He is a scholar of Chinese religions, with an emphasis on issues related to ritual theory and practice during the Tang and Song Dynasties. His current research is focused on interactions between Buddhism and indigenous Chinese religious traditions such as Daoism, particularly in the realms of ritual and meditative practice. He has been a fellow at Peking University and conducted advanced graduate research there. His research interests include Chinese Buddhism and Daoism, and a dictionary of medieval Chinese vernacular translated into English.