About Me

Hi, I’m Yifan!

I’m a postdoc with the EconCS group at Microsoft Research, New England, where my mentor is Brendan Lucier. I obtained my PhD from Northwestern University, where I was advised by Prof. Jason Hartline. I received my B.S. in Computer Science from Turing Class at Peking University in 2020, where I was advised by Prof. Yuqing Kong. In the academic year of 2023-2024, I was a visiting student researcher at Stanford University, hosted by Prof. Vasilis Syrgkanis.

I have a broad interest in the intersections between theoretical computer science, AI, economics, and operations research. My research develops theoretical foundations for trustworthy AI in decision-making under uncertainty.

I was selected as a runner-up for the 2025 ACM SIGecom Doctoral Dissertation Award and received a Best Paper Award at FORC 2025. I was also selected as a 2026 Rising Star in Data Science and Theoretical Computer Science.

More about My Research

I ask how information from AI should be generated, evaluated, and used. Drawing on game theory and statistical decision theory, I model data providers and predictive models as strategic information sources, and downstream decision processes as rational decision-makers. This perspective connects the incentives that shape information with its value for decisions.

In my research, two central questions are how AI can reliably support downstream decisions, and how incentives can improve the quality of information used in these decisions. My theoretical work is complemented by empirical studies that evaluate these ideas in practice and motivate new questions.