Jiayi Chen

Jiayi Chen is an Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Washington University in St. Louis (on leave FL24-SP25). She holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago (2023). Her research focuses on early modern Chinese literature, game studies, visual/material culture, theater, and Sino-Japanese cultural exchange. She is currently converting her dissertation, *Reading Games in Early Modern China*, into a book exploring games' role in shaping literary engagement and epistemology. A second project examines 'virtual reality' concepts in premodern China through magic and fictionality. She also investigates games-theater interplay, gambling discourses, and miniature books.

Her work is supported by the Japan Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and University of Chicago’s Center for East Asian Studies. She received the 2024 ACLS Early Career Fellowship for her book project and is a Mellon Society Junior Fellow. Chen integrates museum studies into public-facing initiatives, collaborating on exhibitions and academic outreach.

Her research bridges literary analysis, material culture, and transhistorical methodologies, emphasizing ludic and immersive dimensions of pre-digital Chinese culture. Current projects aim to redefine scholarly approaches to early modern ludic practices and their global relevance.