Xueyan Cao

About Me

I am a Ph.D. student in Communication at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, advised by Professor CHEN Hsuan-ting. My research lies at the intersection of health communication and human-machine interaction.

Previously, I received my M.A. and B.A. in Communication from Wuhan University.

(Name pronunciation: Xueyan /ʃweɪ jæn/ - like “sh-way yan”)

Research Focus

My research explores the structural dynamics of health information and health behavior, with a particular focus on the role of non-human agents. I organize my work around three interconnected keywords: health, politics, and technology. The following are my main questions:

• Politicised Health Issues → How health issues become politicised and what are the consequences?

• Technology for Health → Whether AI can become an effective health promotion tool?

• Technology Governance → How do individuals employ technology to conduct everyday resistance?

I employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative methods (surveys, experiments, computational methods including topic modeling, difference-in-differences, and LLM-based analysis) with qualitative approaches (in-depth interviews, walk-through method, and thematic analysis). I work with R, Python, SPSS, Mplus, and Nvivo.