Qiuchang (Katy) Cao | College of Social Work

Assistant Professor

Contact Information

Office Location

University Center C2403

Utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and network analysis skills, Katy (Qiuchang) Cao's scholarship centers on improving the physical, cognitive, mental, and social health of older adults. She is interested in community-engaged research as well as secondary data analysis using nationally representative data to identify health challenges and resource/resilience among different groups of older adults. Katy’s research highlights how productive engagement (e.g., volunteering, work) over the lifespan impacts later life health and well-being. She is passionate about engaging in translational research through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Download Full Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Focus

Aging
Mental Health
Productive Engagement
Social Network Analysis
Mixed-Methods Study Design

Education

PhD, 2022, Ohio State University, Social Work (Gerontology)
MSW, 2017, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Social Work
BA, 2015, Suzhou University, Public Administration

Selected Peer Review Articles and Publications

Cao, Q., Carr, D., Taylor, M. (2025. Education, Occupational Environment, and Cognitive Function in Later Life, The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf043

Cao, Q., Pope, N., Greenfield., E. (2024). “I’m part of something that matters”: Exploring what older adults value through their engagement in age-friendly community initiatives. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2024.2339971

Cao, Q., Liao, L., & Warren, K.L. (2020). Social and programmatic interactions in a therapeutic community for women: an exponential random graph model analysis. Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 41(3/4), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/TC-08-2019-0008

Cao, Q., Dabelko-Schoeny, H.I., White, K.M., & Choi, M.S. (2020). Age-friendly communities and perceived disconnectedness: The role of built environment and social engagement. Journal of Aging and Health, 32(9), 937-948. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264319865421

Bunger, A.C., Yousefi-Nooraie, R., Warren, K., Cao, Q., Dadgostar, P., & Bustos, T.E. (2023). Developing a typology of network alteration strategies for implementation: a scoping review and iterative synthesis. Implementation Science. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-023-01266-3

Ozbilen, B., Akar., G., White, K., Dabelko-Schoeny, H.I., & Cao, Q. (2022). Analysing the travel behaviour of older adults: What are the determinants of sustainable mobility? Ageing and Society, FirstView, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X22001180

Jarrott, S. E., Cao, Q., Dabelko-Schoeny, H. I., & Kaiser, M. L. (2021). Developing intergenerational interventions to address food insecurity among pre-school children: A community-based participatory approach. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, 16(2), 196-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2019.1640827

Yousefi-Nooraie, R., Warren, K., Juckett, L. A., Cao, Q. Bunger, A. C., & Patak-Pietrafesa, M. A. (2021). Individual- and group-level network-building interventions to address social isolation and loneliness: A scoping review with implications for COVID-19. PLOS One, 16(6), e0253734. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253734

Selected Grants

Co-PI, “Social Connections and Wellbeing in an Older Adults Community” ($90,000). 2023. Initiative on Community Design and Health, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

PI, “Education, Occupational Environment, and Cognitive Function in Later Life” ($25,000). 2022. National Institute on Aging through the University of Maryland.

“Age-Friendly Research Grant” ($1,000). 2021. The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, Age-Friendly Innovation Center, Columbus, OH.

“Ph.D. Research Seed Grant Program” ($1,000). 2021. The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, Columbus, OH.