An applied microeconomist, her primary research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of applied microeconomics, health and labor economics. Her research centers on explaining socioeconomic disparities, understanding preference formation, identifying optimal economic behaviors for individuals and society, and understanding how policy can help achieve these ends.
After working as a research specialist at Princeton University, Industrial Relations Section, she started a Ph.D. program at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in 2011. She also interned at the U.N. Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
Gu has a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in economics from UCLA.