Dr. Xuewei Chen, Ph.D, M.Ed., MCHES
SHSU
Dr. Chen earned her Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health Education from Texas A&M University, graduating as a Distinguished Honor Graduate. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions. Before joining SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, she served as an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and was later promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. At OSU, she received the Marguerite Scruggs Award for Meritorious Early Career Research in recognition of her exceptional scholarship and potential for national impact.Dr. Chen’s research focuses on how health literacy shapes health information-seeking behaviors, trust in information sources, and ultimately health outcomes among rural residents, Native Americans, immigrant families, and college students. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, she examines how cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors influence information seeking, risk perception, and health behaviors across diverse contexts, including cancer, diabetes, and, more recently, COVID-19.Her work on the relationships between health literacy, trust, and use of health information has been widely cited in policy documents by major health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By exploring the intersections of health literacy, cultural competence, and health outcomes, Dr. Chen’s scholarship informs the development of more equitable and effective health communication strategies.
