Boya Zhang
PhD, MS
Research Topics
Air pollution and environmental mixtures; spatial exposure modeling and causal inference methods; cognitive decline, dementia, and functional aging; obesity and cardiometabolic health in older adults; ovulatory dysfunction and women’s health
Boya Zhang, PhD, joined the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in March 2026 as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Zhang received her PhD in Epidemiologic Science from the University of Michigan in 2023 and has postdoctoral training at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her work lies at the intersection of environmental epidemiology and aging-related outcomes.
Dr. Zhang’s research examines how modifiable environmental exposures influence aging-related health. She integrates spatially linked environmental data—including air pollution, climate, noise, features of the built environment, and neighborhood conditions—with large cohort studies such as the Health and Retirement Study and the Nurses’ Health Studies. Her work applies causal inference and environmental mixture analysis methods to chronic outcomes, including dementia, cognitive decline, loss of independence, and cardiometabolic conditions.
Dr. Zhang has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, including over a dozen as first author. Her doctoral research on source-specific fine particulate matter and dementia received international attention and was published in leading journals. More recently, her work has expanded to environmental mixtures, reflecting the complex, co-occurring exposures experienced in real-world settings. Her long-term research agenda integrates environmental exposures, social determinants, and aging epidemiology to inform policy and community-level interventions that promote healthy aging and reduce health inequities. She collaborates with faculty and community partners to develop strategies that address both environmental and social risk factors.
In her teaching and mentoring, Dr. Zhang emphasizes strong foundations in epidemiologic theory, quantitative methods, and applied public health practice. She is interested in teaching introductory and advanced courses in epidemiology and environmental health, as well as developing courses focused on environmental epidemiology and high-dimensional mixture analysis methods.