Cheng Chow is a PhD student in Social Work. His research lies at the intersection of immigration, health disparities, and social policy. His work seeks to advance health equity by examining how policy environments, service infrastructures, as well as social and cultural determinants shape the lived experiences of immigrants, refugees, and racialized communities.

His scholarship spans three interconnected levels:
      (1) Macro: structural and institutional drivers of health and healthcare disparities among immigrant and ethnic minority populations;
      (2) Meso: development, implementation, and evaluation of community-engaged, culturally responsive models of care for underserved groups;
      (3) Micro: acculturation processes, immigrant life course trajectories, and racial/ethnic health disparities.

Methodologically, Cheng employs mixed methods, causal inference, and policy analysis, complemented by data science tools and critical theoretical frameworks. He has conducted research in both local and global contexts, including community-based studies in the U.S. and longitudinal and ethnographic fieldwork in Southeast Asia. His work has appeared in Health Policy, Social Science & Medicine, and the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, and has earned honors such as the APPAM Equity & Inclusion Student Fellowship and the W. Parker Frisbie Best Publication Award.

He is currently a doctoral student at the School of Social Work, a graduate trainee at the Population Research Center, and a graduate affiliate with the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice. He is also completing graduate portfolio programs in Asian American Studies and Ethical AI.

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