Meet The Team
MAP is a place where people can be accepted for who they are. Our staff is composed of community health workers and educators who have training and certifications on various health-related topics. Our staff apply their unique understanding of the barriers, experiences, language, and culture of the Asian population to their jobs, which include:
Bridging cultural gaps between individuals, communities, and health and human services
Providing culturally appropriate health education and information
Making sure that people get the services they need
Providing direct services, including counseling and social support
Advocating for individual and community needs
*Note: The employees with a link, are Peer Leaders who provide peer counseling sessions. if there is a certain Peer Leader that you would like to work with at a different date/time than their given schedules, please contact map@maphealth.org.
Sabrina Liu, Program Manager
Hi! My name is Sabi and I am a recent BU graduate and first-gen law student at Northeastern University School of Law. I love working in this intersection of API and LGBTQ+ communities. That being said, solidarity amongst all marginalized groups is essential to liberation – something that I hope reflects in the work that I do. Some topics I can speak to are disability, gender issues, sexuality, and family and generational trauma. In my free time, I love hanging out with my dog, going on hikes, listening to Taylor Swift, and working on whatever creative project I’ve set my mind to that day!
Angela (Al) Tsai, Peer Leader
Hi! I’m Al (she/they) & I’m a Taiwanese-American physical therapy student at Boston University. On campus, I’m involved with SHADES (a space for BIPOC Queer folks), student mentoring, & BU Liberty in North Korea. I have experience in: mental health, being socialized like a girl, immigrant household, advocacy, talk therapy, gender/body dysphoria, internalized misogyny, and studying abroad. Some things I love are Trader Joe’s, K dramas, sunshine, cooking, Omar Apollo, rock climbing, & trying new menu items from Pho Basil <3
Erika Pen, Peer Leader
Hi, I’m Erika K. Pen (she/they). I’m a Cambodian-Chinese American senior at Salem State University where I’m studying psychology with minors in women’s studies and social work. I’m the President of the Asian Student Association on campus. I’m passionate about serving the AAPI community through community outreach, education, and health promotion. In my free time, you can find me reading, spending time with loved ones, playing video games, and of course, getting bubble tea.
Cat Le, Peer Leader
21 years old. She/Her pronouns. Wheaton College (MA) '24. Majoring in Public Health Sociology, double minoring in Public Policy and Social Justice. Worked as a community organizer in Boston, a youth advisory board member at Boston Medical Center and Boston University, and an Intergroup Dialogue facilitator at Wheaton College. Experience in: imposter syndrome, anxiety, Vietnamese Catholicism, Vietnamese identity, intergenerational trauma, studying abroad, activism, public speaking, social sciences, politics, and performing arts. Loves: music, reading, crafting, and spending time outside.
Jackie Chan, Social Media Coordinator
She/They. Jackie is a Chinese American senior studying at Salem State University with a major in Marketing and a minor in Dance. She is currently the Public Relations for SSU’s Asian Student Association and has been on their Executive Board for 3 years. Some of their hobbies include listening to music (especially K-pop), playing rhythm or Nintendo games, and watching anime!
Maylee You, Peer Leader & Social Media Coordinator
I am 20 years old. (She/her) Cambodian American woman. Undergraduate at UMass Boston majoring in communications with a program of study/minor in Asian American studies. I have other part time jobs of being a social media intern at UMass Boston, and owning a small jewelry business based on instagram. I also will be partaking in the role of public relations for the Khmer Culture Association at UMass Boston. I love doing crafts, makeup, taking on new hobbies, food (specifically noodles), concerts and more!
Julie Lam, Peer Leader & Social Media Coordinator
Hi, I’m Julie (she/they) and I’m a Vietnamese-American student currently studying at Boston University with a major in Psychology! In my free time, I like to play mobile games, spend too much money on clothes and skincare, and eat hot chip.
“I love working in a space where I feel that both my Asian and queer identity can be freely expressed and celebrated.”
– TANYA SONGTACHALERT, PEER COORDINATOR
Meet the Board
A volunteer Board of Directors from the local Asian American community oversees MAP’s work, and includes physicians, lawyers, public health experts, and Asian American community leaders. Meet and find out more about MAP’s Board of Directors.
