He received his PhD from the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida in 2015. His research interests center around understanding the causes of youth violence, identifying risk and protective factors, and promoting resilience among both perpetrators and victims. Gang-related and firearm violence are two areas of focus that lead to both serious physical harm (including death), and emotional and social-behavioral problems in young people. His research mainly follows two theoretical frameworks–one emphasizes development as a unifying concept and the other studies social ecology of crime and violence. With postdoctoral training in epidemiologic methodology, Dr. Dong integrates cutting-edge research designs and methods to solve criminological challenges.