Andrew Yang

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Start Date: July 3, 2023

Every morning, Dr. Andrew Yang starts his workday with a 6 am alarm and a tasty homemade breakfast. Today, he drizzled a spoonful of olive oil over a wedge of sourdough bread, topped it with onion salt and crushed rosemary, tossed it in the oven while he fried two eggs and sliced up half an avocado, then put it all together into one hearty serving of toast. With a happy stomach and an energetic grin, he drove to Stony Brook University Hospital the same way as always – singing along to his current favorite songs and getting excited for the day to come.

“It’s rare to have the blessing of getting paid to do something you love,” says the Nassau County native. “And that makes me really grateful every day.” From the patients he cares for to the students he trains, Andrew feels fulfilled in an environment that relies on building connections. He has always been passionate about getting to know people’s stories.

When he was an undergraduate studying biology at Johns Hopkins University, this passion led him to pursue a minor in Jewish studies. Andrew wasn’t sure what kind of career he wanted, but he knew he liked teaching. After a brief stint as a chemistry teacher at National Academy Foundation School in Baltimore, he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing – so he seized the opportunity to become a full-time research assistant at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“I was working in a lab that focused on neuroscience and really enjoyed learning about the brain,” he says. “But it was missing the people element. So I started volunteering at a clinic for homeless patients at the same hospital, and I found that I was super interested in medicine.”

Knowing he wanted to specialize in something centered around patient stories with a focus on mental health, “it was psychiatry from the get-go,” he says. He went back to Johns Hopkins for medical school and completed his residency at Nassau University Medical Center. In addition to his journey through school and the workforce, Andrew’s calling was shaped by his experience growing up with a neurodivergent brother in a time and household where mental health wasn’t really talked about.

“Nowadays, my brother Johnny is living in a group home, and he has the luxury of having the support he needs to thrive,” Andrew says. “During my time volunteering, I realized a lot of people are not lucky enough to have that. Everybody deserves to feel supported, understood, and as free from symptoms as possible. I wanted to be able to offer something like that to people.”

With his new position at Stony Brook, Andrew can do just that. Working with students as well as patients is a dream come true for him, and he compares the workplace atmosphere he shares with his colleagues to the cherry on top of the sundae.

“I was hired to teach,” he says, “but every day I learn from my patients, my students and the team that I work with. I think my enthusiasm for learning and for becoming a better doctor is palpable, and I love getting students excited about psychiatry. Most medical students aren’t going into the field, but they’re definitely going to encounter and take care of patients in psychiatric distress. So I really value having the opportunity to ensure they get a high-yield experience, especially since it could be their only exposure to psychiatry.”

Andrew believes that when one person on a team succeeds, everyone else is lifted up along with them. He doesn’t just love learning people’s stories – his goal is to guide them toward their full potential, whether he’s helping patients improve their quality of life or teaching students to hone their skills.

Even when he’s off the clock, his caring nature shines through. One of his hobbies is sharing home-cooked meals with friends and family members. When someone has a dietary restriction, he finds creative ways to make sure his dishes will accommodate them while remaining delicious. He also has a beloved ritual where he spotlights one or more “memes of the month” related to mental health to spark conversation and boost morale in the office.

“I think that the energy or culture of a place can really make or break your experience there,” Andrew says. “And people here love to work together. We have fun, joke around and get to know each other, because it really is a team effort. None of us could do it on our own – and we wouldn’t want to.”