September 10, 2024 | News | New Faces at MPIDR

Welcome Sha Jiang!

Sha Jiang joins the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) © MPIDR/Schulz

The Research Group Kinship Inequalities, led by Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, and the Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-being, led by Emilio Zagheni, have the great pleasure of welcoming Sha Jiang as a new team member.
 
Sha is a social scientist and was a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley with Dr. Joshua Goldstein. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University with Dr. Shripad Tuljapurkar. Sha is interested in demographic change, life history patterns, and their implications for kinship networks and social policy. Her research primarily uses formal demographic methods and statistical models to study how demographic changes affect life-span inequality, fertility patterns, population resilience, and kinship networks.

During her three-year fellowship, her research will focus on developing mathematical and simulation models of kinship dynamics. 

What's your role at MPIDR?
Currently, I am a researcher in the Research Group Kinship Inequalities and the Department Digital and Computational Demography at MPIDR. My work involves developing mathematical and simulation models to understand how kinship networks evolve over time. These models address important demographic questions, particularly those related to population aging and migration.

What motivates you to work in this area of research?
Kinship networks are essential for understanding demographic processes. They're as fundamental as mortality and fertility. Everyone belongs to a kinship network, whether through family or institutions, and these connections shape much of our social life. Moreover, kinship networks are not just important for humans - they play a critical role in many other species as well. With my background in ecology, I find it fascinating to explore how studying kinship networks in animals could provide valuable insights into their behavior and population dynamics. This cross-species perspective could enrich our understanding of kinship networks as a whole.

Why did you choose MPIDR as your new employer?
I chose MPIDR because it's a leading center for research on kinship networks. The institute has specialized groups, such as Kinship Inequalities, that align perfectly with my research interests. The collaborative environment and access to advanced tools at MPIDR make it an ideal place for innovative research.

Where are you from? What do you miss most about your hometown?
I'm from Wuhan, China. I miss the great food and spending time with my family and friends 😊. Most of my life memories are connected to Wuhan, so it's a special place for me.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is working with colleagues who have similar research interests. My least favorite part? Revising manuscripts! 😅📑

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Science Communication Editor

Christine Ruhland

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+49 381 2081-157

Science Communication Editor

Silke Schulz

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+49 381 2081-153

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The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.