Enrico G. Castillo, MD, MS, Psychiatry
• Steven Y. Chang, MD, PhD, Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
• Eric M. Cheng, MD, MS, Neurology
• Sarah A. Nguyen, MD, Psychiatry
• Lekha Rao, MD, Neurology
• Linelle Libang, MPH
• Teresa Roth
• Animesh A. Sabnis, MD, MSHS, Neonatology
• Monique Trinh, MHA
• James Wu, MD, Endocrine Surgery
• Jane Yanagawa, MD, Thoracic Surgery