Xiaoying Zhu

Xiaoying Zhu is passionate about improving the financial risk protection of vulnerable populations and promoting health equity. She has more than seven years of experience as a university lecturer with a solid background in health system research and teaching.

Xiaoying earned her master’s degree from the School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University and has  extensive research experience in health financing and health policy. Her research has included measuring total health expenditure at provincial and municipal levels over several years,  studying the equalization policy on primary healthcare in county areas,  and a WHO collaborative project to explore the effective practice of integrating traditional medicine into the health system.

These experiences have enriched Xiaoying’s understanding of the operation of China's health system and inspired her to further explore the mechanisms of health financing and identify effective strategies for health system optimisation.

As a cost compensatory mechanism, social health insurance plays an important role in making healthcare services available and affordable to citizens. Xiaoying’s PhD research will focus on the effect of health insurance schemes in improving health service coverage and financial protection in China.

PhD Supervisor

Professor Barbara McPake

Co-supervisors

Prof Ajay Mahal, Prof Shenglan Tang, Dr Tiara Marthias