Why did you choose graduate school at IU Indianapolis?
The Health Policy and Management Program (HPM) at IU Indianapolis is the ideal fit for my career goals. It emphasizes rigorous research evidence, and the faculty at HPM are well-rounded and robust in their research designs, data analysis, and publishing abilities. I enjoy working with successful researchers from diverse backgrounds. The Fairbanks School of Public Health's excellent geographic location and collaborative research environment further enhances these opportunities, allowing for close interaction with potential collaborators from other departments, local hospitals, and research centers. Lastly, I am keen on contributing to long-term care policies, and IU faculty members who work closely with Indiana state and local governments to develop policies based on scientific findings provide me with excellent opportunities and exposure to this process.
What has been your favorite academic accomplishment since you’ve been here?
One of my most cherished academic accomplishments at IU Indianapolis was receiving the University Fellowship, a highly competitive award. With the travel funding support that I earned through the fellowship, I have been given the valuable opportunity to present research at the upcoming AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting Conference. I will be presenting research from a manuscript comparing discordance in nursing home avoidable transfer classifications between two different datasets, in collaboration with my mentor, Dr. Justin Blackburn.
What do you enjoy most about life in Indianapolis?
Indy was my first stop upon arriving in the United States. I enjoy exploring good food and watching stage plays and movies in my free time. I also love riding my bike around the city and soaking up the sun. Exploring parks, museums, restaurants, and cafés brings me joy.
Please provide some details about your work/research as a graduate student and/or any activities you are involved in.
My research interests are health services research and health economics research, with a specific focus on aging, Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), and long-term care (LTC). Before entering the graduate program, I had about ten years of experience in the research, services, advocacy, and policy communication of LTC and ADRD fields, primarily based in Taiwan and Finland. I am now a member of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART), a diverse international network of ADRD professionals. Additionally, I serve as the Vice President of the Taiwanese Students Association. I have published six peer-reviewed journal articles, with two of them as the first author.