Scholars@Duke
Meifang Chen

Meifang Chen

Assistant Professor of Health Policy at Duke Kunshan University
DKU Faculty

Research Interests

My current research focus on (1) using mixed methods to investigate lifespan risk factors of chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes, heart diseases), and (2) applying Geographic Information System and AI modeling and  in public health to inform program and policy decision making and develop tailored health behavior change strategies, in order to prevent chronic diseases and reduce health disparities among populations.

Fellowships, Gifts, and Supported Research

How is our Global Health undergraduate program doing in the liberal arts and COVID-19 pandemic context? · August 2021 - June 2022 PI · Awarded by: DKU Teaching and Assessment Grant · $1,500.00 This project aims to analyze the strengths and weakness of the liberal arts and team-based learning education approaches in achieving the GH undergraduate program learning outcomes and assess career development perception among the GH undergraduate students and their parents in China.
Do health metrics capture actual health values? A cross-cultural investigation · October 2020 - September 2021 Co-PI · Awarded by: DKU Health Humanities Laboratory project funding · $25,000.00 This project aims to explore the dynamics of the actual health values of the general public and the health metrics used to guide health policy.
Lifespan Risks of Disparity of Health Outcomes Among Different Ethnic Groups: From Early Childhood to Early Adulthood · August 2019 - May 2020 PI · Awarded by: California State university, Los Angeles · $5,000.00 This retrospective study, using mixed methods, is designed to explore how early childhood (0-10-year-old) food and social environment influence on early adulthood (20-35-year-old) eating habits and obesity-related outcomes.
Racial disparity in the association of food environment, Mediterranean diet adherence and obesity in United States: A Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis · August 2018 - July 2019 PI · Awarded by: California State university, Los Angeles · $5,000.00 This cross-sectional study using a GIS techniques and path analysis is designed to explore how race influences on the relationship between food environment, MD adherence and obesity among US adults.
CARE Trial: Comparing Different Levels of Calorie Reduction for Weight Loss (Fixed Versus Variable Energy Reduction during Behavioral Obesity Treatment) · January 2016 - August 2016 Research Assistant · Awarded by: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) (1R01DK103863-01A1) · $602,170.00 This is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing lifestyle interventions with differing levels and schedules of energy reduction for weight loss and weight loss maintenance.
Associations of food environment, Mediterranean diet adherence and obesity in United States: A Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis · January 2016 - July 2016 PI · Awarded by: The Mid-South Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center for Health Disparities Research (U54MD008176) · $15,000.00 This project is a secondary data analysis using GIS methods and models to identify the drivers of eating a Mediterranean diet and using path analysis to test if eating a Mediterranean diet can modify the effects of life-course food environment exposure on obesity outcomes among the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study cohort.
Title V Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Program · June 2012 - September 2012 Program evaluator · Awarded by: South Carolina Department of Public Safety · $2,500.00 This grant program is to facilitate local efforts to reduce risk factors for juvenile delinquency, to enhance protective factors to prevent youth at risk of becoming delinquent from entering the juvenile justice system, and to intervene with first-time and non-serious offenders to keep them out of the juvenile justice system.
State Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) · July 2011 - May 2013 Graduate Assistant · Awarded by: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control This federal grant program is to fund state agencies to educate young people on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.