Sicong "Summer" Sun
- Assistant Professor
Contact Info
Personal Links
Education —
Research —
Research interests:
Social determinants of health and health equity
Asset building and financial capability
- Poverty, inequality, and social mobility
Selected Publications —
Sun, S., Chen, Y. C., Ansong, D., Huang, J., & Sherraden, M.S. (2022). Household financial capability and economic hardship: An empirical examination of the financial capability theory. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 1-14.
Sun, S.* Huang, J, Hudson, D., Sherraden, M. (2021) Cash transfers and health. Annual Review of Public Health, 42, 363-380.
Tozan, Y., Capasso, A., Sun, S., Neilands, T. B., Damulira, C., Namuwonge, F., ... & Ssewamala, F. M. (2021). The efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of a family‐based economic empowerment intervention (Suubi+ Adherence) on suppression of HIV viral loads among adolescents living with HIV: results from a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in southern Uganda. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 24(6), e25752.
Ssewamala, F. M., Wang, J. S. H., Brathwaite, R., Sun, S., Mayo-Wilson, L. J., Neilands, T. B., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2021). Impact of a family economic intervention (Bridges) on health functioning of adolescents orphaned by HIV/AIDS: a 5-year (2012–2017) cluster randomized controlled trial in Uganda. American Journal of Public Health, 111(3), 504-513.
Sun, S.*, Jackson, A. Smith, R. & Hudson, D. (2020). Race at the forefront in social and economic inequities. Journal on Race, Inequality, and Social Mobility in America, 2(1), 2.
Sun, S.*, Nabunya, P., Byansi, W., Bahar, O. S., Damulira, C., Neilands, T. B., Guo, S., Namuwonge, F. & Ssewamala, F. M. (2020). Access and utilization of financial services among poor HIV-impacted children and families in Uganda. Children and Youth Services Review, 104730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104730
Tozan, Y., Sun, S., Capasso, A., Wang, J. S. H., Neilands, T. B., Bahar, O. S., Damulira, C. & Ssewamala, F. M. (2019). Evaluation of a savings-led family-based economic empowerment intervention for AIDS-affected adolescents in Uganda: A four-year follow-up on efficacy and cost-effectiveness. PLOS ONE 14(12).
*: Corresponding author
Selected Presentations —
Tozan, Y., Capasso, A., Sun, S., Neilands, T. B., Bahar, O. S., Damulira, C., Namuwonge, F., Byansi, W. Nabunya, P. & Ssewamala, F. M. (2020, November) “Effects and cost-effectiveness of a family empowerment intervention to increase ARV adherence among HIV+ adolescents in Uganda” Oral presentation at the 2020 American Public Health Association, San Francisco, CA. (virtual).
Sun, S., Hudson, D. (2020, September) “Investigating the effects of wealth on child behavioral problems across race/ethnicity” Oral presentation at the 2020 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, Minneapolis, MN. (virtual).
Tozan, Y., Capasso, A., Sun, S., Neilands, T. B., Bahar, O. S., Damulira, C., Namuwonge, F., Byansi, W. Nabunya, P. & Ssewamala, F. M. (2020, July) “Evaluating the Effects and Cost-Effectiveness of a Family Economic Empowerment Intervention to Increase Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among HIV+ Adolescents in Uganda” Oral presentation at the AIDS 2020 (virtual).
Sun, S., Chen, Y. C. (2020, January) “Is Financial capability a determinant of health?” Oral presentation at the 2020 Society for the Social Work and Research, Washington D.C.
Chen, Y. C., Sun, S. (2020, January) “An investigation of financial capability profiles in later life” Oral presentation at the 2020 Society for the Social Work and Research, Washington D.C.
Chen, Y. C., Sun, S. (2020, January) “Patterns of financial capability in older adults: Gender and race difference.” Oral presentation at the 2020 Society for the Social Work and Research, Washington D.C.
Sun, S., Hudson, D. (2019, November). “Socioeconomic and health inequalities across young adulthood: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth” Oral presentation at the 2019 American Public Health Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Tozan, Y., Sun, S., Capasso, A., Wang, J, S-H., Sensoy Bahar. O., Damulira, C. & Ssewamala F. M. (2019, November). “Evaluation of a savings led family-based economic empowerment intervention for AIDS-affected adolescents in Uganda with health economic evaluation: A four-year follow-up” Oral presentation at the 2019 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, National Harbor, MD.
Sun, S., Hudson, D. (2019, October). “Racial/ethnic differences in the wealth-health association across young adulthood: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997” Poster presentation at the 2019 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, Seattle, WA.
Sun, S., Nabunya, P., Byansi, W., Sensoy Bahar. O., Damulira, C., Neilands, T., Guo, S., Namuwonge, F., & Ssewamala F., (2019, July). Access and utilization of financial services among poor AIDS-impacted children and families in Uganda: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Poster presentation at the 4th Annual Conference on Child Behavioral Health in Sub-Saharan Africa, Masaka, Uganda.
Sun, S., Roll, S., Kondratjeva, O., Despard, M., Bufe, S. & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, January). “Assessing the Stability of Financial Well-Being in a Low-and Moderate- Income Population” Oral presentation at the 2019 Society for the Social Work and Research, San Francisco, CA.
Sun, S., Chen, Y. C. (2019, January) “U.S. household financial capability and economic hardship: A structural equation model.” Oral presentation at the 2019 Society for the Social Work and Research, San Francisco, CA.
Chen, Y. C., Sun, S. (2019, January) “Financial education, financial socialization, and economic well-being in later life: The role of financial capability.” Oral presentation at the 2019 Society for the Social Work and Research, San Francisco, CA.
Awards & Honors —
Teaching Excellence Award for Doctoral Teaching Fellows
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 2021
Jane B. Aron Fellow
National Association of Social Workers Foundation, 2020 – 2021
William E. Gordon Research Fellow
Washington University in St. Louis, 2019 – 2021
Grants & Other Funded Activity —
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship
Title: Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Relationship Between Wealth and Health
Role: Principal Investigator
Dates: 09/2020 – 06/2021 Awarded: $14,850