Xiaohe Xu

Xiaohe Xu, Ph.D., serves as a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Demography within the College for Health, Community and Policy (HCAP) at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Their research bridges sociological theory with practical health and social policy applications, focusing on vulnerable populations across diverse contexts including rural China, Native American communities, and Hispanic-serving institutions.

Research interests span the sociology of marriage and family, comparative family studies, adolescent development, and religion's role in family life, with methodological expertise in advanced statistical analysis. Xu's work demonstrates particular attention to racial-ethnic disparities, pandemic-era student support systems, and culturally adapted interventions in mental health and public health domains.

Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward community-based interventions addressing suicide prevention among Native American youth, breastfeeding support for Black Mississippians, and basic needs programming at Hispanic-serving institutions. Xu employs rigorous mixed-methods approaches including cross-lagged panel models, community surveys, and virtual cohort analyses to examine health behaviors through sociological and demographic lenses.

• Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation Award (2004)

Xu leads significant grant-funded initiatives including a $1.5M SAMHSA-funded Choctaw Youth Resilience Initiative and multiple pandemic response studies addressing student basic needs. Their work with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians demonstrates commitment to community-engaged research with underserved populations, while Texas-focused studies address urban health vulnerabilities through collaborations with San Antonio EMS and Hispanic-serving institutions.