I am a university researcher and teacher based at Duke Kunshan University, a Chinese-American innovative liberal arts college located close to Shanghai, established through a partnership between Duke University, Wuhan University, and Kunshan city.

My expertise is in policymaking and implementation in China, especially in the areas of health and environment. In my research, I identify and explain the role of different stakeholders in policymaking; analyze the driving forces of policy change; and assess the design and content of public policies.

Key topics in my research on China include antimicrobial resistance, health reform, epidemic outbreaks, infectious diseases, food safety, crisis management, natural disasters, soil pollution, community gardening, bicycling, and environmental accidents.

Most of my research examines national level policy, especially the process of lawmaking by China’s National People’s Congress. In my research projects, I use document analysis, interviews, and surveys.

As an assistant professor (equivalent to lecturer in the UK or universitair docent in the Netherlands) at Duke Kunshan University, I teach courses on policy analysis, policy processes, crisis management, and plastic pollution. I previously taught an interdisciplinary course on science, technology, and health.

My background is highly interdisciplinary: I earned a Ph.D. in Law (2019) from the University of Amsterdam; a Master of Science in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2010) from the University of Manchester, Lund University, and Central European University (joint degree called MESPOM); and a Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Cultures of China (2007) from Leiden University.

During my PhD, I was a visiting researcher at the Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) in Beijing (see here and here) and at Harvard Law School (see here). Before coming to DKU, I taught comparative public administration, public policy, and crisis management at Mid-Sweden University.

Before academia, I was a high school teacher in Sweden and have been a fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (an American environmental non-profit organization) in Beijing.

Outside of work, I enjoy (trail)running, bicycling, hiking, walking, and kayaking.