Q&A with Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue, 2026 UCSF Award Network Pilot Grant Recipient

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Assistant Professor Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue, PhD, RN, has been named a 2026 Pilot Award recipient from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) for her research, "Recognizing the Warning Signs: A Needs Assessment of Rapid Pattern Recognition Skills among Dementia Direct Care Workers." The UCSF Pilot Awards are intended to support early-stage research on the workforce that serves people living with dementia.

Get to know Assistant Professor Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue

Question: Describe your nursing journey.
Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue: I was motivated to be a nurse because that I wanted to do something meaningful with my career. Before entering nursing, I had a degree in math. I knew that I wanted to interact with and help people more, so I volunteered at a hospital to explore various healthcare career options. While engaging with the nurses, I was impressed by how compassionate and knowledgeable they were when caring for the patients. 

The combination of both humanity and science in nursing care drew me to this field. While I practiced as a nurse, I encountered many unanswered questions related to providing care and challenges with navigating the health system for the patients. I was motivated to learn more, hoping to answer some of these questions. Therefore, I decided to get training in research. During my journey as a nurse scientist, I enjoyed discovering and solving problems and I also realized that I could make bigger impacts and help more people with research. Seeing role models of exceptional nurse researchers and dedicated mentors during my journey inspires me to continue my work and believe in the values of my work.  

Q: What draws you to researching the dementia care workforce and why is this research important?
TMX: As the aging populations worldwide are growing rapidly, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (commonly known as dementia) is also growing. My long-term career goal is to lead research that informs the development and implementation of multi-level interventions to improve care and health outcomes of older adults living with dementia. 

People with dementia usually experience complex health care needs due to their cognitive decline, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and other co-existing chronic conditions. Because of their complex conditions and needs, high quality, evidence-based care is an urgent need. Without good care and support systems, the quality of life of affected individuals and families can be greatly compromised. Therefore, improving the workforce that provides care to people with dementia is important to ensure their healthcare is high quality and sustainable.

"I would encourage nursing students to get experience with research early in their career even if research may not be their primary focus. This will greatly help with their care practice and equip them the necessary skills to become nurse leaders."

—Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue, assistant professor

Q: What are your future aspirations?
TMX: I aspire to continue my work on improving care and health outcomes for older adults with dementia and the aging populations in general. I’m interested to conduct more research on dementia and investigate the mechanisms of how dementia interact with other chronic diseases. Additionally, I want to gain a deep understanding of healthcare system, which will enable me to lead large-scale studies on improving care for those with dementia. I also aspire to be an effective teacher and mentor. I have been inspired by so many amazing mentors, and I hope to be able to do the same as what they do.

Q: What advice would you give to students thinking about studying nursing?
TMX: I would advise being open minded about your career options as a nurse. Nursing is a diverse field with a lot of opportunities to make meaningful impacts. Even if one thing does not seem to work out, there are always other possibilities. I would encourage students to explore more opportunities at the beginning of their career, engage with different types of nurses, and choose an area that interests them. 

Also, nursing is an exciting field with many opportunities for research. Nursing care should be evidence-based, and research plays an essential role in the advancement of our profession. I would encourage nursing students to get experience with research early in their career even if research may not be their primary focus. This will greatly help with their care practice and equip them the necessary skills to become nurse leaders.

Q: What do you like to do for fun?
TMX: I like to try new things and have many hobbies. Although I don’t think I’m the most adventurous type, I do enjoy doing outdoor activities such as hiking and trying various types of sports for exercise. I recently decided to try skiing because Massachusetts has a long winter and I want to enjoy the season more. In my free time, I love traveling with my family and friends. I also like reading, listening to music, and playing with my cat to unwind after work.