He received his Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University in 2011. His research focuses on state-society relations in China between the eighth and the eighteenth century. His dissertation traces the evolution of a decentralized structure of governance in Sichuan (a southwestern region of China) during these centuries and the concomitant transformation of the political elite into a group with deep roots in local society and wide regional connections beyond local borders. His article “Local Society under a Decentralized Rule: The Case of Sichuan in Song Dynasty” is currently being translated into Japanese for publication in Japan.