The Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity (CAHPE) hosted a virtual panel discussion in May to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. The panel focused on AAPI health research, the impact of climate change on health and the role of healthcare in AAPI communities. It was moderated by Soko Setoguchi, MD, DrPH, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Rutgers-RWJMS and Rutgers School of Public Health and the contact MPI for NIMDH’s P50 Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity (CAPHE), who is a physician scientist focused on health services outcome research in vulnerable populations and on population based research in climate change, health, and healthcare.

The event featured an introductory video by U.S. Congressman Andy Kim (D-NJ) highlighting the importance of AAPI Heritage Month.

The panel was opened by Bei Wu, PhD, Dean’s Professor in Global Health, Vice Dean of Research, Co-director of NYU Aging Incubator and MPI for CAPHE. Featured speakers then discussed their work in the areas of climate change, health and healthcare in AAPI populations:

Keith Chan, LMSW, PhD, Assistant Professor, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College – “Healthcare & The Climate Crisis: Preparing America’s Health Care Infrastructure to Address Health Equity for Asian Americans”

Eunyoung Choi, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, School of Global Public Health, NYU – “Climate Change and Health Disparities Among Asian Americans”

Arnab Ghosh, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University– “Climate-amplified extreme weather events in Asia/Pacific”

Khai Hoan Nguyen, PhD, Rutgers Department of Geography– “Challenges and Opportunities: Asian American Communities and Climate Change Adaptation”

Community panelists also joined the event to discuss their experience within the community and responses to the presentations:

Mitchel Wu, Director, CPC Queens Community Center

Isabel Ching, LMSW, Executive Director, Hamilton-Madison House

Varsha Singh, DNP, APN, CT-CP, NEA-BC, FAHA, Advisory Panel, South Asian Total Health Initiatives

U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) shared a video for the event which can be viewed here:

The full panel recording can be viewed here: