Mount Sinai Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) created the Committee to Address Anti-Asian Bias and Racism to address the growing concerns and fears about the racism experienced by our Asian and Asian American colleagues at the Mount Sinai Health System. The work done by this team includes education, events, and strategies to address and combat anti-Asian bias and racism.
The work of this group is now being formalized into the Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development (CAEPD). The goal of the new center will be to understand implicit bias and racism and address the equity and professional development challenges faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) at the Mount Sinai Health System in collaboration with organizations working to address bias and discrimination against anyone based upon their identity.
CAEPD has been established to create positive change in the advancement of professional development and equity through promoting education, enabling candid conversations, and taking tangible action.
For AAPI Heritage Month in May, we have prepared this video showcasing the diversity in our many AAPI communities and to spread awareness and visibility for them within Mount Sinai.
Who We Are
CAEPD Executive Board
Dennis Charney, MD
Dean of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Amanda Rhee, MD, MS
Inaugural Center Director
James Tsai, MD, MBA
Executive Advisor
Michael DeGuzman, MPH, FACHE
Executive Secretary / Administrative Director
Astrid Pineda, MPA
Operations Manager
As the Core Leadership Team, the following committee chairs will lead the arms of CAEPD.
- Professional Advancement—led by Anthoney Lim, MD, Hamel Vyas, Esquire and Wayland Chiu, MD Candidate Class of 2026.
- Education and Research—led by Cynthia Cleto, MSc and Angela Chen, MD. This committee aims to educate the Mount Sinai community on AAPI history and anti-Asian racism, while promoting the need for more research on AAPI populations.
- Safety—led by Richard Tea, PA-C, MBA and Nolan Kagetsu, MD, FACR. This committee aims to educate the Mount Sinai community on personal safety and ways to protect oneself from verbal and physical threats.
Here are our partners and collaborators:
- The Asian Pacific Medical Students Association (APAMSA) is a national organization of medical and pre-medical students committed to addressing the unique health challenges of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Please email apamsa.mssm@gmail.com if you would like more information.
- The Asian Resource Network (ARN) is an employee resource group that seeks to enhance awareness of the Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander cultures and traditions through educational activities and events during the year. In addition, the group seeks to establish personal and professional development and networking forums for MSHS employees to address areas that relate to or affect Asian Americans within the organization. To join, fill out this form.
- The South Asian Medical Students’ Association (SAMSA) is committed to supporting its students, promoting research initiatives and advocacy efforts, and addressing the needs of the South Asian American community. We invite you to join SAMSA in our mission to improve cultural competency in the next generation of leaders. Email sinai.samsa@gmail.com for more information.
Our Center focuses on the Asian and Asian American community and collaborates with the system-wide effort to address bias and racism led by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. We have a responsibility to address bias, racism, and general discrimination for all our colleagues and patients.