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GOLTC

GLOBAL
OBSERVATORY
OF LONG-TERM
CARE

Part of the International Long-Term Care Policy Network (ILPN)

 

Qixin Cai

University of Pennsylvania

Qixin Cai

Qixin Cai received professional training from the Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute at the University of Chicago (2023-2024) and University of Michigan (2025), and Peking University Institute of Population Research (2025), participated in the “Summer Institute on Ageing: The Value of Longitudinal Data to Study Ageing” at Venice International University (2024), and completed professional courses in Public Management at the University of Lausanne (2023) and Demographic Analysis from Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) & United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2024). He has also received pre-doctoral training from Nankai University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Nanjing University. Qixin holds an M.P.A. in Social Welfare from the University of Macau, where he gained valuable experience in administrative, teaching, and research roles.

His research focuses on the intricate dynamics of population aging and health in LMICs. He is dedicated to using interdisciplinary approaches to generate insights that inform policymakers, especially concerning aging populations.

As a recognized IPL Expert in Health and Wellbeing, Social Policy, and Social Protection, Qixin is affiliated with the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab. He is currently leading several research projects, including “Intergenerational Reciprocity, Old-age Poverty, and Subjective Well-being from the Perspective of Family Structure Heterogeneity” (China Scholarship Council, 2022-2025) and “The Impact of Parental Migration on the Health of School-Aged Left-behind Children” (Renmin University of China Scientific Research Fund, 2022-2025). Additionally, he is the principal investigator for projects on “Climate Change, Population Aging, and Health of Older Adults in LMICs” and “Early-Life Conditions and Health Disparities of Older Adults in LMICs”, both expected to conclude by December 2027. He is also leading the project “Aging and Digital (In)Equality in LMICs” (2025-2028), which examines the digital divide and its impact on older adults in LMICs.

Additionally, Qixin has participated in prestigious research collaborations as a Research Affiliate with the Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Network at the University of Chicago, the Network for Innovative Methods in Longitudinal Aging Studies (NIMLAS) at the University of Michigan, and the Network for Data-Intensive Research on Aging (NDIRA) at the University of Minnesota.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Countries Brazil; China;
Topics Pensions; Technology and LTC;
Methods Policy analysis;
Role Research;
Interest Groups Ageing and Place; Climate Change and LTC; Economics of Long-Term Care; Technology and Long-Term Care;
Websitehttps://sites.google.com/sas.upenn.edu/qixin-cai-phd/about-me?authuser=0
Research interests

My research focuses on the intersection of demography, sociology, social policy, and social welfare, aiming to explore core issues related to population dynamics and societal well-being.

Research Expertise: I specialize in the study of population aging, with a particular focus on utilizing longitudinal data to analyze the economic and health implications of aging. Additionally, my research delves into issues of income, poverty, and welfare, aiming to identify patterns and propose interventions to improve the quality of life for older adults.

Geographic Focus: My work primarily concentrates on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), examining the challenges and opportunities posed by aging within diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
Key publications

Cai, Q. (2025, September).Aging of Humans, Non-humans, and Superhumans (More-than-Humans): Redefining the Aging Phenomenon Across Species and Entities (Poster Presentation). The 4th Annual Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute, University of Michigan, MI, USA.

Cai, Q. (2025, June).Aging of Humans, Non-humans, and Superhumans (More-than-Humans): Redefining the Aging Phenomenon Across Species and Entities (Poster Presentation). The 5th Population and Development Doctoral Academic Seminar, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Cai, Q. (2025, May). Intergenerational Reciprocity and Economic Well-being of Older Adults From the Perspective of Family Structure Heterogeneity: Preliminary Findings From India. Population Association of Singapore (PAS) 2025 Annual Meeting, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Cai, Q. (2025, May). Intergenerational Reciprocity and Economic Well-being of Older Adults From the Perspective of Family Structure Heterogeneity: Preliminary Findings From India. 2025 PARC Aging Retreat: Limits of Chronological Age, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Cai, Q. (2025, April). Intergenerational Reciprocity and Economic Well-being of Older Adults From the Perspective of Family Structure Heterogeneity: Preliminary Findings From India (Poster presentation). Population Association of America (PAA) 2025 Annual Meeting, Washington DC, USA.

Cai, Q. (2024, November). Intergenerational reciprocity and well-being of older adults from the perspective of family structure heterogeneity: Preliminary findings from India. Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) 4th Annual Conference, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.

Cai, Q. (2024, September). Intergenerational reciprocity and economic well-being of older adults from the perspective of family structure heterogeneity: Preliminary findings from India. 3rd Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Cai, Q. (2024, May). Does family structure matter? Intergenerational reciprocity, old-age poverty risks, and their implications for subjective well-being: Evidence from an Indian national representative survey. Annual SIGMA Research Symposium 2024 & 20th International Conference on Pensions, Insurance and Savings, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.

Cai, Q., & Zanwar, P. P. (2024, April). Intergenerational reciprocity and old-age poverty risks—from the perspective of intergenerational family solidarity: Evidence from three middle-income countries (Poster presentation). Population Association of America (PAA) 2024 Annual Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Cai, Q. (2023, September).Intergenerational Reciprocity, Old-age Poverty Risks, and Subjective Well-being from the Perspective of Intergenerational Family Solidarity: Evidence from three middle-income countries (MICs). 2nd Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Chan, K. S., Zhao, S., & Cai, Q.* (2021). The Development of Pension Big Data Platform in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Great Bay Area (in Chinese). In Macao SAR and Jiangmen: Cooperation, Sharing and Development. Beijing: Economic Management Publishing House.

Chow, N. W. S., & Cai, Q.* (2021). Future Development Direction of Hong Kong Social Security System (in Chinese). In the Greater Bay Area and the Development of the Social Security System in Macau. Beijing: Economic Management Publishing House.

Yang, Y., & Cai, Q.* (2021). China’s Basic Public Service Accessibility Report (2021)(in Chinese). In Blue Book of Accessible Environment: Report on The Development of Accessible Environment in China (2021). Beijing: Social Sciences Literature Press.