Meng Huo

Research Interests

Interests: Empathy, Altruism, Social Relationships, Health, Gerontology

Life Phases: Late Adulthood

Dr. Huo’s research focuses on how and why older adults help other people, and how these helping behaviors may contribute to older adults’ resilience in the face of age-related declines and promote successful aging. She is also interested in empathy in late life. Her work relies on self-report data, daily and ecological momentary assessments, biomarker data, geocoded data, objective assessments of physical activity, and real-life observational data. Dr. Huo’s research has been published in top-tier journals such as The Gerontologist, The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, and Journal of Marriage and Family.

Dr. Huo is accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in aging and would like to gain research experience in her lab.

 

 

Education
 

Ph.D., Human Development and Family Sciences (Portfolio: Aging and Health). The University of Texas at Austin, 2019

B.S., Psychology, Beijing Normal University, 2014

Faculty CV

 

Selected Accomplishments
 

APA DIV 20 Dissertation Award in Psych and Aging

Principal Investigator, UC Davis Subcontract ($15,000) of the NIA R01 entitled “Social Networks and Well-being in Late Life: A Study of Daily Mechanisms” (R01AG046460, 2016–2021; PI: Karen Fingerman, PhD)

Harrington Dissertation Fellow, Donald D. Harrington Fellowship (Highest honors; $40,000)
 

Selected Publications
 

Ng, Y. T.*, Huo, M., Gleason, M., Neff, L., & Fingerman, K. L. (in press). Friendships in
old age: Daily encounters and emotional well-being. The Journals of Gerontology, Series
B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa007

Fuentecilla, J. L., Liu, Y., Huo, M., Kim, K., Birditt, K. S., Zarit, S. H., & Fingerman, K. L.
(in press). Midlife adults’ daily support to children and parents: Implications for diurnal
cortisol. Journal of Aging and Health. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264319863994

Huo, M., Fuentecilla, J. L., Birditt, K. S., & Fingerman, K. L. (in press). Empathy and close
social ties in late life. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and
Social Sciences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbz044

Huo, M., Fuentecilla, J. L., Birditt, K. S., & Fingerman, K. L. (2020). Does empathy have a cost?: Older adults and social partners experiencing problems. The Gerontologist, 60, 617–627. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz065

Fingerman, K. L., Huo, M., & Birditt, K. (2020). Mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons: Gender differences in adults’ intergenerational ties. Journal of Family Issues. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0192513X19894369

Fuentecilla, J. L., Huo, M., Birditt, K. S., Charles, S. T., & Fingerman, K. L. (2020). Interpersonal tensions and pain among older adults: The mediating role of negative mood. Research on Aging, 42, 105–114. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0164027519884765

Huo, M., Napolitano, L., Furstenberg, F. F. Jr., & Fingerman, K. L. (2020). Who initiates the help older parents give to midlife children. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75, 907–918. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbz098

Fingerman, K. L., Huo, M., & Birditt, K. (2020). A decade of research on intergenerational ties: Technological, economic, political and demographic changes. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82, 383–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf12604 10.

Fingerman, K. L., Huo, M., Charles, S. T., & Umberson, D. J. (2020). Variety is the spice of late life: Social integration and daily activity. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75, 377–388. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbz007

Huo, M., Fuentecilla, J. L., Birditt, K. S., & Fingerman, K. L. (2019). Older adults’ empathy and daily support exchanges. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36, 3814–3834. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0265407519837372

Huo, M., Graham, J. L., Kim, K., Birditt, K. S., & Fingerman, K. L. (2019). Aging parents’ daily support exchanges with adult children experiencing problems. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 74, 449–459. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbx079

Huo, M., Graham, J. L., Kim, K., Zarit, S. H., & Fingerman, K. L. (2018). Aging parents’ disabilities and daily support exchanges with middle-aged children. The Gerontologist, 58, 872–882. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx144

Fingerman, K. L., Huo, M., Graham, J. L., Kim, K., & Birditt, K. S. (2018). A family affair: Family typologies of problems and midlife well-being. The Gerontologist, 58, 1054–1064. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx131

Huo, M., Kim, K., Zarit, S. H., & Fingerman, K. L. (2018). Support grandparents give to their adult grandchildren. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 73, 1006–1015. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbw208