Ta Park Lab

Dr. Van Ta Park is a Professor at UC San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Community Health Systems. She is trained in ethnogeriatrics, public health, health policy, and sociology. Dr. Park has extensive experience in research with Asian Americans, qualitative and quantitative methodologies, intervention development, study implementation, and program evaluation. Her research focuses on improving health outcomes and access to care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations. Her research areas include Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) caregiving, well-being, and precision health.

Dr. Park is the founder and Contact MPI for the NIA-funded Collaborative Approach for AANHPI Research & Education (CARE), a large recruitment registry of 10,000+ AANHPI adults who have expressed interest in participating in potential Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, aging, and caregiving research. She is also a founding member of the Asian Cohort for Alzheimer’s Disease (ACAD) Consortium and the Koreans Invested in Making Caregivers Health Important (KIMCHI) project which aims to help Korean Americans learn more about better healthcare decision making for themselves and for their families.

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UCSF Profile

Dr. Bora Nam is a Research Project Manager at the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her research focuses on improving community health through locally tailored approaches and collaborative initiatives. With a background in community health nursing, she earned her PhD in Nursing from UCSF and her MSN/BS from Seoul National University in South Korea. She is fluent in English and Korean, and co-leads the CARE Korean outreach workgroup. She has extensive experience in developing and managing health-focused community projects, designing culturally informed health strategies, and conducting research that addresses various social and economic factors influencing health. She also has several years of experience in both research-based and clinical data management and analysis.

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Dr. Marian Tzuang is a Research Project Manager at the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She has a background in geriatric social work and received her doctorate in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health. Her primary research interests include cognitive aging and caregiving among older adults. She is bilingual (English and Mandarin) and co-leads the CARE Chinese outreach workgroup.

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Annie Ching is a Research Project Manager at UCSF's Ta Park Lab. Her research interests include neurocognitive health, precision medicine, and disease prevention, with a focus on promoting holistic health and quality of life across the lifespan. She holds dual degrees in Clinical Nutrition and Psychology from the University of California, Davis. Throughout her career, she has focused on health research, project management, public policy, and clinical care. Annie has managed programs and pilot studies for interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and improving health outcomes, leading to advancements in public policy. She is dedicated to contributing to research that enhances diagnostic accuracy, with the goal of better informing healthcare policy and implementation to improve quality of care.

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Nicole Phan is a Project Policy Analyst at the UCSF School of Nursing, Department of Community Health Systems, working with the Ta Park Lab. She obtained her Bachelor's of Science in Public Health with minors in Japanese and biology from San Jose State University, and is pursuing her Masters in Public Health at UC Berkeley. Through her years of involvement with the Vietnamese Student Association during her time in undergrad, she networked and collaborated alongside hundreds of bright leaders throughout Northern California and across North America. She put together various programs for VSA constituents and engaged with her local Vietnamese community. Her involvements and her education led her to her interests in the intersections of health, representation, and advocacy. She hopes to leverage her experiences to promote a better future for her communities.

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Linh Nguyen is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Dr. Ta Park’s Lab at UCSF, within the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing. She is passionate about helping others understand science through research and is dedicated to contributing to studies that will improve population health outcomes in the future. Linh is particularly focused on advancing research that benefits Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). Linh is honored to be part of the research team at UCSF and is proud to contribute to the important work aimed at improving protective and risk factors for cognitive health and health service utilization among older adults. This includes researching mental health, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias.

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Daren is a Data Systems Analyst at the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. He graduated with his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health degree from the University of California, Merced. Bilingual in both Cantonese and Mandarin, he strives to utilize his training and skills in analyzing health science research data and writing papers and reports to inform the public of research findings.

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Gabriel is a Research Data Analyst at the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing at the University of California San Francisco. He received his Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Mathematics-Economics from the University of California San Diego. He aims to find meaningful connections in health data, improve data collection techniques and systems, and maximize the impact of thousands of research volunteers.

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Chandra Chak is a Research Analyst at the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a first-generation college graduate, obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from San Jose State University. Through her undergraduate work, she discovered she has an impactful role in making a difference not just in one person but in different neighborhoods and communities. She is bilingual/bicultural (English and Khmer), and her cultural background drives her passion to contribute meaningfully to research projects and healthcare focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. With her academic background and ongoing research experiences, she strives to improve healthcare and health research among AANHPI.

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Seoyeon Yum is a Research Analyst at Dr. Ta Park’s lab in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She graduated University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Psychology. She is fluent in Korean and English to serve Korean American communities. She aspires to promote self-care, prevention, and education for health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander(AANHPI) communities utilizing her academic background and research experience.

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Anson is a Research Analyst working with Dr. Van Ta Park in UCSF's School of Nursing. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Her interest in supporting Asian American communities grew from noticing how often their needs were overlooked in research and care settings. She aims to apply her background to address research gaps and strengthen health systems that respond effectively to the needs of people from varied backgrounds.

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Emily is a Research Analyst at the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with minors in Psychology and Biological Sciences from San Jose State University and her Master of Science in User Experience from Arizona State University. Emily's passion lies in utilizing her multidisciplinary skills to address the unique health challenges faced by the AANHPI community. Through her work, she aims to merge public health, research, and user-centered design to develop innovative solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of the AANHPI community.

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Nimita Gaggar is a Research Analyst at the University of California, San Francisco's Department of Community Health Systems. She holds a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Nimita is passionate about leveraging data-driven approaches to address public health challenges among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

Her background in dental surgery and public health, coupled with her expertise in data analysis, positions her uniquely to advance innovative research aimed at improving health outcomes.. Nimita's experience spans a wide range of public health initiatives, including enhancing patient engagement through strategic interventions and leading community health programs centered on preventive care. Nimita’s dedication to continuous learning and growth fuels her drive to create impactful solutions, ultimately empowering diverse communities. In her free time, Nimita enjoys family and friends’ gatherings, creating gemstone art, experimenting with new recipes, playing sports, and weightlifting.

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Brian Nguyen is a Research Analyst in the Ta Park Lab, where he supports studies focused on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) in Vietnamese American populations. His work involves engaging participants in research examining the impact of factors such as early life experiences, trauma, immigration, and chronic health conditions on cognitive function. Brian earned his degree in Health & Human Biology and Philosophy from Brown University. He has previously held research and internship positions at the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Brown University School of Public Health.

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Bobin is a Research Data Analyst at the Department of Community Health Systems within the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She received a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and a Master's degree in Advertising, specializing in Account Planning, from the Academy of Art University. Born in Korea, she speaks both Korean and English and brings a broad perspective shaped by her experiences in different cultural settings. Following her academic achievements, Bobin dedicated a significant period to a dynamic career at a market research company, accumulating valuable insights and expertise in the research field. Currently, she is a staff member of the CARE team, where she derives satisfaction from continuous learning and meaningful contributions. Her goal is to apply her expertise, background, and bilingual skills to support research efforts focused on AANHPI populations.

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Yirou Jiang is a research volunteer at Dr. Ta Park’s lab in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a fourth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology PsyD program at the University of San Francisco, with an emphasis in clinical neuropsychology. She has been trained at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and San Francisco Neuropsychology for conducting neuropsychological evaluations for people with neurogenerative disorders, vascular diseases, or traumatic brain injury. She graduated from the University of Nottingham with a master’s degree in psychology. She is bilingual (Mandarin/English) and is interested in enhancing the accuracy of neuropsychological evaluations for AANHPI populations.

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