Yuan GONG

Mixed-Methods Public Health Researcher with 6 years of combined academic and applied research experience spanning behavioral interventions, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and health equity. Proficient in coordinating multi-partner research portfolios, from conceptualizing clinical intervention protocols to executing mixed-methods evaluations. Advanced expertise in merging, structuring, and analyzing large datasets (including RCTs) using STATA, R, and SAS, alongside qualitative synthesis using MAXQDA, Dedoose, and Atlas.ti. Passionate about advancing reproductive justice, evaluating telehealth interventions, and mitigating structural barriers for marginalized populations, with a specific focus on transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals and abortion access. Proven track record in supervising project staff, managing research budgets, contributing to grant-writing, and translating evidence-based findings for community-based advocacy partners.

• The Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, Washington, DC, Global Health Forum Coordinator & Stakeholder Liaison, 10/2025, Served as a core coordinator for the A Call to Action for Youth Mental Health global forum, facilitating critical dialogues among international policymakers, clinical experts, and advocacy organizations., Managed stakeholder engagement logistics, ensuring culturally competent dissemination of adolescent health equity initiatives and reproductive rights frameworks.
• Wenzhou Experimental Primary School, Wenzhou, China, Intervention Specialist & Assistant Teacher, 03/2023, 06/2023, Monitored the well-being of 30+ students, executing crisis interventions and long-term counseling for bullying cases; conducted semi-structured interviews with families to evaluate demographic and motivational factors., Designed and piloted a health workshop incorporating mindfulness, resulting in measurable behavioral improvements over a three-month tracking period; analyzed program efficacy through qualitative feedback loops.
• Wenzhou-Kean University Experimental Kindergarten, Wenzhou, China, Intern Researcher & Teacher, 09/2023, 01/2024, Conducted systematic behavioral observations of 25+ children, utilizing cross-cultural psychology frameworks to document developmental patterns across diverse demographic backgrounds., Validated ethnicity data and generated weekly analytical reports to inform tailored, play-based interventions, translating complex cultural insights into bilingual educational materials for parents.

• Volunteer Service Team, Wenzhou-Kean University, Team Leader, 10/2020, 05/2023, Led volunteer cohorts in executing campus-wide health awareness and stigma reduction workshops; evaluated program impact via participant interviews and demographic data analysis, fostering partnerships with local NGOs to translate research for diverse audiences.
• Wenzhou City Overseas Chinese Association, Volunteer Coordinator – Therapeutic Horseback Riding for Autistic Children, 04/2021, 05/2021, Coordinated logistics for an animal-assisted therapy program serving 20 autistic children; interviewed families and analyzed behavioral data to author an evaluation report that secured subsequent program funding.
• Environmental Conservation Association, Wenzhou-Kean University, Research Coordinator, 09/2021, 12/2021, Directed water quality testing across five river basins; conducted stakeholder interviews and validated environmental health metrics to co-author a public health advocacy report for local authorities.
• Billiards Club, Wenzhou-Kean University, Event Organizer, 09/2020, 06/2022, Organized university-wide tournaments for 100+ participants, integrating wellness activities into event programming; surveyed participant well-being trends.

STATA, R, SAS, SPSS, SQL, Python, Large dataset merging and structuring, Quantitative analysis (regression, correlation), Data quality assurance (validation, discrepancy quantification), Epidemiological data handling (surveillance, race/ethnicity reporting), MAXQDA, Dedoose, Atlas.ti, NVivo, Thematic coding, Scoping reviews (PRISMA), Survey design (Qualtrics), Social Ecological Model, Structural stigma mitigation, Behavioral intervention evaluation, Cross-cultural stakeholder engagement, Staff supervision, Internal budget tracking, Grant-writing, Donor reporting, Translating research for advocacy, Developing fact sheets, Presentations, Newsletters, Technical assistance sessions, Microsoft Office Suite (advanced Word, PowerPoint, Excel for report creation and data visualization), Google Suite, Canva, Mandarin (Native), English (Fluent/Scientific bilingual), Spanish (Conversational)

SAS Programming for Public Health Data Analysis, SAS Training Academy, 06/2025, Qualitative Data Analysis, CITI Program, 08/2025, Qualitative Research Methods: Conversational Interviewing, MITx Online, 07/2025, Mental Health First Aid, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 07/2024, IRB Training for Human Subjects Research, Kean University / CITI Program, 05/2024, American Public Health Association (APHA), 09/2025, Present, American Psychological Association (APA), 09/2025, Present, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 10/2024, Present, Qualitative Research Methods for Public Health, Monash University Online, 08/2025, Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Training for Mental Health Interventions, 06/2024

• How Different Regional Cultures (and Immigration) Affect People’s Perception and Coping with Adversity, First Author, International Conferences: The International Conference on Global Politics and Socio-Humanities (ICGPSH 2023), 09/27/23, Investigated how cultural integration, acculturation, and immigration alter cognitive and emotional reactions to psychological trauma and physical difficulties across four major geographic regions (Europe/North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America), offering insights to guide future mental health interventions and cross-cultural collaborations.
• Interpersonal Competencies AI-mediated Training | Co-Lead Researcher & First Author. Examining how artificial intelligence (AI) is utilized to train interpersonal competencies (empathy, perspective-taking, social awareness, conflict resolution, and cooperation) across clinical and non-clinical populations.

• Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD, USA Graduate Research Assistant & Co-Investigator, 09/2024 – 08/2026
• Digital Job Crafting: A Scoping Review and Intervention Development (12/2025 – 05/2026): Collaborated with PI Zhiqing Zhou to architect a comprehensive scoping review and clinical intervention framework based on the P.O.E. (Psychosocial, Organizational, and Environmental) framework. Structured large qualitative datasets and developed evidence-based training manuals/intervention materials to mitigate psychological distress, targeting future grant proposals for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Russell Sage Foundation.
• Empathy and Stigma – Scoping Review & Protocol Development (10/2025 – Present): Co-led a rigorous scoping review with a 4-person research team examining the intersection of emotional/cognitive empathy and systemic stigma (bias, prejudice, discrimination) affecting marginalized populations. Executed complex search strategies across PubMed and PsycINFO following PRISMA guidelines, utilizing MAXQDA/Dedoose for qualitative thematic synthesis on mechanisms of change in anti-stigma interventions.
• Interpersonal Competencies AI-Mediated Training – Scoping Review (10/2025 – Present): Partnered in a systematic evaluation of AI-mediated interventions (e.g., chatbots, social robots) designed to train human empathy and conflict resolution. Extracted and analyzed complex dataset variables (clinical vs. non-clinical populations, psychometric measurement tools) to prepare a peer-reviewed manuscript on digital health interventions.
• Kean University, Wenzhou, China, Lead Undergraduate Researcher (Senior Capstone), 09/2023, 04/2024, Designed and managed a cross-sectional mixed-methods study (N=145) analyzing relationships between dietary habits, perceived stress, and trait mindfulness among youth populations., Engineered survey instruments via Qualtrics and executed moderated regression analyses using SAS and SPSS; ensured rigorous data validation and discrepancy quantification., Synthesized qualitative findings to co-author policy recommendations and fact sheets; successfully presented outcomes to an academic panel and community health stakeholders.
• Global Cognitive Diversity Initiative, Wenzhou, China, Research Assistant, 03/2023, 07/2023, Collaborated on a multidisciplinary study exploring how human experience and structural environments shape cognitive diversity across psychology, neuroscience, and cultural contexts., Managed extensive literature reviews, structured bibliographic datasets, and contributed directly to manuscript preparation, demonstrating excellent scientific writing skills through peer-review navigation and final publication.