TOORU NEMOTO, PHD

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

(He/Him)

Dr. Tooru Nemoto is Research Program Director at the Public Health Institute (PHI). Before joining PHI, Dr. Nemoto was Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco (UCSF). He has been mainly engaging in substance abuse and HIV prevention studies and service projects for under-served and stigmatized populations, such as transgender and gender non-binary people, men who have sex with men (MSM), and sex workers in the U.S. and Asian countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. He has been awarded a number of grants and service contracts from NIH, SAMHSA, CDC, HRSA, and private foundations. As Project Director, he recently completed a 5-year SAMHSA funded project providing trauma-informed care and prevention services targeting Asian youths in Alameda County. He co-authored a number of research papers in the field of substance abuse and HIV prevention and health promotion for under-served sexual, gender, and racial minority groups in peer-reviewed journals.

MARIKO IWAMOTO, M.A.

PROJECT DIRECTOR

(She/Her)

I have a Master’s degree in social psychology and oversee multiple community-based HIV and substance abuse intervention projects targeting ethnic and gender minorities in the US and Asian counties. My background also includes vital social services experiences in the Asian community. I have been volunteering at the local shelter for many years, advocating for Asian victims of domestic violence. My involvement with various communities and projects targeting underserved populations has allowed me to develop a strong understanding of community needs. Working for the Asian and underserved communities to promote their health and well-being has been my passion.

PYSAY PHINITH, LCSW

PROJECT COORDINATOR

(She/Her)

JEEHEE MOON, AMST & ATR-P

WELLNESS COUNSELOR

(She/Her)

Jeehee is an Art Therapy Ph.D. student at Dominican Univerisy of California, a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #131623), a Registered Art Therapist (ATR #22-161), and an EMDR trained clinician. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Design and Gerontology, a master’s degree in Art Psychotherapy from Seoul Women’s University in Korea, and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Dominican University of California in the U.S.

As an international student herself, she understands the challenges of living in an unfamiliar culture and the difficulties of having a language barrier. Jeehee values working as a team with her clients. The therapist-client relationship comes before the theoretical approach for her. To build the relationship, she treats her clients with empathy, genuineness, respect, and non-judgmental regard.

MIN ZHENG, B.S.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

(She/Her)

As an immigrant herself, Min is passionate about building connections within the Asian American and Asian Immigrant (AAAI) communities. In her role as a Research Associate at PHI, she focuses on addressing the mental health needs prevalent in these communities. Min earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Human Factors from USC East Bay in 2022. Through her work with the IWAY Team and the Public Health Institute, she has the opportunity to collaborate with field experts and community organizations. These collaborations continuously enhance her understanding of effective strategies to support and uplift the mental health of AAAI populations. Driven by a strong commitment to her community, Min aims to make a meaningful impact and hopes to contribute to a more healthy and resilient future for these communities.

CHRISTINE YANG

WELLNESS COUNSELOR

Christine Yang (she/they) is a queer, first-generation, Taiwanese immigrant who moved to the Bay Area at the age of 15. She’s a proud alum of City College of San Francisco and UC Santa Cruz, where she learned to think critically and open her mind. Yang is passionate about social justice, youth mental health, and community building. They have dedicated their time to working with low-income, immigrant youth and families of color since 2016. Working with young people has led them to pursuing and obtaining their MSW degree from UC Berkeley. Yang honors the value of authenticity, compassion, and creativity in their work and hopes to hold space for self-finding and healing through those values.

Outside of work, you can probably find Christine in front of a sewing machine, doodling, or doing other crafts by hand. On a more rare occasion, you can find her hiking in nature or baking something sweet. Christine goes by both Christine and Yang as a way of gender expression and fluidity

LIEN DAO, B.S.

HEALTH EDUCATOR

(She/Her)

Lien is the first generation immigrant student who embraces her Asian and Vietnamese culture. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health and a minor in Biology at San Jose State University in 2023. She is currently pursuing a Master in Public Health (MPH) degree at UC Berkeley to strengthen her ability to better address the health inequities among the underserved and underprivileged population. 

As a Health Educator at IWAY2, Lien aspires to reduce the stigma, raise awareness about mental health in the Asian community, and empower youths to take ownership of their holistic health by creating a safe space for youths to share their thoughts and express their emotions through art. During her free time, Lien enjoys reading novels, watching Netflix, and spending time with family and friends. 

SALLY LUU, B.S.

HEALTH EDUCATOR

(She/Her)

Hi everyone! I am a second generation Vietnamese American born and raised in the Bay Area. I received my bachelors degree in Biological Sciences emphasis in Molecular and Cell and Public Health minor at University of California, Merced. I love to go on foodie adventures and exploring new places. I also love almost any spicy foods, boba, binge watching shows, and listening to K-pop, teen pop, and RNB. I have a passion for advocating for well-being and health equity to communities. I also have a passion to change the mental health stigma around mental health in Asian communities.

I have come to realize that not everyone has supportive role models in their lives so I have determined to reach out and help those who are in their own bubbles. As your Health Educator, I hope to create a safe environment for others to be vulnerable and share mental health stories. As well as that, continue to break down the barrier of mental health stigma. I am fortunate to be your health educator will do my absolute best to help you all with your journey in IWAY2! :D

JASON GUO

ADVOCACY INTERN

(He/him)

Hello everyone! My name is Jason Guo, and I’m currently a senior in the Bay wanting to pursue studies in Biology on the pre-med track. This is my first year on the IWAY2 team, and I’m thrilled to explore and create new ways of advocating for all individuals across the state. I joined because I’m passionate about guiding others and advocating for mental health, an area lacking development in numerous parts of the world. Outside of this, I often find myself relaxing on meadows with a thriller book in my hands, studying at local cafes and libraries, walking downtown with R&B beats plugged into my AirPods, and hanging out with my close friends!

ANKITA GUPTA

ADVOCACY INTERN

(She/Her)

Hi! My name is Ankita Gupta and I am a rising junior. I have been part of IWAY for the past two years and I am thrilled to be an intern for the new IWAY 2 project! A little bit about me: I enjoy hiking, going to concerts, listening to music, and I absolutely lovee reading. I joined IWAY originally as a way to meet youth who were interested in advocating and making a difference in the AAPI community. Now, I am interested in leading and advocating through IWAY 2 and getting meet new youth interested in AAPI advocacy! 

HENRY CHOU

ADVOCACY INTERN

(He/him)

Good morning! I’m Henry and I’m a junior at Foothill High School right now. This will be my first year with IWAY2 and I’m feeling pretty excited about this. I used to live in the midwest so, growing up, the AAPI community was always the minority, yet now I’m here, in the Bay Area, where it seems completely flipped. It’s a pretty big culture shock, but I ain’t gonna lie, I still carry a lot of weight from that underlying feeling of being…different. That’s really why I applied for this job because I know how it feels to have stereotypes, stigmas, eyes, beat down on you. This job is not only an opportunity for me to empathize, advocate, and help others with these problems, but also, selfishly, a chance for me to get some weight off my back. Anyways, yeah, on a lighter note, I enjoy running and reading during my free time. OH, and I really like bagels. Nice to meet (I guess even though I have no clue) whoever read this!