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Dr. Zhao received her B.S. in Psychology (2008) from East China Normal University and her M.S. in Developmental Psychology (2011) from Western University. She received her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Study of Human Development (2016) from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining UD in 2018, she worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Purdue University for two years.

Dr. Zhao’s research focuses on parenting and peer influences on children’s social-emotional development. She is also interested in the implications of cultural values and social-economic changes for child development. Her work is largely based on a framework that emphasizes the mediating role of social interactions in bridging the link between social and cultural contexts and human development.  

Research interests

• Social-emotional development
• Parenting
• Peer influence
• Culture and social changes