Xiang Qi

Faculty

Xiang Qi headshot

Xiang Qi

PhD RN

Assistant Professor

1 212 992 5797

433 First Ave
New York, NY 10010
United States

Accepting PhD students

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.

PhD in Nursing Research and Theory Development, New York University
Exchange Program in Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, University of California, Davis
BS, Fudan University
Gerontology
Oral-systemic health
Public and Global Health
Underserved populations
Alzheimer’s Association International Society
New York Academy of Medicine
Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society
Gerontological Society of American
Eastern Nursing Research Society
Research Poster Award, Health Equity Action Network (2024)
Minority Issues in Gerontology Student Poster Award, Gerontological Society of American (2023)
2022-2023 Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing (2023)
The Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization – Best Poster Award, Gerontological Society of American (2022)
Minority Issues in Gerontology Student Poster Award, Gerontological Society of American (2022)
The Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization – Carol Schutz Student Travel Award, Gerontological Society of American (2022)
FIRE Doctoral Student Research Leadership Award, New York Academy of Medicine (2022)
Douglas Holmes Emerging Scholar Paper Award, Gerontological Society of American (2022)
Student Registration Award, Gerontological Society of American (2021)
Excellent Graduate of Shanghai, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (2019)
National Undergraduate Scholarship, Ministry of Education of China (2018)
Research and Innovation Award, Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (2018)
Overseas Exchange Outstanding Student Scholarship, Fudan University, China (2017)
The First Prize Scholarship, Fudan University, China (2016)
Excellent Student Leader, Fudan University, China (2015)

Association Between Types of Family Support and Glycemic Control for Adults With Cognitive Impairment

Zheng, Y., Lawrence, K., Fletcher, J., Qi, X., & Wu, B. (2023). In Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine (Vols. 9, p. 23337214231218800).
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Association Between Types of Loneliness and Risks of Functional Disability in Older Men and Women: A Prospective Analysis

Qi, X., Qi, X., Belsky, D. W., Yang, Y. C. C., & Wu, B. (2023). In The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (Vols. 31, Issues 8, pp. 621-632).
Abstract
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To examine the association between types of loneliness (transient, incident, and chronic) and the risk of functional disability.

Longitudinal relationships in the psychopathology of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults in China

Qi, X., Zhu, Z., Qi, X., Pei, Y., Wang, J., & Wu, B. (2023). In Aging & mental health (Vols. 27, Issues 9, pp. 1692-1701).
Abstract
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To develop symptom networks and examine the longitudinal relationships of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in China.

Mechanisms of Change in Cognitive Function Domains Among Older Adults in Cognitive Deterioration and Improvement Groups: Evidence From Phenotypic Network Structure

Zhu, Z., Zwerling, J. L., Qi, X., Pei, Y., Zheng, Y., & Wu, B. (2023). In Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (Vols. 24, Issues 12, pp. 2009-2016).
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Prevalence and incidence of mild cognitive impairment in adults with diabetes in the United States

Zheng, Y., Ma, Q., Qi, X., Zhu, Z., & Wu, B. (2023). In Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (Vols. 205).
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Social Isolation, Sleep Disturbance, and Cognitive Functioning (HRS) : A Longitudinal Mediation Study

Qi, X., Pei, Y., Malone, S. K., & Wu, B. (2023). In The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences (Vols. 78, Issues 10, pp. 1826-1833). 10.1093/gerona/glad004
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Social isolation is prevalent and associated with dementia, yet the directionality and mechanisms are less understood. This study examined the association between social isolation and cognitive functioning and explored the mediating role of sleep disturbance on the social isolation-cognition relationship. METHODS: Data from 5 753 dementia-free Americans aged ≥50 of 2006 (T1), 2010 (T2), and 2014 (T3) waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Social isolation was measured by the Steptoe Social Isolation Index. Cognitive functioning was measured by the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status. Sleep disturbance was measured with the modified Jenkins Sleep Scale. We used cross-lagged panel models to determine the associations between social isolation, sleep disturbance, and cognitive functioning. RESULTS: Social isolation is significantly associated with subsequent cognitive functioning (T1 to T2: β = -0.055, standard error [SE] = 0.014, p < .001; T2 to T3: β = -0.044, SE = 0.016, p < .001). Lower cognitive functioning is significantly associated with greater subsequent social isolation (T1 to T2: β = -0.101, SE = 0.020, p < .001; T2 to T3: β = -0.058, SE = .011, p < .001). Sleep disturbance at T2 partially mediated the effect of social isolation (T1) on cognitive functioning (T3), accounting for 6.2% of the total effect (β = -0.003, SE = 0.001, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation may deteriorate cognitive functioning and vice versa. The association between social isolation and cognition is partially explained by sleep disturbance.

Socioeconomic Status Disparities in Cognitive and Physical Functional Impairment among Older Adults : Comparison of Asians with other Major Racial/Ethnic Groups

Wang, K., Zhu, Z., & Qi, X. (2023). In Journal of Urban Health (Vols. 100, Issues 4, pp. 839-851). 10.1007/s11524-023-00768-1
Abstract
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This study investigated to what extent socioeconomic status (SES) disparity associates with cognitive and physical impairment within older Asian Americans in comparison with other races/ethnicities. Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2018 that included 3,297 White, 1,755 Black, 1,708 Hispanic, and 730 Asian Americans aged ≥ 60. Physical functioning was measured by activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Memory and language fluency were evaluated using the Alzheimer's Disease Word List Memory Task and Animal Fluency Tests, respectively. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to investigate the association between SES and physical and cognitive impairment within racial/ethnic groups, and seemingly unrelated regressions compared coefficients across subgroups. Asians with ≤ high school education had the highest prevalence of age- and sex-adjusted memory impairment among all races/ethnicities, while no difference was observed for those with > high school education. ADL/IADL disability odds did not differ between Asians and Whites, but Asians were more likely to exhibit impaired verbal fluency. Education disparity for ADL disability (OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 2.20–5.25) and memory impairment (OR, 11.57; 95% CI, 6.59–20.31) were largest among Asians compared to Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. Income disparity for function impairment showed no significant difference across racial/ethnic groups (all P > 0.05). Asians experienced the highest burden of physical functioning and memory impairment due to education disparity. Efforts should focus on strengthening research infrastructure and creating targeted programs and services to improve cognitive and physical health for racially/ethnically underrepresented older adults with lower education attainment.

Technology-Based Interventions to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Informal Dementia Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Qi, X., Mao, W., Qi, X., Chi, I., Wichinsky, L., & Wu, B. (2023). In Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (Vols. 24, Issues 11, pp. 1700-1707).
Abstract
Abstract
Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns. Informal dementia caregivers are particularly vulnerable, as many are older adults themselves and at elevated risk of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Technology-based interventions could offer accessible, affordable, and convenient solutions. A previous review included Internet-based supportive interventions for informal dementia caregivers published up to 2013; however, new publications, technological advances, and targeted outcomes justify conducting this scoping review. Here, we identified and synthesized recent technology-based interventions that addressed social isolation and loneliness among informal dementia caregivers.

Addressing Health Disparities Among Older Asian American Populations: Research, Data, and Policy

Wu, B., Qi, X., & Kaskie, B. (2022). In Public Policy &amp; Aging Report. 10.1093/ppar/prac015
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