Research
Using demographic, statistical, and econometric methods, my research illustrates how societal change and demographic shifts interact to produce consequences both at the population-level and for the wellbeing of individuals and families. My research focuses on two major domains: (1) migration and social inequality in China; and (2) aging, health, and life course.
Migration and Social Inequality in China
My ongoing research on migration examines the dynamic process of migration, with particular attention to the re-migration of migrants in their destination cities. This involves exploring how migrants adapt, make decisions, and navigate challenges over time. I also investigate the connections between migration intention and realized migration behavior, shedding light on the factors that influence whether individuals follow through with their migration plans.
My previous research examining migration and social stratification in China includes:
How migration shapes childhood of rural children in a dynamic way is understudied. I construct multi-state life tables to describe how migration affects childhood of rural children in a dynamic perspective. In particular, I document the child return migration that reflects the constrained education opportunity of migrant children in urban destinations. Read more.
There has been a large and long-standing wage gap between migrant and urban local workers. I study how changing levels of labor market informality since the 2000s affects the local-migrant wage gap leveraging the cross-province variation of 2008 Labor Contract Law enforcement. I found formal worker status had a diminishing role in the wage gap between local and migrant workers. Despite the promise of the Labor Contract Law for improving working conditions, the policy-induced reduction of informality has done little to reduce the migrant wage penalty. Read more.
Aging, Health, and Life Course
In the domain of population aging, my ongoing research focuses on "sandwich grandparents" in China—middle- to older-aged individuals who simultaneously have and/or care for their grandchildren and older parents. This work explores the pressures and adaptations faced by these individuals, highlighting the intergenerational dynamics that arise from demographic and societal changes. By examining how caregiving responsibilities intersect with demographic structure and family support systems, this research aims to provide insights into the well-being and resilience of China's aging population.
My previous research examining population aging and health includes:
As family sizes have shrunk, and young adults have moved to cities, a larger share of adults face older ages with fewer demographic supports for caregiving (co-authored with Jenna Nobles (UW- Madison)). We examine how the alignment of large-scale demographic change with large-scale technological change --- the development of mobile telecommunication --- has shaped elderly welfare in Indonesia. We found mobile telecommunication has facilitated frequent contact between elders and their non-coresident adult children. Read more.
Number of mobile phone subscribers per 100 persons in Indonesia
Obesity has been a rising public health concern. We draw on theories in demography and population genetics to investigate how individual and population health is influenced by both social and biological determinants, as well as the interaction between them. In a paper co-authored with co-authored with Alberto Palloni (UW-Madison), Hiram Beltrán -Sánchaz (UCLA), and Mary McEniry (UW-Madison), We explore how gene-environment interactions shape population obesity trends at middle and older ages. Read more.
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Relationship between genetic predisposition (x-axis) and BMI (y-axis) by cohort
The accelerated epidemiological transitions in middle- and low- income settings has great implication on population health and aging. In papers published at Population Studies and PLOS, we have examined how circumstances in early life have a “long-arm”, shaping individual health during old ages. In this series of papers I co-authored with Alberto Palloni (UW-Madison), Hiram Beltrán -Sánchaz (UCLA), and Mary McEniry (UW-Madison), we use micro simulation alongside natural experiments and graphic analysis to assess the impact of poor early conditions on health at older ages in middle- and low-income countries.