Hi! I’m Yuan Xiong (she/her), a PhD candidate in Social Work at Michigan State University. My research focuses on the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ populations, particularly transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

I am especially interested in how social and structural factors, such as family environment, stigma, and access to resources, shape health outcomes across diverse contexts. My work draws on community-based participatory approaches, with the goal of bridging research, practice, and policy by translating empirical findings into actionable strategies that improve health equity for marginalized populations.

My dissertation examines how family dynamics influence access to gender-affirming care among Chinese transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

Outside of work, I enjoy tennis, rock climbing, knitting, playing mahjong, watching far too many murder mysteries, and being supervised by my cat, Xiaosai.