Dr. Qianwei Zhao

Dr. Zhao is the Co-Director of the Baylor IMPACT Lab - Houston, and an assistant professor at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. She received her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and PhD from the University of Southern California. Dr. Zhao's research focuses on the intersection of health disparities, criminal justice, and child and family well-being. Specifically, she uses qualitative and quantitative methods to identify the etiology of mental health and substance use problems among justice-involved women and the collateral consequences of maternal incarceration on children. Her long-term research trajectory centers on developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions targeting adult women involved in the criminal justice system and their children. Her research has been supported by the NASW Social Work HEALS Fellowship, the Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Educators Association Doctoral Fellowship, and the USC Office of the Provost, Graduate School Russell Endowed PhD Fellowship.