Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine
Workshop Conference Committee
Cody Columbres
(He/Him/His)
Head of Workshop Committee
Annalyn Diaz
(She/Her/Hers)
Workshop Committee Member
Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California, Annalyn graduated salutatorian from San Dimas High School and currently is a senior majoring in Human Biology and Society at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a pre-medical student, Annalyn is interested in public health, education, and decreasing disparities in health outcomes, particularly for underserved, minoritized communities. At UCLA, she is involved with Pilipinos for Community Health (PCH), a community service organization that seeks to serve and empower under-resourced communities in the Greater Los Angeles area by providing free health education and services. For the majority of her undergraduate career, she has also been involved with Samahang Pilipino Advancing Community Empowerment (SPACE), an outreach project under the Student Initiated Outreach Center that provides culturally-relevant education, promotes student empowerment, and provides resources to high schools and community colleges with high populations of Pilipinx-identifying students.
Through CYFAM's inaugural conference in October 2020, Annalyn was introduced to a welcoming community of Pilipinx-identifying physicians who were mentors and leaders in the healthcare field that inspired her to become further involved. As the first to hold the position of Regional Chair Coordinator, Annalyn is excited to build community and work with the Regional Chairs to facilitate a space that keeps CYFAM members across the country actively engaged and cognizant of the intersectionality within medicine. In her free time, Annalyn enjoys spending time with family and friends, bullet journaling, and venturing into the great unknown, whether in nature or at a new foodie joint.
Elizabeth Sangalang
(She/Her/Hers)
Workshop Committee Member
Elizabeth Sangalang is born, raised, and currently resides in the Bay Area, California. She is currently a premedical student pursuing a career in medicine which aligns with her core values and beliefs. She has firm passion for working with and helping people. She graduated from Cal State East Bay with a degree in Biochemistry and decided to further her career in clinical research at the UCSF Melanoma Clinic. She found her way to CYFAM through her dedicating to the Filipino community and her belief in bettering the lives of those around her.
Christian (Ian) Ramiro
(He/Him/His)
Workshop Committee Member
Katherine Chua
(She/Her/Hers)
Workshop Committee Member
Katherine is a pre-medical student from Santa Clarita, CA. She is a fourth year Human Biology and Society major with a minor in Asian American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Katherine identifies as a second generation Chinese Filipino American. Her ethnic and cultural identity has played a large role in who she is today.
At UCLA, Katherine is involved in many Filipinx-centered spaces including Pilipinos for Community Health (PCH), Pilipino Transfer Student Partnership, and Samahang Pilipino Advancing Community Empowerment. Through PCH, she became passionate about advocating for health equity and justice within underserved communities, especially Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Katherine formerly served as a PCH Preventive Health Director and Health Fairs Director, where she led health sites at local Filipinx supermarkets, co-created an event that explored the intersectionality between Filipinx culture and physical and mental health, and co-organized a virtual health fair that empowered Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to advocate for their well-being. She currently serves as the President of the organization.
Katherine joined CYFAM during the planning of its inaugural conference in 2020. Through her involvement, Katherine has found a supportive and inspiring network of Filipinx Americans within the medical field. As a Community Engagement Chair, Katherine hopes to identify the needs of Filipinx American communities nationally and initiate partnerships with individuals and organizations invested in the well-being of these communities to promote health equity.
During her free time, Katherine likes to play basketball and piano, and most importantly, spend time with her Pomeranian, Maya.
Ryan Agcaoili
(He/Him/His)
Workshop Committee Chair
Ryan Agcaoili is currently a second year pre-medical student studying Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA. He is from Carson, California and is currently moving to Westwood to dorm for the fall quarter. He was able to get involved with CYFAM through hearing about it in the organization Pilipinos for Community Health at UCLA. In CYFAM, he plans to gain more connections with other professionals, learn more about his community through health, and represent his identity through medicine. Outside of CYFAM, he enjoys playing basketball and any fitness activities! He loves collecting shoes and playing video games.
