Tony's journey could have ended before it truly began.

While pregnant with Tony in Vietnam, his mother suffered an undiagnosed hypertensive crisis and eclamptic seizure, placing both of their lives at risk.  She was fortunate to receive the care she needed, and Tony survived a traumatic birth. It would not be his last brush with mortality.  Before the age of eight, Tony would survive three additional near-death experiences.

Those experiences shaped a belief that has stayed with him ever since: 
Sometimes the difference between tragedy and survival is whether the right help reaches the right person at exactly the right moment.

After immigrating to the United States, Tony and his family struggled to navigate a healthcare system that could be confusing, fragmented, and difficult to access, particularly as they sought care for Tony and his health issues. Those experiences ultimately helped shape his career at the intersection of technology, research, and health equity.

Today, Tony works alongside researchers, clinicians, community organizations, and families to rethink how care can reach people beyond the walls of a clinic. Whether developing a platform that connects mothers in recovery with treatment, resources, and coordinated support or helping postpartum patients access mental health care when and where they need it, his work is grounded in a belief that we can leverage time, technology, and education to democratize healthcare.

For Tony, innovation begins by listening to the people a solution is intended to serve.
His guiding principle is simple:

“Research should be done by the people, with the people, and for the people we serve.”