Qi developed a deep interest in neurology and a desire to focus her work in this area during her training. She believes Nurse Practitioner (NP) can be critical in promoting holistic care and patients’ communication, rights, and quality of life through culturally competent care and lifestyle management. As a first-generation immigrant, Dr. Zhi experienced gaps and challenges in the healthcare system that enabled her to think from patients’ perspectives and be compassionate when building rapport and caring for patients and their families during the long journey. Her experience caring for patients from various cultural and social backgrounds drove her to focus her doctorate thesis on promoting patient-provided communication and compliance with the care plan.

Qi Zhi earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and worked for seven years as a researcher, overseeing federally funded public health projects at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Driven by her research experience in healthcare, she transitioned her career to nursing and nursing practice. She moved her family from California to Hawaii to complete her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM).   Dr. Zhi brings extensive experience and passion in clinical research and bilingual and clinical skills to Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience. She aims to bridge gaps in clinical trials so that more eligible patients and their families can benefit from them, and she looks forward to serving the local community.