2025-2026 AAPI MIG Leadership

AAPI is led by a team of dedicated volunteers who serve in both elected and appointed positions.
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Executive Committee

Chair

Yanjie Yu, MS, RDN, CDCES, CDN

Yanjie earned her Master’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Queens College and her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from Washington State University. She completed her Nutrition Coordinated Program at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA.

With over two decades of clinical, academic, and community experience in various settings, Yanjie has an extensive resume. She specializes in weight management, diabetes, gestational diabetes, and other chronic disease conditions. Currently, she works as a clinical diabetes specialist for a medical device company and is always seeking to expand her knowledge and skills in the field.

Yanjie has also served as the Treasurer of her local chapter on Long Island, NY, and as the Nominating Chair for the AAPI MIG.

Chair - Elect

Brianna dela Torre, MS, RDN, CLC

Bri graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with an undergraduate degree in Biology, and a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She is currently working as a public health nutritionist and designated breastfeeding expert for the WIC program in Fairfax, Virginia. She enjoys supporting her clients and their families during the maternal and early childhood stages, and through her work is now able to serve her community with her Spanish-speaking skills.

Bri is currently serving as the Chair-Elect for the 2025-2026 year, and has previously been the Social Media & Communications Chair, and a member of the committee. She enjoys sharing in the community and conversation that food and nutrition brings. She wants to empower other members of her community express their cultural ties through food, and celebrate her Filipino-Chinese heritage.

Secretary

Martin Bombase, RD

Martin is currently an outpatient registered dietitian. He is passionate about helping Asian Americans achieve the best possible health without having to give up their favorite cultural foods. He has a background in culinary medicine and believes cooking is a powerful tool for behavior change. In his free time he likes to come up with new meal prep recipes, bake, and compete in races.

Treasurer

Zhiping Yu, Ph.D., RDN, LDN, FAND

Zhiping is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of North Florida. She received her doctoral degree in Nutritional Science from Pennsylvania State University and her bachelor's and master’s degrees in Food Science in China. She is a Registered Dietitian and a Florida licensed Dietitian and Nutritionist. Besides teaching, Dr. Yu’s primary research interests are in the prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases such as eating disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. She is an active member of several scientific societies and serves in a number of committee positions.

Nominating & Awards Committee Chair

Jasmine Jew,  MA, RD, CSO, NWCC

Nominating & Awards Committee Chair-Elect

Nikki Nies, MS, RDN, LD

Nikki is a well‑rounded, award‑winning nutrition and business professional with a passion for connecting people, ideas, and opportunities. Her career spans retail, clinical, K–12, foodservice, and regulatory settings, giving her a unique blend of strategic insight and hands‑on experience. Currently, she supports FDA compliance and regulatory accuracy for iconic brands such as Fritos & Funyuns, Nuts & Seeds, as well as any PepsiCo products destined for export. Her cross‑functional expertise enables her to drive innovation, ensure compliance, and foster collaboration across diverse teams. She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband, where they enjoy hiking, trying new foods and hosting themed events.

Committee for Professional Development Chair

Jera (Qianhui) Zhang, MS, MA, RDN

Jera is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York City. She is also a certified lactation counselor and trained in the Low FODMAP Diet Protocol for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She will graduate from the doctoral program in behavioral nutrition at Teachers College, Columbia University, and join Hunter College in New York City as an Assistant Professor in the fall. She has also been trained in sociology and behavioral science with experience at the United Nations and various NGOs. Her research interests include culturally adapted dietary education and management related to digestive health, gluten-free diet, food allergies, and immune-related disorders.

Membership Committee Chair

Edith Yang, RD, CSR, CLT, FAND

Edith has worked in the area of nutrition and dietetics for nearly a decade. She is the founder and principal dietitian of Healthy Mission Dietitian, Inc, a hybrid model insurance-based private practice that specializes in chronic disease management and prevention. She is board certified in renal nutrition, a Certified LEAP therapist, a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics, a cookbook author, and a preceptor/mentor for RDs and RDs-to-be. Edith is an advocate for making evidence-based nutrition information accessible to people from different walks of life, cultural backgrounds, and age groups. She enjoys helping her clients cultivate a joyful relationship with food and learn how to adapt and thrive on their health journey. She wants to empower her clients with knowledge to know how foods impact their body and their health and how they can make realistic and sustainable changes to live healthy lives and feel their very best.

Social Media/Communications Committee Chair

Yinying (Robyn) Wei, RD

Yinying (Robyn) Wei grew up in Yunnan, China and is now based in Dallas, Texas, where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Applied Clinical Research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She previously earned her BS in Clinical Nutrition from UC Davis and her Master’s in Clinical Nutrition from UTSW, and has worked as a dietitian in both weight management and inpatient care. Robyn is passionate about making nutrition science practical, culturally relevant, and easy to understand. Her research focuses on dietary patterns and cardiovascular health, particularly in hypertension.

