Council of Young
Filipinx Americans in medicine
Logistics Conference Committee
Gianna Kaye Apoderado,
(She/Her/Hers)
Head of Logistics Committee
Ms. Apoderado is currently in her gap year, preparing to apply to medical school. She was born and raised in the Philippines, immigrating to the U.S. in 2008. She currently resides in Fontana, CA. She graduated cum laude at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning her bachelor’s degree in Biology. She got involved in CYFAM as part of its inaugural conference leadership, with the goal of helping foster a network and community of Filipino-American healthcare professionals, current and aspiring. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, crocheting, baking, and playing with her maltese mix dog, Momo.
Joseph Noblefranca Ragasa
(He/Him/His)
Logistics Committee Member
Joseph Ragasa, pursuing the Pre-Med path, is a Senior in San Francisco State University double majoring in Business Administration and General Biology. Growing up from a small province in Surigao and immigrating to San Francisco, the contrasts of healthcare system and health quality, respectively, were prevalent and concerning. To help tackle the ever-increasing health gap for immigrants, Joseph volunteers at a student-run clinic, the Mabuhay Health Center, that provides general health care resources to residents. Joseph also works as an EMT working in the Peninsula. Recently joining CYFAM as a Logistics Committee member, it enables Joseph to receive more exposure and to network with other Filipinx's across the country and abroad.
Joseph Noblefranca Ragasa
(He/Him/His)
Logistics Committee Member
He is currently a Master’s student at LECOM and is originally from Fremont, CA. He received his BS in Human Biology at UC Santa Cruz and is working towards becoming a physician. After attending last year’s CYFAM Conference, he decided to be involved in planning this year as a way to give back to the community. In the past, he has been involved with Mabuhay Health Center as a Finance Director, and worked with the Filipino Student Association (now Bayanihan) at UCSC co-coordinating their outreach and retention programs.
Ivy Yuson
(She/Her/Hers)
Logistics Committee Member
Andrew Cuyegkeng
(He/Him/His)
Logistics Committee Member
Andrew Cuyegkeng is from South Pasadena, California, and is currently an MS2 at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. He graduated summa cum laude from University of California, Davis in 2019 with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. He is currently interested in diagnostic radiology and aims to pursue a career in academic medicine. At UCISOM, he is on the board for APAMSA (Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association) and Lestonnac Clinic - An Lanh Branch, serves as an MS1 tutor, and is conducting research on medical education. Andrew got involved with CYFAM with the aim to empower future healthcare providers by educating and equipping them with knowledge of the intersection between healthcare and the Filipinx identity.
Isa Rosenzweig
(She/Her/Hers)
Logistics Committee Member
Isa is a fourth-year pre-medical student from Millbrook, New York. She attends the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), majoring in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology and minoring in Global Health. She is a staff member of Pilipinos for Community Health (PCH), an organization that aims to address health disparities in the Filipino community and provide mentorship for undergraduate pre-health students. In PCH, she is one of the Health Fairs Directors responsible for planning quarterly health fairs that address the needs of marginalized communities; this year the health fairs will focus on those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing free in-person healthcare services and health education resources. Isa also works as a Medical Intern at Dr. John Villanueva’s Pain Management and Spine Clinic where she is learning about interventional techniques for pain relief as well as the clinical and social implications of pain medication prescription. Additionally, she is a member of the Seidlits Research Lab, currently investigating the use of hydrogels as a biomimetic extracellular matrix for neurons with the goal of studying opioid addiction. Isa became involved with CYFAM in 2020 for its inaugural conference as part of the Research Committee. Since then, CYFAM has given Isa the opportunity to connect with Filipino physician and medical-trainee mentors/role models that provide essential guidance and representation in such a difficult career path. She hopes to attend medical school after her gap year with interests in primary care and addiction medicine.
Dana Alfafara
(She/Her/Hers)
Logistics Committee Member
Ms. Alfafara spent her childhood in San Diego, CA and her adolescence in Iwakuni, Japan. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2018 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and minors in Sociology and Psychology. Ms. Alfafara's post-graduate activities include working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, and working a poll site during the 2020 Presidential General Election. Currently, she is applying for medical schools while working as a medical scribe for a cardiology clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ms. Alfafara joined CYFAM not only for a sense of community among Filipinx Americans along the medical track, but also to learn about engagement between Filipinx physicians and the Fil-Am community.
In her free time, Ms. Alfafara enjoys playing music both recreationally and for church, as well as doing escape rooms alongside her friends.