Dr. Han Li is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Communication at Cornell University. Her research focuses on understanding the interplay between new and emerging communication technologies (e.g., social media, online community, AI chatbots) and social behaviors and processes, including peer support, prosocial behavior, and harmful or problematic behaviors. She also examines the ebb and flow of online interpersonal and group dynamics to inform the development and design of technologies and interventions that enhance social relationships, improve mental health and well-being, and contribute to social good.
Currently, she is working on projects that explore the mechanisms and interventions for deterring objectionable behaviors—such as hate speech, harassment, and misinformation—and fostering emergent norms on social media through field experiments. Her research is interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of Communication, Computational Social Science (CSS), and Human-Computer/AI Interaction (HCI/HAI). Her work has been published in flagship journals across multiple disciplines, including the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media + Society, CHI, and npj Digital Medicine. Her research has also been featured by the Associated Press, Nature, ABC News, and over 90 other media outlets.
Before assuming her current position, Dr. Li completed postdoctoral research at the National University of Singapore. She earned her Ph.D. in Computational Communication from Fudan University, dual M.A.s in Global Communication from Simon Fraser University and the Communication University of China, and a B.E. in Civil Engineering from Shandong University. Additionally, she was a visiting scholar in Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University.
Journal Publications
- Li, H., & Zhang, R. (2024). Finding love in algorithms: deciphering the emotional contexts of close encounters with AI chatbots. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(5), zmae015. https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/29/5/zmae015/7742812
- Li, H., & Xu, Y. (2024). Unraveling the Cross-Cultural Differences in Online Expression of Social Anxiety in Online Support Communities. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 27 (5). https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/cyber.2023.0539
- Li, H., Zhang, R., Lee, Y. C., Kraut, R. E., & Mohr, D. C. (2023). Systematic review and meta-analysis of AI-based conversational agents for promoting mental health and well- being. NPJ Digital Medicine, 6(1), 236. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00979-5
- Li, H., Kraut, R. E., & Zhu, H. (2021). Technical features of asynchronous and synchronous community platforms and their effects on community cohesion: a comparative study of forum-based and chat-based online mental health communities. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 26(6), 403-421. https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/26/6/403/6375170
- Zhang, R., Li, H., Meng, H., Zhan, J., Gan, H., & Lee, Y. C. (2025, forthcoming). The Dark Side of AI Companionship: A Taxonomy of Harmful Algorithmic Behaviors in Human-AI Relationships. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.20130
- Zhang, R., Li, H., Chen, A., Liu, Z., & Lee, Y. C. (2024). AI Privacy in Context: A Comparative Study of Public and Institutional Discourse on Conversational AI Privacy in the US and Chinese Social Media. Social Media + Society, 10(4), 20563051241290845. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241290845
- Liu, Z., Li, H., Chen, A., Zhang, R., & Lee, Y. C. (2024, May). Understanding Public Perceptions of AI Conversational Agents: A Cross-Cultural Analysis. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-17). https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3613904.3642840
- Kraut, R. E., Li, H., & Zhu, H. (2022). Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts of disease, social isolation, and financial stressors. PloS one, 17(11), e0277562. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277562
Media Coverage
