Her primary research field grew out of her Ph.D. dissertation on the Chinese seven-string zither (qin), examining its cultural, aesthetic, and philosophical significance in Song dynasty (960鈥1279) literati life. Over time, her research has expanded beyond elite musical practice to encompass a broader sonic world: writings on natural sound, silence, dialect and regional language, and musical instruments associated with cultural 鈥渙therness,鈥 such as the pipa. Her current book project draws on sound studies, material culture theory, and literary hermeneutics to examine how thinkers of the Tang鈥揝ong period (8-13th centuries) conceptualized perception, embodiment, circulation, and shared atmospheres of sound. Through close readings of texts and attention to musical objects and sonic phenomenon, she investigates how sound and music shaped sociality and intellectual life.
Outside of her research and teaching, she enjoys walking in the gardens of the Huntington Library, watching films, road trips, and cooking.