Biography
Xiao Yu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and a member of the Maternal Health Equity Lab (https://obgyn.msu.edu/team) at Michigan State University. She received a PhD in sociology from Johns Hopkins University. Her areas of interest include social determinants of health, maternal and infant health, health disparities and inequities, and quantitative methodology with a focus on causal inference in non-experimental studies.
Research
Dr. Yu’s research broadly focuses on social determinants such as the labor market, work, education, neighborhood/community and the impacts on health and health equity. She is particularly interested in understanding how community-engaged interventions can mitigate theimpact of structural racism on perinatal health and health disparities. Her current projects include neighborhood determinants of severe maternal morbidity, the effectiveness of community health worker home visiting on maternal and infant health, and program engagement among birthing population with complex health and social needs. Utilizing data from Medicaid claims, vital records, administrative program data, and census data, she seeks to provide evidence-based solutions to improving the care, health, and equity of underserved (Medicaid) pregnant and postpartum birthing individuals.