Research

Research Interests

  • Health Economics
  • Policy Analysis
  • Education Economics
  • Applied Microeconomics

Peer-reviewed Publications

  1. Zhao, H., & Sun, X. (2026). OxyContin Reformulation and Drug-Related Arrest Rates, Property-Related Crimes, Child Maltreatment, and Food Pantry Participation. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 17, 1681241.

  2. Rothbart, M. W., Heflin, C., Morrissey, T. W., & Sun, X. (2026). Participation Across Public Programs Among Children in Low-Income Families: Public Preschool, Child Care Subsidies, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 76, 13–28.

  3. Sun, X., & Zhao, H. (2025). The Impact of Anti-Bullying Laws on Children’s Social-Behavioral Skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1550736.

  4. Zhao, H., Andreyeva, T., & Sun, X. (2024). Food Security and Health Outcomes Following Gray Divorce. Nutrients, 16(5), 633.

  5. Heflin, C., & Sun, X. (2022). Food Insecurity and the Opioid Crisis. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 703(1), 262–284.

  6. Andreyeva, T., Sun, X., Cannon, M., & Kenney, E. (2021). The Child and Adult Care Food Program: Barriers to Participation and Costs of Underutilization. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(4), 327–334.

  7. Andreyeva, T., & Sun, X. (2021). Universal School Meals in the US: What Can We Learn from the Community Eligibility Provision? Nutrients, 13(8), 2634.

  8. Andreyeva, T., Sun, X., Cannon, M., & Kenney, E. L. (2021). Implementation of Minimum Nutrition Standards and Best Practices in Childcare Centers. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121(12), 2454–2463.

  9. Sun, X., & Andreyeva, T. (2020). Kindergarten Entry Age and Household Food Insecurity. Journal of Health Behavior and Policy Review, 7(5), 416–431.

  10. Andreyeva, T., Kenney, E. L., O’Connell, M., Sun, X., & Henderson, K. E. (2018). Predictors of Nutrition Quality in Early Child Education Settings in Connecticut. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50(5), 458–467.

Research Reports

  1. Andreyeva, T., Pipito, A., Sun, X., Henderson, K. E., & Powell, L. M. (2018). “Price impacts on dietary and health outcomes: a scoping review.” Final report to the World Health Organization.

Papers Under Review or In Preparation

  1. Sun, X. & Andreyeva, T. “The Impact of Universal Free Meals on Children’s Social Behavioral Skills and Peer Relationships.”

  2. Rothbart, M., Sun, X., Heflin, C., Morrissey, T. “The Impact of Public Prekindergarten Expansion on SNAP Participation: Evidence from the Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus Program.”

Research Grants Experience

  1. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Healthy Eating Research. Studying the Community Eligibility Provision’s Broad Impact on Child Nutrition, Health, Academics, School Attendance, and Family Food Security. 03/01/2019–08/31/2020. Principal Investigator: Tatiana Andreyeva. $150,700. Role: Research Assistant.

  2. World Health Organization. Fiscal and Pricing Policies on Foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages. 04/25/2019–11/25/2019. Principal Investigator: Tatiana Andreyeva. $61,100. Role: Research Assistant.

  3. Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI). Barriers to Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program in Connecticut: Opportunities for Expansion. 10/01/2017–09/30/2019. Principal Investigator: Tatiana Andreyeva. $64,998. Role: Research Assistant.

  4. USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station. Preference Formation and Purchasing Behavior among WIC Participating Households. 10/01/2015–09/30/2019. Principal Investigator: Tatiana Andreyeva. $60,000. Role: Research Assistant.

  5. World Health Organization. Price Impacts on Dietary and Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review. 04/05/2018–06/04/2018. Principal Investigator: Tatiana Andreyeva. $21,873. Role: Research Assistant.

Conference Presentations

  • 2024 The 5th International Conference on Aging and Gerontology. “Food Security and Health Outcomes Following Gray Divorce”. Kunming, China.

  • 2022 Population Association of America Annual Meeting. “Low Income Children’s Participation Across Public Programs: Public Pre-K, Child Care Subsidies, and SNAP.” Atlanta, GA.

  • 2022 Population Association of America Annual Meeting. “Food Insecurity and the Opioid Crisis.” Atlanta, GA.

  • 2022 Authors Conference: The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. “Food Insecurity and the Opioid Crisis.” Online.

  • 2019 Second Meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) Nutrition Guidance Expert Advisory Group (NUGAG) Subgroup on Policy Actions. “A Systematic Review on Fiscal and Pricing Policies.” Qingdao, China.

  • 2019 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Conference. “Kindergarten Entry Age and Household Food Insecurity: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.” Atlanta, GA.

Seminar Presentations

  • 2022 Syracuse University Demography and Social Policy Lab. “Low Income Children’s Participation Across Public Programs: Public Pre-K, Child Care Subsidies, and SNAP.” Syracuse, NY.

  • 2022 Syracuse University Demography and Social Policy Lab. “Food Insecurity and the Opioid Crisis.” Syracuse, NY.

  • 2021 Syracuse University Education and Social Policy Working Group. “The Impact of Anti-Bullying Laws on Children’s Social and Behavioral Skills.” Online.

  • 2021 University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity Seminar. “Universal School Meals in the US: What Can We Learn from the Community Eligibility Provision?” Online.

  • 2019 University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity Seminar. “Kindergarten Entry Age and Household Food Insecurity: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.” Hartford, CT.

  • 2018 University of Connecticut Graduate Research Forum Poster Session. “Kindergarten Entry Age and Household Food Insecurity: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.” Storrs, CT.