Our Founder

Dr. Mei-Yu Yu, a research professor in School of Nursing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, founded Healthy Asian Americans Project in 1996. Born Feb. 21, 1944 in Chongqing, and grew up in Nanjing, China, Dr. Yu attended the prestigious Shanghai First Medical University, and received her M.D. in 1968. She was a physician in Changsha, China from 1968 to 1981. She came to the United States in 1981 to study at the University of Texas in Austin and received her Ph.D. in sociology in 1986. Her doctoral dissertation on the global distribution of oversea Chinese population was regarded as one of the most important works on modern Chinese demography.

After completing her post doctoral work in 1988, she joined the faculty of University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Dr. Yu introduced numerous research and teaching projects in School of Nursing, mentored over 30 post doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, and received over $2 million in research grants. She produced over 50 publications, including 4 chapters contributed to 4 books. She had also given countless presentations and seminars at conferences all over the world.

In 1996, she founded Healthy Asian American Project (HAAP) to improve the overall health status of Asian Americans and to reduce health disparities through research, education and promotion. Under the direction of Dr. Yu, HAAP became a tremendous success with funding and support from Michigan Department of Community Health, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the National Cancer Institute as well as local businesses and charities such as United Way, Meijer, University Bank and many individual donors.

In 2003, Dr. Yu expanded the scope of HAAP and initiated the International Health Promotion Project to promote the early detection of breast cancer in China, and to link faculty and students at the University of Michigan with Chinese universities and hospitals. The project sponsored the training of Chinese nurses in the United States and in China, fully funded and organized the 2005 International Symposium on Breast Cancer in Tianjiang, China.

Dr. Yu, passed away on August 1, 2005, after a short but valiant battle with lung cancer. She was 61. Despite the debilitating effects of the disease and the treatments, she continued to work until the very end. Dr. Yu was best regarded for her work in women’s health, cancer screening promotion, and international health promotion, and for her leadership in Asian American communities. She was known as much for her kindness and generosity as for her tireless enthusiasm and energy for the many projects she had engaged.