As AAPI MIG’s Social Media & Communications Committee Chair, Robyn leads content that keeps members informed and connected. She regularly shares FNCE spotlights, AAPI-focused nutrition research updates, Asian-inspired recipes, announcements for ongoing AAPI research studies, mentorship opportunities, and student and career spotlights. Her goal is to highlight AAPI voices, celebrate member achievements, and create a space where culture and evidence-based nutrition come together.

Outside of work, she enjoys exploring different cuisines and meaningful conversations about food, culture, and health.

House of Delegates (HOD) MIG Delegate

Yen Ang, DrPH, MSc, MPH, RDN, FAND

Dr. Yen Ang serves as the Vice President of Health Equity at Tangelo. Her professional life in the past 15 years has been devoted to advancing health equity and racial justice. As an advocate of the vulnerable members in our community, Yen successfully led the first and only city in San Bernardino County to adopt the Healthy-by-Default Kids Beverage resolution in 2018 ahead of the California state law, protecting the health of thousands of children in the city from soda drinks. 

When COVID pandemic hit, Yen created the first ever county-wide Anti-Hunger Coalition in her county to break down silos among feeding agencies to help the distressed families access food. Her tireless effort to create a hunger-free world was recognized by the California state Assembly Majority leader Eloise Reyes who awarded her “Woman-of-the-Year 2021”. In 2022 she was honored with the “Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Excellence” award by HEN--DPG.

Dr. Yen has published over 70 original community research papers, and earned multiple public health awards, such as the NACo (National Association of Counties) Achievement Awards in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Standing Committees

Policy & Advocacy Leader

Isaac Ou

Public Policy Committee Members

Levin Dotimas, MS, RD, CD

Levin graduated in 2017 from Brigham Young University (Provo, UT) with a BS in Dietetics and a minor in French. He later graduated from Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK) in 2021 with an MS in Nutritional Science, which included his dietetic internship. He passed his RD exam shortly thereafter. When looking for RD jobs, he vowed to never end up in Provo and in food service management. At the moment, he is the Patient Meal Services Manager at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, UT where he manages an amazing group who is dedicated to making sure that the patients have an excellent meal experience in the hospital. Although not quite the career path he had originally planned, he enjoys his job and the relationships he gets to build with his team. In his spare time, Levin takes a clogging dance class and also performs with World Dance Company, a group that showcases traditional dance styles from several countries like the USA, Philippines, India, Hungary, Ukraine, etc.

Kelie Lam, MHScN, RD

Nominating & Awards Committee Members

Jerianne Cusipag, MEd, RD, CDN

Jerianne successfully completed her Master of Education in Community Nutrition Education at Teachers College Columbia University. She is an active member of the AAPI MIG since 2021 and is the current Nominating and Awards Committee Chair-Elect. She was born and raised in the Philippines and has worked in Qatar. She is excited to bring her cultural competence and nutrition expertise to her next job. She is also committed to eating her way through New York City in her spare time.

Gemady Langfelder, MS, RD, CDN

Gemady is from the Philippines and grew up in Japan. Now based in NJ, Gemady is a dietitian in the community setting and private practice.

Stefanie Sismaet

Committee for Professional Development Members

Lourdes S. Chew, M.S, RDN, LD

Lourdes Singson-Chew is from Manila, Philippines and graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from College of the Holy Spirit. She completed an internship at Veterans Hospital which influenced her love for clinical work. She has extensive experience as a Clinical Dietitian/Consultant in the long-term care setting.  Lourdes completed M.S. Public Service Management from DePaul University. She has recently taken a role as a Nutrition Specialist for an Area Agency on Aging serving eight counties in Northeastern Illinois. She has been an advocate for seniors and is serving as a member of the Naperville Senior Task Force. Lourdes has experience in promoting diversity at her children’s school and is a volunteer with the Philippine cultural group. Lourdes enjoys traveling and has visited Malaysia, Singapore, Israel and several European Countries.  Lourdes is excited to be a Professional Development Committee member.

Coleen Liscano, MS, RDN, CSP, LDN, CNSC, FAND

Membership Committee Members

Janet Ha

Terry Phan, MS, RDN, CDN, CSG, FAND

Terry Phan is a registered dietitian with over 25 years of experience serving diverse and underserved communities. She is passionate about culturally rooted nutrition education, community empowerment, and advancing health equity for Asian American and Pacific Islander populations, and she serves as a member of the committee focused on recruiting and engaging new members. 

Christina Vang, RD

Chun-Ling Wu, RD

Social Media/Communications Committee Member

Kristine Wong, CPT

Kristine received her B.S. in Microbiology from U.C. San Diego and is currently attending USC's coordinated program to receive her M.S. in Nutrition, Healthspan, and Longevity to become a Registered Dietitian. She loves empowering people to connect food to their health and helping others develop sustainable, healthy habits. She recently joined AAPI in 2021 but has already loved being part of a community of dietitians who share her culture and love of food. Kristine joined the AAPI Social Media team and Membership Committee and is excited to get involved to promote cultural diversity in the field of dietetics.  You can follow her journey in nutrition and towards becoming an RD at @nutritionwithkristine.