Nikki Kalani Apana

Nikki Kalani Apana is a first-year MPP student at Harvard Kennedy School and a fourth-year medical student at UCSF in the PRIME-US program. Her work focuses on addressing health disparities affecting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and other Indigenous communities, with particular emphasis on addiction medicine, mental health, and harm reduction.

Nikki’s research and advocacy highlight systemic gaps in care, funding, and data for marginalized populations. She has published papers in JAMA on NHPI overdose disparities and the long-term health impacts of the Lāhainā wildfires, and has influenced national policy discussions through roles such as the SAMHSA ‘Ohana Center of Excellence Steering Committee. She has also served on the board of the nonprofit Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly, promoting Indigenous governance and expanding Indigenous education in public schools.

Nikki earned a BA in Human Biology with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University. As a Native Hawaiian, she draws on personal and community experience to inform her approach to medicine, research, and policy. She aspires to become a primary care physician serving underserved communities while leveraging policy to advance health equity. She is planning to use her MD/MPP dual-degree to reform Indigenous healthcare systems, including the Indian Health Service and the Native Hawaiian Healthcare System.