Yong Yang, PhD
Associate Professor, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences

About Yong Yang
Dr. Yang is motivated to examine how the human's health-related behaviors including physical activities are influenced by the built and social environments, to estimate the corresponding impacts on humans' health, and to provide implications for policy interventions. Dr. Yang's research is based on the integration of methodologies from epidemiology, systems science, and geography.
Education
- PhD, Geography, University of Southampton, United Kingdom, 2007
- MS, Geographical Information Science, Peking University, China, 2000
- BS, Physical Geography, Peking University, 1997
Research Interests
- Urban Environment and Health Behavior
- Active Travel and Physical Activity
- Aging and Mental Health
- Neighborhood and Childhood Obesity
- Application of agent-based modelling in public health
- Application of GIS and spatial analysis in public health
Selected Publications
1. 2017, Y. Yang, X. Hong, J. Gurney, Y. Wang, Active Travel to and from
School Among School Age Children During 1997-2011 and Associated Factors in China,
Journal of Physical Activity and Health
2. 2016, Y. Yang, S. Ivey, M. Levy, M. Royne, L. Klesges, Active Travel
to School: Findings from the Survey of US Health Behavior in School‐Aged Children,
2009‐2010, Journal of School Health 86 (6), 464-471
3. 2016, Y. Yang, A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on
utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge, Journal of Transport
& Health 3 (3), 336-345
4. 2016, Y. Yang, Walking to Work: Trends in the United States, 2005–2014,
Preventing Chronic Disease
5. 2015, Y. Yang, Interactions between psychological and environmental
characteristics and their impacts on walking, Journal of Transport and Health
6. 2015, Y. Yang, A.H. Auchincloss, D.A. Rodriquez, D.G. Brown. R. Riolo,
A.V. Diez Roux, al. Modeling spatial segregation and travel cost influences on utilitarian
walking: Towards policy intervention, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 51(0),
59-69
7. 2014, Y. Yang, A.V. Diez-Roux, K. Evenson, N. Colabianchi, Examining
the program of walking school bus using an agent-based model, American Journal of
Public Health
8. 2012, Y. Yang and A.V. Diez-Roux, Walking Distance by Trip Purpose and
Population Subgroups, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43(1), 11-9
9. 2011, Y. Yang, A.V. Diez Roux, A.H. Auchincloss, D.A. Rodriquez, D.G.
Brown, A spatial agent-based model for the simulation of adults' daily walking within
a city, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 40(3), 353-61
10. 2008, Y. Yang, P.M. Atkinson and D. Ettema, Simulation of infectious
disease transmission within a city: the application of ISTAM to Eemnes by Role-based
AB simulation, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 5(24), 759-72