Peiyao Zhu

Research Specialist / Graduate Research Assistant

University of Michigan

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health · Institute for Social Research (ISR)

Study biological, social, and environmental determinants of cognitive aging and dementia risk using the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and international partner datasets, with analyses spanning inflammation, epigenetic aging, neighborhood context, cancer survivorship, cash transfer policies, and social isolation.

Research Assistant II

University of Michigan

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health

Investigated social determinants of racial disparities in functional aging among older cancer survivors, integrating data from the HRS, the SEER Program, and the U.S. Census.

Research Assistant

University of Michigan

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health

Investigated the social determinants of COVID-19 and influenza vaccine hesitancy in the U.S., emphasizing demographic, cultural, and political correlates.

Research Analyst

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Beer Sheva / Tel Aviv, Israel

Examined socioeconomic and social-group disparities in COVID-19 vaccination uptake using national data from the Israel Ministry of Health.

Quantitative / Qualitative Analyst

Kantar Health

Shanghai, China

Supported healthcare market research and consulting for global pharmaceutical clients through primary data collection, secondary research, and quantitative analysis — producing bilingual reports and decks for internal and client-facing audiences.

Researcher

Gimema Hematology Research Center

Rome, Italy

Conducted a systematic literature review on hematologic malignancies — synthesizing clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and quality-of-life measures — and collected, analyzed, and visualized clinical research data to support multi-institutional studies and publication.

Demographic differences in compliance with COVID-19 vaccination timing and completion guidelines in the United States.

Zhu P, Zhang V, Wagner AL.

Vaccines. 2023;11(2):369.

Spillover of vaccine hesitancy into adult COVID-19 and influenza: the role of race, religion, and political affiliation in the United States.

Zhang V, Zhu P, Wagner AL.

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(4):3376.

Comparison of middle-aged and older cancer survivors in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.

Zhu P, Kobayashi LC, Westrick AC.

Cancer Causes & Control. 2025;36:833–844.

The association of pre-cancer-diagnosis cardiovascular risk factors with memory aging after a cancer diagnosis, overall and by race/ethnicity.

Westrick AC, Zhu P, Friese CR, Lange KM, Kobayashi LC.

J Cancer Surviv. 2024;18:1144–1153.

Associations of perceived neighborhood factors and Alzheimer’s disease polygenic score with cognition: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

Ware EB*, Zhu P*, Noppert G, Fu M, Benbow M, Kobayashi LC, Ryan LH, Bakulski KM.

PLOS ONE. 2025;20(11):e0336403.

DNA methylation age acceleration mediates the relationship between systemic inflammation and cognitive impairment.

Higgins Tejera C*, Zhu P*, Ware EB, Hicken MT, Zawistowski M, Kobayashi LC, Seblova D, Manly J, Mukherjee B, Bakulski KM.

Epigenomics. 2025;1–11.

Social engagement, formal education, and cognitive outcomes among older adults in India: a longitudinal population-based study.

Zhu P, Nichols E, Angrisani M, Gross AL, Lee J, Kobayashi LC.

Exploring contextual determinants of the Older Person’s Grant expenditure and aging health.

Chang H, Jock J*, Zhu P*, Wagner R, Fleming P, Tollman S, Kobayashi LC.

Social isolation and cognitive function and decline in a population-based longitudinal study of aging in India, overall and by education.

Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Annual Meeting

Boston, MA