Xuan Qian

she/her

Graduate Student, Department of Communication

About

My research focuses on risk communication and information seeking in health, science, and AI-mediated contexts. I study how people perceive risk, evaluate information sources, and make decisions about seeking and using information. I am especially interested in how trust, uncertainty, emotions, and motivation shape people’s responses to risk-related information.

Education

M.A. Communication, Northern Illinois University

Interests

Risk communication, information seeking, media psychology

Contact Information

xq84 [at] cornell.edu

Publications

Qian, X. (2026). Across borders through screens: Health information-seeking practices of Chinese abroad on Rednote. Global Perspective in Communication, 1(1), wpaf001. https://doi.org/10.1093/gpcomm/wpaf001
Qian, X., & Yuan, S. (2024). AI-powered mental health communication: Examining the effects of affection expectations on health behavioral intentions. Patient Education and Counseling, 108142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2024.108142

Xuan in the news

COMM UPDATES from the Department of Communication

News

March 18, 2026

COMM Updates - 3/18/2026

March 18, 2026 Events REMINDER: Join us for COMMColloquium Monday, March 23, 2026, 3:00 pm, in 102 Mann Library Building. Graduate student Bya Rodrigues will present “ Resisting Networked Misogyny: Platformized Activism, Care Infrastructures and...

three individuals stand in front of a poster board

News

January 21, 2026

COMM Updates - 1/21/2026

January 21, 2026 Awards & Grants Professor danah boyd has been awarded a Research Seed Grant on “The Political Economy of AI,” receiving $5,000 from Cornell Global Hubs. This grant supports a collaboration with researchers at the University of...