IRIS LO

Iris Lo is a DPhil Candidate in Sociology based at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where she has been awarded the Henfrey Graduate Scholarship. Her DPhil research focuses on Chinese non-heterosexual women’s  (lala in Chinese terms) conception and formation of families in China. She is particularly interested in the ways in which families are shaped and constrained by various societal forces, namely government policies, the labour market, and social norms. She has published in several journals, including International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy and Fertility and Sterility, with research interests across gender, sexuality, family sociology, and social policy. 

Before commencing her DPhil, Iris was an Academic Tutor at the University of Hong Kong, tutoring undergraduate and postgraduate students in courses in gender and sexuality studies and social work practices. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature and an MPhil in Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. 

Alongside her fieldwork research in Beijing, Iris worked as a Research Assistant at UN Women, where she not only conducted research on gender-related issues and policies, but she also facilitated gender-related knowledge sharing events in collaboration with NGOs, corporations, and schools, etc. Iris aims to make the best use of knowledge and research to enhance diversity and inclusion in societies.