Power/Knowledge in Public Health
What is the power/knowledge dynamics in public health and how does it interact with public health subjects?
I am interested in how public health produces the knowledge regarding people and implement the knowledge back to them with a focus on the power dynamics. I am currently working on two connected studies regarding the HIV/AIDS high-risk population "Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)". One study focuses on the historical epistemological changes of the same sex desires/behaviors in the Chinese state discourse since 1949, while the another one examines how gay men perceive the MSM-based public health knowledge and materials regarding them. I am also interested in sexuality and power in general. Before my current project, I have published papers regarding gay bar's symbolic role, male nurse's struggle with gender stereotype, and an anti-sex online community's mobilization.
HIV/AIDS in the Social Context
What are the social determinants of the HIV/AIDS risks among gay, bisexual, and other sexual minorities in China?
My sociology background leads me to study the socio-structural and contextual factors that might influence sexual minority's HIV related risks, while my personal interests lead me to focus on emerging technologies. I am currently working on two manuscripts regarding the HIV anticipated stigma and HIV-related outcomes and I am particularly interested in how social media and new HIV-testing technologies might result in different behaviors. My latest published study clarified the relationship between migration and HIV risks by comparing differences of HIV-related risky sexual behaviors and healthcare utilization across competing conceptualizations of migratory statues, and highlighted the structural barriers that migrant with rural origins faced in China. I have also worked in various studies on the LGBTQ community engagement, the use of social media for sex-seeking, and disclosure of LGBT and HIV status.