Mentor Areas
Dr. Liu's research aims to identify how early health risk and protective factors impact emotional and behavioral development in children and adolescents, why this occurs, and what measures we can take to enhance development. Factors include prenatal/postnatal risk factors (e.g. birth complications, prenatal stress, prenatal toxin exposure), early nutrition, environmental toxicity (e.g. lead and tobacco exposure) and sleep deprivation. She is particularly interested in how brain mechanisms influence early health factors and later behavior outcomes, as well as protective factors (e.g. breast feeding, early bonding) that improve resilience in children and adolescents. Through working with Dr. Liu's research, students will gain essential skills such as interviewing, research design, and understanding literature.
Description:
Dr. Jianghong Liu leverages her expertise in nursing, psychology, epidemiology, and environmental health to investigate the intricate interplay of health factors on cognitive, sleep, and behavioral outcomes throughout the lifespan. Such factors include nutrition, environmental exposure, and psychosocial factors. Her research is dedicated to identifying and addressing risk factors through interventions that span across the entire spectrum of human development, and understanding the underlying mechanisms. She conducts research in the community setting, implementing prevention and intervention strategies aimed at improving cognitive and behavioral health outcomes.
More recently, Dr. Liu’s research focuses on prevention and intervention in the community. This includes implementing a community-based culturally tailored exercise among older immigrants in Philadelphia, aiming to bridge the health disparities experienced by this marginalized minority population, and focusing on the prevention of cognitive decline, MCI, and dementia. Current projects include Mind Body Exercise such as Qigong exercise
Preferred Qualifications
Interest in research in this topic area. Students should have basic knowledge/experience with literature searches.
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/live/profiles/38-jianghong-liu
Details:
Preferred Student Year
First-year, Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.