Xiang Ao

Xiang is a research assistant and geospatial data scientist at the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, where he contributes to the Mapineq project – an initiative aimed at investigating drivers of inequalities across multiple spatial scales and time periods. In this capacity, he undertakes systematic data source reviews, populates a geospatial database, conducts geospatial analyses, alongside contributing to data dashboard programming pipeline, code, documentation, and online supporting texts.

He is currently pursuing a DPhil in economic geography and transport geography at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. His DPhil project focuses on the evolution of inter-city migration patterns in China’s urban system and their implications for industrial development and economic growth. His broader research interests include migration patterns, spatial distribution of service and other industries, and urban climate. Prior to that, he earned his bachelor's and master’s degree at Tongji University in Shanghai.

He is also the local chair of City+2025@Oxford, an international conference on interdisciplinary urban studies to be held in September 2025 in Oxford. The conference revolves around the important role of urban data analytics in addressing an interconnected web of multiple crises – also known as ‘Polycrisis’ – spanning housing, austerity and fiscal policy, climate change, demographical shifts, and geopolitical tensions. He looks forward to welcoming participants from diverse fields as the host of the opening panel discussion and instructor of a data analytics workshop.