Research Description
Dr. Fan Yang's research explores the prevention of risky health behaviors and the promotion of protective behaviors that contribute to better health outcomes, particularly among marginalized populations. Her interdisciplinary work integrates social work and technology, with a focus on leveraging AI to improve access to health care services and enhance the quality of health interventions.
Specifically, Dr. Yang's research spans three key areas: utilizing AI as an analytical tool to examine socio-ecological factors in disease prevention; analyzing the impact of AI on risky health behaviors among at-risk populations; and developing accessible, cost-effective AI-driven health care solutions. Additionally, her work addresses the ethical implications of AI, including data privacy and algorithmic bias, with a focus on reducing health care disparities and advancing health equity for underserved communities.
Education
Ph.D.in Social Work-University of Alabama
Masterof Social Work-University of Alabama
B.E. in Software Engineering-Luoyang Normal University, China
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Highlighted Publications
Yang, F., Wang, C., Lindsey, M. A., & An, R. (2025). Use of Artificial-Intelligence-Based Chatbots to Promote Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of Interventions. Kinesiology Review, 14(1), 80-92. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2024-0081
Guo, Y., Hao, Z., Zhao, S., Gong, J., & Yang, F. (2020). Artificial intelligence in health care: Bibliometric analysis. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(7), Article e18228. https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.18228, https://doi.org/10.2196/18228
Guo, Y., Yang, F., Hu, F., Li, W., Ruggiano, N., & Lee, Y. (2020). Existing mobile phone apps for self-care management of people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias: Systematic analysis. JMIR Aging, 3(1), Article 15290. https://doi.org/10.2196/15290
Yang, F., Li, X., Qin, W., & Guo, Y. (2021). The Influence of Media and Psychological Factors on Preventive Hand Cleaning Behavior in the Pandemic of COVID-19 Among Chinese Adults. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 33(5), 670-671. https://doi.org/10.1177/10105395211014649
Guo, Y., Qin, W., Wang, Z., & Yang, F. (2021). Factors influencing social distancing to prevent the community spread of COVID-19 among Chinese adults. Preventive Medicine, 143, Article 106385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106385
Recent Publications
Huang, J., Yang, F., & Lee, J. (2026). Ethical Challenges and AI Governance in Social Work. In R. An, & M. A. Lindsey (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Bridging Technology and Humanity (pp. 519-544). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-18443-6_22
Ji, M., Xu, S., Yang, F., & Bachman, S. S. (2026). AI in Health Care and Health Disparities. In R. An, & M. A. Lindsey (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Bridging Technology and Humanity (pp. 85-104). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-18443-6_5
Yang, F., & Lough, B. (2026). AI in International Social Work and Global Issues. In R. An, & M. A. Lindsey (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Bridging Technology and Humanity (pp. 427-448). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-18443-6_19
Yang, F., & Liechty, J. M. (2026). Building AI Literacy and Competency in Social Work. In R. An, & M. A. Lindsey (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Bridging Technology and Humanity (pp. 545-570). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-18443-6_23
Yang, Y., Yang, F., An, R., & Luke, D. (2026). Countering HPV Vaccine Misinformation: An Integrative Cognitive-Affective Framework for Theory-Driven Digital Health Education Interventions. Health Education and Behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981261479333