Assistant Professor
Contact Information
Email: pzhang28@ua.edu
Research Areas and Expertise
- End-of-life Care Quality Improvement
- Advance Care Planning Implementation
- Quality of Care in Nursing Homes
Education
- PhD, University of Maryland School of Social Work
- MSW, Washington University in St. Louis
- BSW, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Biography
Dr. Peiyuan Zhang is a gerontological social work researcher dedicated to improving the quality of and access to end-of-life care for older adults and supporting their family caregivers. Grounded in implementation science, her research focuses on advance care planning (ACP) implementation improvement in nursing homes, including the development and validation of a tool to measure ACP quality. She is also deeply committed to community-engaged research that promotes culturally appropriate ACP to reduce disparities in end-of-life care utilization. In addition to her research, Dr. Zhang is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of social workers and scholars. She has taught courses on death, dying, and bereavement as well as human behavior and the social environment.
Selected Publications
Abshire Saylor, M., Hanna, V., Zhang, P., Thai, G. H., Green, C. M., Cagle, J. G., & Wolff, J. L. (2025). Advance care planning in adults ages 80 years and older with impaired cognition: Using actual conversations to examine best practices. Alzheimer’s & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 21(1), e14331.http://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14331
Zhang P., Nketsiah E., & Hyunjin N. (2024). Service provider perspectives on advance care planning use in rural dementia patients and caregivers: A qualitative study. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 67 (6), 825-840. http://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2024.2351071.
Zhang P., Clem S., Rose R., Cagle J.G. (2023). Exposure to a loved one’s death and advance care planning: Moderating effects of age. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Online First. https//doi.org/10.1177/10499091231188689.
Zhang, P., & Cagle, J. G. (2023). Previous experience in medical decision making and advance care planning conversations: Findings from a nationwide cross-sectional survey. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Online First. https//doi.org/10.1177/10499091231174621.
Zhang, P., Sun, F., & Hirsch, J. (2023). Perceived barriers and social cultural factors associated with advance care planning conversations among Chinese American older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(10), 2110–2118. https//doi.org/10.1177/07334648231176142
Zhang, P., & Cagle, J. G. (2023). When living wills go missing: Associations with hospice use and hospital death using national longitudinal data. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(5), 1108-1112. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221146774