About ASN

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

ASN celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by highlighting influential Asian American and Pacific Islander members within the nephrology community.

May 2025

Li-Li Hsiao

Self-Introduction

I was born and raised in a small village in Taiwan with a very happy childhood. I had both parents working, but working at home, my father was a family doctor, and my mother was a pharmacist. My father made house calls, and my mother trained villagers as her apprentice. My father showed me the meaning of "kindness and caring", my mother showed me adventure spirit and love of good food. Both inspired me to respect "all" human beings, a sense of "all people are equal".  I am very proud of my heritage and who I am.  I am therefore proud to be a member of CATION+ (Coalition of Asian Americans Transforming Opportunities in Nephrology), an organization that helps support this particular group of people advancing career opportunities in Nephrology, and also helps make Asian people, especially Asian women, more visible!

Can you share a moment in your career where DEI made a meaningful impact—on you, a patient, or the field of nephrology?

Seeing that people don't seek medical care due to a language barrier or a lack of health insurance, I was therefore inspired to create a community outreach program called "Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP)", serving underserved people in the community, meeting them where they are.

What advice would you give to the next generation of diverse professionals entering the field?

1. Never think you are "Not" good enough, you are indeed "good enough"
2. Being proud of who you are
3. Seek mentor(s) and support of like

Annie Liu DO, MS, MPH

Self-Introduction

• Clinical and Research Nephrology Fellow.
• Massachusetts General Brigham.
• ASN Kidney News Fellow Editor and ASN Policy and Advocacy Committee Intern.

What inspired you to pursue a career in nephrology?

I found deep meaning during my clinical training in building relationships with patients living with end-stage kidney disease and supporting them and their loved ones through challenging decisions about dialysis, transplant, and serious illness over their disease trajectory. Nephrology offers a unique combination of clinical complexity and human connection – exactly what drew me to the field.

Can you share a moment in your career where DEI made a meaningful impact—on you, a patient, or the field of nephrology?

As a first-generation American, I've often reflected on how my cultural background shapes the way I connect with patients. One particularly meaningful aspect has been the ability to communicate with my Mandarin-speaking patients. These moments not only remind me of my own upbringing but also how language concordance can foster trust, improve adherence, and strengthen the physician-patient relationship.

What advice would you give to the next generation of diverse professionals entering the field?

My advice to the next generation of professionals entering into nephrology is to stay grounded in the "why" that brought you here. Medicine can be demanding and complex, but never lose sight of the privilege it is to care for others during their most vulnerable moments. Take time to be present -- to your patients, your colleagues, and yourself. Your unique background and perspective are strengths. Lean into them and use them to make the field better for those who come after you.

May 2023

Tara Chang, MD, MS, FASN

Self-Introduction

I am a child of immigrants: my mom's family fled China during the 1940s to Taiwan and my dad's family is an ethnic minority (Hakka) in Taiwan. My parents came to the U.S. separately in the late 1960s and met in graduate school, eventually settling down in Michigan where I was born and raised. I was one of only a handful of Asian Americans in my elementary school and while most everyone was very nice, microaggressions ("but where are you REALLY from") and macroaggressions were nearly daily occurrences. Fast forward a few decades, I now live in the California Bay Area, one of the most diverse places in the country. My kids attend a public, bilingual English-Mandarin school, where they are encouraged to celebrate their culture and heritage every day. There's still work to be done, but it's remarkable to see how far we've come.

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

There can often be a misconception that because Asian Americans make up a large proportion of the nephrology workforce and ASN membership, that dedicated efforts to include us in diversity efforts are not needed. Unfortunately, overt racism directed at Asian Americans has surged in recent years, and Asian Americans continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions. Therefore, I appreciate seeing ASN celebrate AAPI Heritage Month and recognize the many contributions of the AAPI community to advance kidney health for all.

What additional diversity initiatives, programming, and support would you like to see from ASN?

I appreciate ASN working with our newly created CATION+ group to see how we can work with ASN to improve opportunities for nephrology professionals as well as think about potential patient-facing initiatives that could focus on CKD awareness in certain higher risk AAPI communities.

Devika Nair, MD, MS, FASN

Self-Introduction

I am a nephrologist and physician scientist focused on improving the identification and treatment of functional decline in adults with kidney disease.

What additional diversity initiatives, programming, and support would you like to see from ASN?

I would love to see dedicated support from ASN for patient-initiated research questions, projects, and outreach strategies to better involve patients who have limited prior advocacy experience or access to care.

Silvi Shah, MD, MS, FASN

Self-Introduction

I am a transplant nephrologist and a physician scientist at the University of Cincinnati with a research focus on women's heath, health equity, and cardiovascular health in patients with kidney disease.

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

It signifies diversity and inclusion of all individuals in our society.

How has ASN impacted you as a person of color?

Increasing focus on diversity and inclusion has been encouraging and increases my belongingness.

What additional diversity initiatives, programming, and support would you like to see from ASN?

Encouraging representation in all forums especially leadership/committees.

Emily J. Steinbach, PhD

Self-Introduction

I am currently a research fellow at the University of Iowa in Pediatric Nephrology under Dr. Lyndsay Harshman. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and adopted at six months old by my family in the small town of Centerville, Iowa. I received my BS in Cell and Developmental Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Iowa in 2019 and went on to finish my PhD in Biomedical Science/ Radiation Oncology in 2022 at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. My research focuses on redox metabolism in the "kidney-brain axis," and I am involved in many other projects to better improve the lives of children and families with CKD.

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

Growing up adopted is hard! Being a foreign adoptee adds a lot of different cultural and racial identities. Answering simple questions such as "where are you from?" and "do you have any family medical history of X?" is almost always a blank response for many adoptees. AAPI Month is a time where one layer of my identity feels seen.

How has ASN impacted you as a person of color?

I have always felt as though I have had a seat at the table with ASN, no matter my color.

What additional diversity initiatives, programming, and support would you like to see from ASN?

I would love to see continued research initiatives for inherited kidney diseases, especially those with limited family history.

May 2022

Steven C. Cheng, MD

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

AAPI heritage month is a special opportunity to reflect on my family's history and heritage, and to share aspects of that culture with others. It means honoring the stories that my parents told and passing them on to my children. It means enjoying traditions that have been passed down and eating an awful lot of really great food.

How has ASN impacted you as a person of color?

I think ASN has worked hard to foster communities where everyone can feel like they have a voice, a place, and an opportunity to be heard. I'm proud of ASN leadership in their recent advocacy for inclusion and equity in our practice, our communities, and our training.

What additional diversity initiatives, programming, and support would you like to see from ASN?

As a program director, I'd love to see ASN take a leadership role in assisting the many outstanding foreign medical graduates who are training in our programs. They constitute a large and important part of our nephrology work force, and yet finding positions and jobs can be an additional hurdle. We owe it to these incredible trainees to open doors for all the opportunities that can be enjoyed in a nephrology career.