Meiyan Chen is a current doctoral student at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on exploring social determinants of health and health disparities, particularly for adolescent and young adult with chronic illnesses such as cancer, across different social contexts and cultural settings. Her research interests also include palliative care, gender disparity, economic inequality, the study of advanced quantitative research methods, and the study of mixed research method.
Meiyan earned her Bachelor’s degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan. During her undergraduate internship at Wuhan Children’s Hospital, her interest in health disparities was sparked by her observation of differences in health outcomes based on socioeconomic status. This experience motivated her to pursue social health justice and uncover the elements contributing to these disparities. Prior to her doctoral studies, Meiyan gained valuable experience through a social work field placement with Michigan Medicine’s Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) Oncology program. There, she developed skills in combining social work research with behavioral health interventions in clinical settings. Post graduation, she worked as a research assistant contributing to several studies with a focus on socio-economic and technological factors influencing health outcomes for cancer patients, employing systematic review and a meta-analysis approach.
Currently, Meiyan is working under the mentorship of Dr. Lailea Noel, whose community-based research approach aligns with Meiyan’s goal of conducting empirical research to bridge the gap between research and practice. Her work aims to identify potential resources and possibilities for societal growth within existing social structures. Meiyan’s long-term research goal is to advance the creation of more women-friendly, health-just communities. She is committed to uncovering systemic inequities and proposing strategic interventions to reduce health disparities, with a particular focus on the intersection of health outcomes and social justice.