I am a sociologist and ethnographer working on issues related to health equity, medical education, migration and minority, and inter-/trans-disciplinarity. As a sociologist and field researcher my own research trajectory bridges the social and life sciences. I hold a PhD in Sociology from Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU) and studied migration, identity politics, formations of boundaries and categories with a focus on Northeast China, South Korea and North Korea. While working and living with migrants, I developed a keen interest in promoting health equity and conducted postdoctoral research in medical sociology and medical education at the Imperial College London-NTU joint medical school and Nanyang Centre for Public Administration at NTU. My current research project at Eramus University Rotterdam focuses on the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research infrastructures that facilitate academic work to create positive societal impact in the fields of inequality, diversity and inclusion.
Photo taken in Pyongyang, North Korea during my PhD multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork, June 2017
The overarching aims of my research are two folds: (1) to contribute to reduce social inequalities by investigating how individuals become members of a community and how these processes are intertwined with identity politics that result in social stratifications; (2) to identify and reduce structural barriers and ultimately inspire social and policy changes that will contribute to a more inclusive society where disadvantaged populations have equal opportunities and space to aspire and achieve, as well as to feel home. I take a broad approach to define and study social inequality and diversity, and comprehend this topic by conducting research on ethnic minorities and migrants, as well as in the field of healthcare with a focus on health equity. My work can be summarized in three overlapping research streams:
Stream #1: sociology and anthropology of migration
Stream #2: medical anthropology, sociology of health and illness, medical education
Stream #3: science, technology and society
More about me
I was born and grew up in Guangzhou in the late 1980s, a large multi-ethnic city in southern China. Growing up in a popular migrant destination, I have been experiencing the beauty and sparks of diversity at an early age: a rich culinary culture, languages, and ways of thinking. That’s why I studied anthropology and sociology. Anthropology taught me to appreciate the wisdoms generated in different cultures, and sociology drew my attention to social stratification. Spending extensive time with migrants and minorities also made me see their everyday struggles, and a prominant one lies in the access to and the quality of healthcare.
I spend my spare time sewing, rock-climbing, playing the Guqin (a Chinese string instrument) and cooking. Currently, my partner and I are writing a reciepe book – Chinese Cooking in Europe: a guide to locally sourced Chinese classics.
