About
Dr. Yu Ma is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Bensadoun Faculty Scholar at McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management. He previously served as Associate Professor at the University of Alberta. He holds a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis and BA from Nankai University. His research focuses on food marketing, retailing, and big data analytics, examining consumer responses to marketing incentives and the impact of macro-environmental factors on retail sectors and public health.
Education:
- PhD, Management, Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis
- MSc, Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis
- BA, Business and Management, Nankai University
Research Interests: Dr. Ma’s work bridges marketing and public health, analyzing how food marketing strategies and retail environments influence consumer behavior. Key areas include the effects of hunger on taste perception, the role of air pollution in food preferences, and the socioeconomic inequity in vegetable expenditure. His studies leverage advanced econometric models and loyalty card data to generate actionable insights for policy and industry.
Grants & Awards:
- Multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grants (PI/Co-PI)
- 2017–2026 Bensadoun Faculty Scholar
- 2012 Retail Research Award
- CIHR grants (Co-PI)
Advising & Labs: Leads the McGill Institute of Marketing (MIM), collaborating on projects like analyzing soda demand via grocery transactions and exploring obesity-related price responsiveness. His work integrates multidisciplinary approaches, including neuroscience and environmental studies.
