Research Synopsis:
After received two masters’ degrees from the University of Toledo, Master of Public Administration and Master of Geography & Planning, I shifted my research direction from transportation geography to health/medical geography. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes air pollution as a critical environmental health risk, annually causing 7 million premature deaths worldwide as a result of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections. The latest data reveals that 9 out of 10 people are currently breathing highly polluted air. Since the adoption of economic reform in 1978, China has invested heavily in industry, commercial and residential construction, and transportation across the country. Rural to urban migration in search of economic opportunities has led to uncontrollable sprawling in China’s large and mid-sized cities. Outdated environmental policies and lack of strict regulation and control of harmful stationary and mobile sources of air pollution have led to poor air quality and growing public health concerns in China. Therefore, I have dedicated my PhD study to the haze and public health, particularly maternal and infant health, in China. At the same time, I decided to explore the effect of governmental policies on environmental protection and maternal and infant health too. Therefore, my research interests lie in interdisciplinary areas of medical geography, public health and governmental policies. Based on my interests, I was also supported to pursue Environmental Science & Policy Program as dual major. I hope to advance the understanding of association between haze and maternal and infant health and emphasize the critical importance of effective governmental policies in Chinese environmental protection and public health.