I am an interdisciplinary public policy scholar, specializing in policymaking and implementation in China, especially in the areas of health and environment. Broadly speaking, I examine the driving forces of policy change and policy stability in China, as well as the design and content of government policies.

In terms of theory, my research agenda is embedded in the policy process literature, especially the multiple streams framework (MSF) and the punctuated equilibrium theory (PET). You’ll find an overview of my recent publications here.

Topics that I study include antimicrobial resistance, health reform, epidemic outbreaks, food safety, crisis management, natural disasters, soil pollution, and environmental accidents. I study all of these topics in the context of China.

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.

I am based as assistant professor of environmental policy at Duke Kunshan University, an innovative liberal arts college located close to Shanghai, established through a partnership between Duke University, Wuhan University, and Kunshan city.

At Duke Kunshan University, I teach courses on policy analysis, the politics of the policy process, crisis management, and plastic pollution. I have also taught an interdisciplinary course on science, technology, and health.

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 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.