November 28, 2024 | News | New Faces at MPIDR

Welcome, Songyun Shi!

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The Research Group: Migration and Health Inequalities welcomes Songyun Shi. He worked as a research assistant while completing his PhD at the University of Hong Kong. While staying with us for the next two years, he will focus on studying health disparities between immigrants and non-immigrants in the European context. Besides demography he is fascinated by architecture, especially modern design.

What question drives you most in your research?

My research focuses on the social determinants of healthy aging, centered around a key question: What drives disparities and inequalities in population health and aging? I am interested in understanding how social structures, policies, and social networks influence multidimensional health in later life, and how these factors intersect to impact health inequalities and disparities across the life course. My goal is to provide theoretical and empirical insights to support evidence-based social policies that promote health equity.

What are you particularly looking forward to as you start working at the MPIDR?

My current work at the MPIDR focuses on migration and health inequalities. We aim to understand health disparities between immigrants and non-immigrants in the European context. I am excited about the opportunity to explore migration in Europe, a new area for me, and I look forward to learning new theories, methods, and insights through this process.

What do you like most about Rostock?

There are two things I particularly enjoy about Rostock: the sea and the graffiti. The view of the sea brings me a sense of peace, while the graffiti on apartment walls adds a lively vibe to the city. I have found many interesting and unique pieces around town.

What are you obsessed with at the moment besides demography?

I am fascinated by architecture, especially modern design. I am amazed by how architects balance science and art in their creations. I am also inspired by how they design spaces to shape interactions between people.