Field Research Brings Insight, Lasting Connections

Traveling to Peru marked my first time in a Latin American country. I stayed in San Isidro, a quiet district near the noisy tourist center, Miraflores.

As a child of Chinese immigrants who grew up in the United States, I saw how my parents’ culture blended with others in the U.S. In Lima, I saw also how Chinese culture had mixed with another culture. From the chifa restaurants on every block to the ever-bustling Chinatown, it was fascinating to me how things seemed ‘ and tasted ‘ both so familiar and so alien at the same time.

Beyond the Chinese and Chinese-Peruvian cuisine, I found that Peru’s reputation as one of the best countries for food was well deserved. I loved Peruvian classics like ceviche, aji de gallina and lomo saltado.

In Peru, I obviously expected to work alongside many Peruvians, but what I didn’t expect was how much I worked with people from all around the world. Through the Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases (CRONICAS) at Cayetano Heredia University, I was able to know researchers from Johns Hopkins University from the U.S., the United Kingdom, India, and Bolivia. Their interests and goals were similar to mine, and they had traveled out of their comfort zones to reach them. I became fast friends with several of them, and we have kept in touch since I left Peru.

My research focus is the use of e-health in primary care settings for non-communicable diseases, trying to pair the latest technologies with some of the most challenging diseases. With the help of a team of research assistants, I interviewed policymakers, doctors, patients and others involved in Lima’s centros de salud, or health centers.