She received her B.A. in English and International Studies from Foreign Affairs College of China, and her M.A. and PhD. in political science from University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests span the areas of comparative political economy, contemporary Chinese politics, and research methodology, with a focus on fiscal reforms, resource curse, intergovernmental relations and local governance. Her researches have been published on top academic journals like the China Quarterly and Journal of Contemporary China. She is currently working a project on resource curse and state intervention in China.