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Xi Chen, PhD

Associate Professor of Public Health (Health Policy) and Associate Professor at Institution for Social and Policy Studies; Affiliated Faculty, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC); Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health; Affiliated Faculty, Department of Economics

Research Summary

His research endeavors focus on economics and public policies on population aging, and global health systems. Currently, his main research projects involve: 1) Economics of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), using both medical claims data and survey data to investigate how cognitive aging may affect decision-making and healthcare utilization, and ADRD care quality, costs and equity; 2) Pension, retirement policies and health of the aging population; 3) The impact of environmental pollution and climate change on older adults; 4) life course factors and healthy aging.

Extensive Research Description

Professor Chen currently works on the following projects:

  • Leading a research team on economics of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), using both medical claims data and survey data to investigate how cognitive aging may affect decision-making and healthcare utilization, and ADRD care quality, costs and equity;
  • Leading investigations on social security reforms, retirement policies and health of the aging population;
  • Leading a research team to better understand the long lasting impact of air pollution and climate change on happiness, mental health, cognitive functioning, productivity, and the economy;
  • Co-leading a team to explores the linkage between the two ends of life to better understand how early childhood circumstances determine health disparities in old age;
  • Evaluating major medical reforms in China that affect behavior and well-being of 1.4 billion population;
  • Working on a novel transdisciplinary project, the CHALLENGE (China Longitudinal Environmental, Genetic, and Economic Cohort), that studies 30,000 children aged 0-6 years old who were recruited at conception;
  • Co-leading a longitudinal household survey in rural China with a unique social network data collection to better understand social networks and health behaviors.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Aging; Air Pollution; Alzheimer Disease; Child; Cognition; Dementia; Economics; Medicare; Pensions; Retirement; Social Behavior; Climate Change; Big Data

Public Health Interests

Aging; Community Health; Global Health; Health Economics; Health Policy; Infectious Diseases; Nutrition; Obesity; Substance Use, Addiction; Child/Adolescent Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Perinatal/Prenatal Health; Pollution; COVID-19

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Selected Publications