James Hu is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado Denver. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and specializes in Public Economics, Labor Economics, Health Economics, and Econometrics. His research agenda lies in applied microeconomics, with prior research experience at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and the Colorado School of Public Health.
Dr. Hu has extensive experience using STATA, SAS, and R, and works with large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets, including primary survey data, secondary datasets, and medical claims data. He is skilled in designing and implementing quasi-experimental research using secondary data and integrates rigorous economic theory with advanced quantitative approaches, including econometric analysis, mathematical and economic modeling, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluations.
His research has been presented at leading academic conferences, including the Econometric Society (5 times), the American Economic Association (3 times), the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, and the American Society of Health Economists (2 times). He has supervised more than 50 students, with collaborative research presented at national economics conferences and recently published in journals such as the Journal of Cleaner Production and the International Journal of Mental Health Promotion.
Publications
Tian, Y., Hou, A., Hu, C., and Chai, L. 2025. "Policy-Driven ESG Mandates for Immediate Financial Performance and Long-Term Innovation: Synergistic Insights from Chinese Enterprises," Journal of Cleaner Production, 520, 146142. (SCI Q1, Impact Factor: 10.0; CiteScore: 20.7)
Hu, C., Zheng, S., and Lin, Y. 2026. "Mechanisms and Heterogeneous Effects of Physical Activity on Mental Health: Evidence from the China Family Panel Studies," International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.2, 2026 (SSCI Q3, Impact Factor: 1.4; CiteScore: 2.1)
Hu, C., Li, M., and Gao, R. 2026. "The Protective Role of Integrated Social Media Access and Perceived Social Resources on Student Mental Health: Evidence from China," International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Forthcoming (SSCI Q3, Impact Factor: 1.4; CiteScore: 2.1)
