Emily Yam
Emily Yam is a recent graduate from Tulane University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health. She was accepted into Tulane’s integrated BSPH/MPH program and will complete her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology in the upcoming fall. Inspired by her Cambodian heritage and public health background, Emily is dedicated to becoming a physician focused on serving marginalized communities, combating healthcare disparities, and implementing holistic care informed by social determinants.
In the SUMR program, Emily investigates the effectiveness of provider communication during patient transitions from the OR to the ICU, under Dr. Meghan Lane-Fall’s mentorship in the HATRICC-US Study, aiming to enhance care for vulnerable groups. As a GEAR-UP scholar, Emily collaborates with Dr. Sophia Hua on a project that examines how language influences portion sizes and its link to diet-related chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, while also exploring culturally appropriate diets among U.S. Chinese immigrants to mitigate these health risks.
At Tulane, Emily works as a research assistant in the IMPACTS-MIND study, focusing on reducing disparities in blood pressure control and cardiovascular disease risks at federally-qualified health centers in the Gulf South. She also engages in research at Tulane’s School of Medicine in the endocrinology department, where she studies the role of the Pax4 gene in improving transplantation efficacy.
In her free time, Emily enjoys biking around New Orleans, cooking dinner for her friends and family, and meditating in Audubon Park.