Xiang Qi

Xiang Qi, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. A nurse-scientist with interdisciplinary training in gerontology and neurobiology, Prof. Qi’s research program operates at the critical intersection of geriatric oral health, social epidemiology & psychiatry, and dementia caregiving, with the goal of reducing disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among older populations in the U.S. and globally. Qi is an expert in data science and advanced quantitative methods, including machine learning, multilevel modeling, and causal inference. He has extensive experience analyzing large-scale population health datasets and electronic health records to map the social determinants of health.

Qi is currently the principal investigator of an NIH-funded R01 project investigating the social and biological pathways linking poor oral health to dementia subtypes. His research challenges the historical separation of dental and medical care, providing robust evidence that oral health is a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. His landmark research established a strong relationship between poor oral health and dementia risk, a finding that has reshaped clinical conversations around preventative oral care. Furthermore, his advocacy for including oral health in global dementia prevention guidelines was published in The Lancet.

In parallel, Qi is a leading voice in Asian American health research. He leads multiple NIH-funded studies (NIMHD P50, NIA P30) that utilize data disaggregation to reveal hidden disparities in cardiometabolic disease, mental health, and cognitive aging among diverse Asian American subgroups. Prior to his faculty appointment, Qi served as a postdoctoral research scientist at the Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Excellence, where he contributed to a community-based participatory intervention to support Chinese and Korean family caregivers of people with dementia.

His research has been featured by major media outlets such as CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Science News, and The Toronto Star. He serves on the Editorial Boards of Innovation in Aging and Discover Public Health. He has also held key roles within the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Oral Health Interest Group, contributing to reports that advocate for expanded Medicare dental coverage. He further serves on advisory boards for community organizations like CaringKind and VNS Health, helping to bridge research with real-world improvements in dementia care.