Education
Ph.D., Economics, Claremont Graduate University, 2023
M.A., Economics, Claremont Graduate University, 2019
B.A., Economics and B.S., Statistics, University of California, Davis 2015
Chengcheng Zhang
Assistant Professor
Areas of Expertise
Health economics
Biography
Chengcheng Zhang graduated from Claremont Graduate University in California with an emphasis on health economics. She has been dedicated to interdisciplinary studies, applying statistical methods to health economics to identify behaviors related to insurance coverage switches and social determinants of health. Alongside her research endeavors, she is also passionate about teaching. Prior to joining Towson University, she gained considerable in-person and online teaching experience at institutions including California State University, Los Angeles, and UCLA Extension.
Selected Publications
- Zhang, C., Ding, Y., and Peng, Q. (2023). How do demand-side incentives relate to insurance transitioning behavior of public health insurance enrollees? A novel voting ensemble approach for ranking factors of mixed data types. Quality and Quantity, 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01699-4
- Kominski, G. F., Rasmussen, P. W., Zhang, C., Hassan, S., and Freund, D. (2020). Ten years of the Affordable Care Act: Major gains and ongoing disparities. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
- Zhang, C., Ding, Y., and Peng, Q. (2021). Who determines United States healthcare out-of-pocket costs? Factor ranking and selection using ensemble learning. Health Information Science and Systems, 9(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13755-021-00153-9
Research
Dr. Zhang’s expertise in health economics focuses on the social determinants of health, with a particular interest in the impact of Medicaid expansion on coverage. Her research addresses persistent disparities in healthcare access, considering factors such as housing. By integrating machine learning into healthcare, Dr. Zhang’s work significantly contributes to understanding and mitigating health disparities, driving progress towards a more inclusive and efficient healthcare system.
Honors and Awards
Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Fellow, Towson University, 2023
Professional Memberships / Affiliations
- American Economic Association
- American Society of Health Economists
- Academy Health
Professional Service
Mathematics guest editor
Teaching
- HCMN 415: Financing and Organization of Healthcare Services in the United States
- AHLT 315: Financial Management for the Allied Health Professional