Research Team
Faculty Leadership
Dr. Milkie Vu
Dr. Milkie Vu (she/her) is a mixed-methods researcher with over a decade of experience conducting community-engaged research to promote health equity. Her research program focuses on developing and implementing culturally-relevant, community-centered solutions to reduce cancer and chronic disease health disparities in Asian American, immigrant, and other minoritized populations. She draws on methodologies and theories from social and behavioral sciences as well as implementation science. Dr. Vu is deeply committed to building multisectoral partnerships and leveraging community engagement to explore and address structural and social determinants of health. She is well-recognized for her research contribution on HPV vaccination in Asian American and diverse populations. In addition, Dr. Vu has also conducted research on food insecurity, cancer screening, mental health, tobacco use, and physical activity. Dr. Vu completed her Bachelor’s degree in History and Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, her Master’s degree in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, and her PhD degree in Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences at Emory University. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the T32 program in Cancer Prevention & Control at Northwestern University.
Project Management
Chi Vu
Chi Vu (She/Her) holds an MA in Emerging Media Studies from Boston University, where she conducted mixed-method research on AI usage interventions among diverse student populations and AI-mediated health communication. Prior to joining the lab, Chi served as a Data and AI Fellow at the United Nations in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. She also contributed to research on patient-clinician decision-making in prostate cancer treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition to her research background, Chi has valuable experience in brand risk management and strategy for Fortune 500 companies, complementing her multidisciplinary expertise.
Student Interns and Trainees
2024 - 2025
Lilian Bui
Ethan Chen
Northwestern University ’27
Biomedical Engineering and Psychology
Linh (Kas) Do
DePauw University ’26
Cellular & Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Philosophy Minor
Phuong (Emma) Do
DePauw University ’27
Psychology, Global Health, and Hispanic Studies Minor
Valerie Espinoza
Northwestern University ’27
Biology, Global Health, and Latino Studies Minor
Jane Gou
Northwestern University ’26
Biological Sciences and Science in Human Cultures
Vy Hoang
Mount Holyoke College ’24
Anthropology with Culture, Health and Science Minor
Cindy Khuc
Northwestern University ’25
Biological Sciences and Psychology
Maya Lee
University of Illinois at Chicago ’29
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Justine Liu
Northwestern University ’27
Neuroscience and Global Health Studies
Layna Lu
Northwestern University ’28
MD student
Phuong Ngu
Duke University ’27
Biology
Jeanette Nguyen
Northwestern University ’25
Biological Sciences with Business Institutions Minor
Aaron Nguyen
DePaul University
MA/PhD in Community Psychology
Mary Nielson
Chau Tran
Northwestern University ’27
Data Science and Biological Sciences
Jimin Yeom
Northwestern University ’25
Neuroscience with Data Science Minor
Marym Zaheeruddin
Northwestern University ’25
Biological Sciences and Global Health Studies
Alec Zhang
Northwestern University ’27
Data Science
Recent Updates
Lillian Bui presented a research poster (“US Vietnamese parents’ perceptions of different approaches for confirming adolescent HPV vaccination records in research studies”) at the 12th Annual Center for Chronic Disease Research and Policy Symposium (The University of Chicago).
Justine Liu presented a research poster (“Cancer fatalism among Asian American adults by origin group, 2012-2022”) at the 2024 Health Equity Poster Session (Feinberg School of Medicine). As an undergraduate student, Ms. Liu completed an internship with Dr. Vu through the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Grant Program (Northwestern University). This project won her a nomination as the Semi-Finalist for the Fletcher Undergraduate Research Grant Prize.
Jane Gou presented a research poster (“Leveraging community strengths and resources to combat food insecurity in Asian American communities”) at the 2024 Health Equity Poster Session (Feinberg School of Medicine). As an undergraduate student, Ms. Gou completed an internship with Dr. Vu through the 2024 Summer Internship Grant Program (Northwestern University).
Valerie Espinoza presented a research poster (“Understanding the factors that influence U.S. Vietnamese parents’ engagement with digital health interventions for HPV vaccination: perspectives from parents and community partners”) at the 2024 Arch Scholars Research Symposium (Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences). As an undergraduate student, Ms. Espinoza completed an internship with Dr. Vu through the 2024 NU Bioscientist Undergraduate Research Grant Program (Northwestern University).
Our Alumni