Melissa Wong
Chair, Board of Directors
Melissa Wong is an attorney at Holland & Knight, LLP and is a member of the firm's national Healthcare & Life Sciences Team and Corporate M&A group. She advises clients in various sectors on healthcare regulatory matters, on fraud, abuse and compliance matters, and on corporate transactional matters. She is looking forward to the opportunity to work on health access and disparity issues in the Asian-American community, particularly in the areas of mental health and organ transplantation.
Melissa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in International Relations, and an honors graduate from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Prior to her legal career, Melissa was a Senior Manager of Strategy and Business Development with American Express. She developed and drove new sales and account expansion opportunities for the top global clients in the corporate portfolio. Melissa also has extensive experience in marketing and risk management consulting.
Melissa originally hails from New Jersey and has lived in Philadelphia, New York City, and Hartford before settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Elisa Choi
Chair Emeritus, Board of Directors
Dr. Choi has been an active member of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community for many years, and is the longest-serving member of the Board of Directors of MAP for Health. She has formerly served as Secretary/Clerk and Chair for MAP for Health’s Board of Directors, and currently is the Board Chair Emeritus.
Dr. Choi holds numerous Board leadership positions in other non-profit organizations which support the API community of the state in various ways, including serving as the current Vice-Chairperson of the Asian American Commission of the Commonwealth of MA. As a State-appointed Commissioner, she also serves as the Co-Chair of the Asian American Commission’s Healthcare subcommittee, and plays a prominent role in the planning and programming of healthcare-related events and activities for the Commission.
Dr. Choi is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, and practices both as an Internist and as an Infectious Disease, HIV, and Hepatitis infection specialist. She has published articles, written book chapters, and lectured regionally and nationally on various Infectious Disease, HIV, and healthcare-related topics. Dr. Choi has a particular interest in providing culturally competent care of health issues affecting Asian-Pacific Islander and minority populations.
Deborah Lee
Board Secretary/Clerk
Deborah Lee is a Program Manager at the Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Debbie spends time leading programs towards successful completion and manages projects in the HealthTech industry. She brings years of grant writing and grant management support to MAP. A former teacher and proposal developer, she aims to help expand MAP’s mission and outreach towards narrowing health disparities in the API community in Massachusetts.
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Debbie grew up in the immigrant community and took an interest in helping Asian families assimilate to the American culture after having shared in struggles of her own as a first-generation Korean American. She has provided English/Korean translational services to Boston-area schools, and has worked with Asian American youth in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Debbie is also an active Board Member of Circus Up, an organization using circus arts to overcome social barriers. She holds a M.Ed. from Boston College and a B.A. in Philosophy from Boston University.
Albert M. Chan
Board Member
Albert M. Chan is an actor and filmmaker who previously served on the steering committee of the Queer Asian Pacific-Islander Alliance (QAPA), the oldest Asian queer organization in the United States, founded in 1979.
Albert’s film The Commitment, based on his experiences as a gay Asian man adopting a baby, has screened at over 50 film festivals on six continents and won multiple awards. Albert was awarded a Puffin Foundation grant for Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future, which stars Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Tina Chen and is based on his family's immigration from Asia to North America. His latest film, Welcome to the World, deals with themes of loneliness, grief, and mental health in a queer API context, and has screened at over 50 film festivals on six continents.
Albert was named a 2022 Humanitas New Voice Fellow for screenwriting that “explores the human condition in nuanced, meaningful way”. He is currently developing unique, smart, and emotionally engaging drama features rooted in science.
As an actor, Albert’s film and TV roles include New Amsterdam, Gotham, Julia, 30 Rock, Law & Order SVU, Girls, Patriots Day, Love Life, and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and he has acted opposite Helen Hunt, Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Justin Long, Larry David, Cybill Shepherd, and David Hyde Pierce.
Albert holds a Ph.D. from MIT in Electrical Engineering. Since 2004, he has worked at Vanu, Inc. where he works on wireless communication systems.