On August 27, 2025, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced the review results of project applications for the 2025 fiscal year. The projects submitted by Dr. Jiang Shaoxiang, Dr. Cui Zhihan, and Dr. Lin Shujun—all faculty members and researchers at the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University—have been approved for funding. Among these:
Dr. Jiang Shaoxiang’s project titled "Study on the Dynamic Evolution of Intergenerational Support Networks in Chinese Families and the Implementation Path to Healthy Aging" is a General Program;
Dr. Cui Zhihan’s project "How AI-Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment Influences Patient Experience: Measurement, Mechanisms, and Evaluation" is a Youth Science Fund Program (Category C);
Dr. Lin Shujun’s project "The Theoretical Mechanism and Empirical Test of How Changes in Healthy Life Expectancy Affect the Dynamic Evolution of Income Distribution" is also a Youth Science Fund Program (Category C).
Dr. Jiang Shaoxiang is an Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University. The project he applied for is titled "A Study on the Dynamic Evolution of China's Intergenerational Family Support Networks and the Implementation Paths for Healthy Aging". This research aims to reveal the mechanism through which the health shocks of the elderly impact intergenerational family support networks by means of empirical analysis and policy simulation. Facing the dual challenges of deepening aging and low fertility in China, this study takes three-generation families as the main research object. It intends to uncover the short-term and long-term impacts of the elderly's health shocks on multiple dimensions of intergenerational family interactions, such as the transmission of health, time, and human capital, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the dynamic changes in intergenerational family support networks under the impact of aging. Through case studies, theoretical modeling, and empirical research, the study will quantify the threshold of family costs caused by disability shocks, simulate the marginal effects of different insurance schemes on fertility decisions and labor supply. It is expected to provide decision-making support for building a "family-friendly" social security system, promote the formulation and improvement of family support policies, offer theoretical basis and practical guidance for healthy aging, and contribute to the realization of the strategic goal of "Healthy China".
Dr. Cui Zhihan is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University. The project he applied for is titled "How AI-Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment Influences Patient Experience: Measurement, Mechanisms, and Evaluation". This research is highly aligned with the newly released national document Implementation Plan for the Digital and Intelligent Transformation of the Pharmaceutical Industry (2025-2030). It plans to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of AI-assisted healthcare from the patient's perspective and through an interdisciplinary lens, thereby providing theoretical guidance for the large-scale and systematic implementation of AI-assisted healthcare. First, the research will integrate methodologies from management, psychology, and economics to establish a theory of patient experience in AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment. It will also develop an assessment scale using the Delphi method and verify its reliability and validity. Subsequently, the research will adopt economic methods such as the difference-in-differences (DID) approach to examine the impact of the introduction of AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment on patient experience across various dimensions and patient satisfaction, so as to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of AI from the patient perspective. Finally, based on in-depth exploration and understanding of the mechanism through which AI-assisted healthcare affects patient experience, the research intends to construct a systematic evaluation model and formulate policy recommendations.
Dr. Lin Shujun is an Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University. The project she applied for is titled "The Theoretical Mechanism and Empirical Test of How Changes in Healthy Life Expectancy Affect the Dynamic Evolution of Income Distribution". Rooted in the practical context of China’s accelerating population aging and the adjustment of income distribution patterns, this research adopts a combined methodology of theoretical modeling and empirical analysis to systematically explore the multiple transmission mechanisms through which healthy life expectancy influences income distribution, thereby providing solid theoretical basis and empirical support for the formulation of relevant policies. Starting from the two basic factors of production—capital and labor—the research will construct a theoretical framework for the impact of healthy life expectancy on income distribution. On this basis, integrating factors such as biased technological progress and industrial skill intensity, the project will analyze how health factors affect the formation and evolution of income gaps by altering the direction of technological development and adjusting industrial structures. In addition, from the comprehensive perspective of health disparities and factor intensity of production, the research will build a theoretical model and use cross-country data to analyze how differences in aging processes (resulting from health level disparities across countries) ultimately affect income distribution patterns. The research findings are expected to provide important scientific basis for promoting the coordinated advancement of China’s health development and common prosperity, as well as optimizing the income distribution pattern.
