Asian Pacific American Heritage (AAPI) Heritage Month is an annual celebration each May that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States.

Americans of Asian descent have shaped our society and significant developments were made as a result of many Asian American leaders. Some of the world’s leading scientists are from the AAPI community who are working diligently to discover medical innovations that treat some of the deadliest diseases. This is important to understand when you consider that the AAPI community is disproportionately impacted by some of the most serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, hepatitis, HIV, diabetes, tuberculosis, osteoporosis and lupus.

CBF would like to celebrate some of the invaluable contributions that our Asian and Pacific American leaders have provided to scientific discoveries and to the growth and development of the life sciences industry here in California and across the world.

Ranjeet Banerjee is the CEO of Cold Chain Technologies and has spent the past 25 years growing branded, medical-oriented, high-technology businesses both organically and through acquisition.

Joydeep Ganguly is Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations for Gilead Sciences located in the Bay Area. A recognized leader in the life sciences, he is also an advocate for more diversity in the industry.

Vibhor Gupta, Ph.D. is the director and founder of Pangaea located in South San Francisco. He has a breadth of experience in life sciences through his work in industry and academia over the last two decades.

Pearl Huang is President and CEO of Dunad Therapeutics focusing on oral protein degradation therapies, the central nervous system and oncology. She is an expert leader with more than 30 years of leadership experience in the life sciences industry.

Stanley Kim is CEO of San Diego-based Winsantor, a life sciences company researching treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy which currently has no approved treatments. Kim is a seasoned entrepreneur and the founder of companies in diverse industries, including pharmaceutical/biotechnology, medical device and software.

Vicki Sato Ph.D. is a retired professor from Harvard Business School and a former biotechnology executive. In her decades-long career, Dr. Sato has led teams in drug research and development, including treatments for HIV, MS and Hepatitis C.

Get Tested and Vaccinated During Hepatitis Awareness Month!

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, a yearly recognition to shed light on the hidden epidemic of viral hepatitis in the United States. In honor of this important observance, the California Biotechnology Foundation would like to encourage people to get tested, get vaccinated, and seek treatment.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver most often caused by a virus. Tens of thousands of people are newly infected with viral hepatitis every year in the U.S.  It is a serious public health threat that kills thousands of Americans annually and is a leading cause of liver cancer.  If left untreated, Hepatitis A, B, and C can all lead to serious health issues including liver failure or liver cancer.

Viral hepatitis disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities and communities of color. Rates of infection and serious health outcomes, including death, are highest among Asian American and Pacific Islanders, American Native/Alaskan Indians, non-Hispanic Black people, people who are incarcerated, people who inject drugs, people living with HIV, people experiencing homelessness, and adults over age 60 with risk factors.

Through biopharma discoveries, hepatitis A and hepatitis B are manageable and vaccine-preventable and hepatitis C can be cured – but people must first be diagnosed. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends all adults get tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime and pregnant women get tested during each pregnancy. The CDC also recommends all adults through age 59 and adults age 60 or older with risk factors get vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.  Getting tested is the only way to know if you have hepatitis.

May is an opportunity for everyone to recommit themselves to improving the health of people living with viral hepatitis. Visit the CDC website or the HepVu toolkit for more information.