MEET THE TEAM

Mengshi Li

Research Affiliate, Global and Women's Health

Ms Mengshi Li won a prestigious scholarship funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to attend Monash University as a visiting PhD scholar from Peking University. She is investigating the effects of grandparent care on children’s psychological well-being using longitudinal data as well as forming intervention strategies.

With a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Public Health from Peking University, Mengshi began her PhD studies in 2022. Her research focuses on child development and nurturing care, particularly for disadvantaged populations.

From 2020 to 2022, she contributed to a study evaluating the "Rural Left-behind Children Health and Development Improvement Program," which sought to identify effective care models for children under six in rural China. Through mixed-methods analysis, Mengshi found that the intervention significantly improved participants' cognitive and emotional development.

"It’s deeply concerning when children lack adequate nurturing care and cannot reach their full potential," she reflects. "My work explores how disadvantaged children can thrive and how families and communities can better support them."

"Disparities in early childhood development persist across regions and socioeconomic backgrounds. Since parents play a pivotal role in nurturing care, parenting support must be central to early childhood programs. Joining the Global and Women’s Health unit has broadened my international perspective, allowing me to gain insights into the development and progress of early childhood programs worldwide," she says.