about
I am a PhD student at the University of Michigan School of Information. My research interest broadly lies in health informatics and health and health care equity, while also drawing on perspectives from adjacent fields such as social computing and implementation science. Most recently, I have been exploring how artificial intelligence can support more equitable and effective health care, particularly in the context of health and social care integration. I view care activities related to social care integration as fundamentally focused on the social and structural determinants of health, as providers, who are often community health workers, social workers, and social service navigators, work to address issues such as housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers, and experiences of stigma and discrimination.
My work examines how AI is developed, implemented, and evaluated in real-world settings, with particular attention to use cases, the value propositions of AI across different use cases, and the outcomes that are prioritized in evaluation. To this end, I have interviewed frontline workers across multiple health care and human service organizations in Michigan to assess their perceived value proposition of a social needs screening chatbot. I have also conducted a systematic literature review to further identify AI use cases for social care integration and understand frontline workers’ trust in these applications.
Collectively, this work has led me to think more critically about the development and evaluation of AI systems and has motivated me to focus on three interrelated research areas:
AI-based interventions for social care integration focusing on patient-centered goals.
Trustworthy AI in the context of social care.
Future of relational care work.
Previously, I have written and researched in the space of substance use and HIV prevention, including applying feminist theories to design a mobile app for overdose reversals in Philadelphia and community-based participatory research to improve HIV preventive outcomes among LGBTQ communities in China.
I identify with a rather fuzzy epistemology, meaning I enjoy both evidence-based and interpretivist approaches to research. I believe that decentralized and participatory methods of health technology design can foster a more democratic health ecosystem and contribute to a more equitable health future for all.