Stanford University
Showing 1-10 of 15 Results
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Yuyin Xiao
Postdoctoral Scholar, Economics
BioYuyin Xiao is the postdoctoral researcher of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. She received her MS and PhD from Shanghai Jiaotong University. Her research focuses almost exclusively on low- and middle-income countries and is concerned with: health policy, including health equity, supply, demand and utilization of health service programs, and research on health service systems; health technology and innovation, including digital health, development of digital health tools, and evaluation of the effectiveness of digital interventions. Yuyin’s papers have been published in leading academic journals, including British Medical Journal, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal of Biomedical Informatics, BMC Public Health and others.
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Chunchen Xu
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychology
BioI am currently a postdoc researcher at the Psychology Department at Stanford University. I study culture and the self in the context of AI-based smart technological developments. The first line of my work focuses on understanding and critiquing extant technological systems from a cultural perspective. I unpack cultural assumptions underlying conceptions of smart technology and examine technology's social and psychological impact. The second line of my work seeks to untether the self from extant mainstream meaning systems and open the space of the imaginary. I explore how historically marginalized cultural worldviews offer clues for diversifying conceptions of smart technology towards building a more equitable society and a caring ecology.
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Flora Jiaxuan Xu
Ph.D. Student in Environment and Resources, admitted Autumn 2023
Ph.D. Minor, Psychology
Student Summer Research Assistant, Environmental Social SciencesBioFlora Jiaxuan Xu is a PhD candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER) at Stanford University, working at the intersection of environmental psychology, civil and environmental engineering, urban design, and behavioral science. Her research investigates how people define, experience, and internalize “nature” as part of the self, and how psychological, cultural, and built-environment factors shape human–nature relationships in contemporary cities.
Drawing on theories of identity, perception, cultural psychology, and ecological systems, Flora proposes Nature Identity as a new interdisciplinary framework for understanding how nature becomes woven into self-concept and everyday meaning-making. She employs a broad mixed-methods approach—including qualitative interviews, quantitative modeling, ecological momentary assessment, photovoice, and human-centered design—to examine how urban nature influences wellbeing, identity formation, and environmental behavior. In parallel, she develops creative, design-driven solutions such as immersive installations, biophilic illusions, narrative and sensory interventions, and technology-enabled building features that aim to strengthen nature connection and promote climate engagement in urban settings.
Flora works with the Social Ecology Lab and the Billington Lab, as well as external partners in urban design, behavioral science, and immersive storytelling. Her work seeks to bridge scientific research with real-world application, advancing strategies that integrate psychology, culture, and design to foster healthier and more nature-responsive cities.
Prior to Stanford, Flora completed an M.S. in Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and holds B.A. degrees in Sustainable Environmental Design and Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
