Dr. Ji Lu

Education

• Ph.D. - Marketing, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University
  
• M.Econ - International Finance, Faculty of Economics, Beijing Normal University
• B.Econ - Trade and Economics, Business Administration School, China Renmin University

Teaching

• MGTA2002 Marketing
• MGTA2006 Advertising & Promotion
• MGTA3002 Consumer Behavior
  
• MGTA3011 Marketing Research

Research Interests

Rooted in marketing theory and consumer psychology, my research takes a cross-disciplinary approach to understand the psychological mechanism of human eating behavior and to explore effective strategies for healthy food promotion. Specifically, three intertwined streams of my research have contributed to the field of marketing, nutrition and related analytical methodology.

• My first stream of research advances food decision-making theories by investigating the dynamics of external (e.g. social and family environment) and internal factors (e.g., psychosocial characteristics and emotions) that influence individual dietary pattern.
• As modeling the dynamics of eating behavior is methodologically challenging, my second stream of research pushes forward cutting-edge computational methodologies for the quantitative analyses of complex social phenomenon.
• Implementing my theory and methodology contributions into marketing practices, the third stream of my research studies consumers’ preference of healthy/unhealthy food with a focus on the interaction between emotions, intuitive beliefs, and marketing cues.

External Research Grant

Principle Investigator of a Research and Development Grant of Divert NS (2021): Understanding Consumer Profile and Waste Reduction Behaviors in Nova Scotia.

Chinese Social Science Research Grant – Key Project Category (2019-2021): A study of Chinese innovation governance in the national pilot projects of innovation cities.

Partnership Development Grant (2016-2021): FLEDGE - Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged.

Co-applicant of a 5-year SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (2015): FLEDGE - Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged. $1,576,000 (include in-kind); 35 co-applicant and collaborators.

Co-applicant of a 3-year SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (2013): A Convergent Innovation Coalition for Sustainable Prosperity: Development Work for Agri-Food Systems. $197,000; 11 co-applicants.

Co-applicant of a 5-year SSHRC Insight Grant (2013): Paths of convergence for agriculture, health and wealth: Foundational work for a Trans-disciplinary whole-of-society paradigm in food and nutrition context. $354,517; 8 co-applicants.

Publications

Book Chapter

Lu, J., Faber, A. & Dubé, L. (2013) An evidence-based approach to the nutritional quality of home meals: Exploring emotional reinforcement and attachment style as underlying mechanisms. Diet Quality: An Evidence-Based Approach, eds. Preedy, V., Springer Science+Business Media.

Refereed Publications

Zhang, W., Lu, J., Song, B., & Lian, H. (2021). Experimentalist governance in China: The National Innovation System, 2003–2018. Journal of Chinese Governance, 1-26.

Lu, J., Chen, M., Zhang, W., & Zheng, Y. (2020). Food traceability system awareness and agricultural operation: A Study of tea farms in Fujian, China. Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture and Society, 8(3).

Xiong, S., Sun, H., Lu, J., Yao, Q., & Zhang, Q. (2020). Eating behavior from the perspective of embodied cognition: Based on the mental simulation approach. Advances in Psychological Science, 28(3), 486.

Zhang, W., Lu, J., Guan, X., Zhou, X. (2019) The Effect of Career Adaptability on Career Planning in Reaction to Automation Technology, Career Development International.

Zhang, W., Lu, J., Dubé, L. (2016) Convergence Innovation and China Innovation Driven Development, Management World.

Dubé, L., Fatemi, H., Lu, J., & Hertzer, C. (2016). The Healthier the Tastier? USA–India Comparison Studies on Consumer Perception of a Nutritious Agricultural Product at Different Food Processing Levels. Frontiers in public health, 4.

Huang, L. & Lu, J., (2016) The Impact of Package Colors on the Perception of Food Healthiness and Purchase Intention. Journal of Food Products Marketing. 22(2), 191-218.

Vainik, U., Dubé, L., Lu, J., & Fellows, L. K. (2015). Personality and situation predictors of consistent eating patterns. PloS one, 10(12), e0144134.

Lu, J., Xiong, S., Arora, N., & Dubé, L. (2015) Using food as reinforcer to shape children's non-food behavior: The adverse nutritional effect doubly moderated by reward sensitivity and gender. Eating Behaviors, 19(December), page 94-97.

Huang, L., & Lu, J. (2015). Eat with your eyes: package color influences the expectation of food taste and healthiness moderated by external eating. Marketing management journal, 25(September), page 71-87.

Lu, J., Pan, J., Zhang, Q., Dubé, L., & Ip, E. (2015) Reciprocal Markov modeling of feedback mechanisms between emotion and dietary choice using experience sampling data. Multivariate Behavioral Research. 50(6), 584-599.

Lu, J., (2015) The effect of perceived carrier-ingredient fit on purchase intention of functional food moderated by nutritional knowledge and health claim. British Food Journal. 117(6), 1872-1885.

Lu, J., Faber, A. & Dubé, L. (2013) An evidence-based approach to the nutritional quality of home meals: Exploring emotional reinforcement and attachment style as underlying mechanisms. Diet Quality: An Evidence-Based Approach, eds. Preedy, V., Springer Science+Business Media.

Lu, J., Huet, C. & Dubé, L., (2011) Emotional reinforcement as a protective factor for healthy eating in home settings. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 94(1), 254-261.

Loiselle, C. G., Edgar, L., Batist, G., Lu, J., & Lauzier, S. (2010) The Impact of a Multimedia Informational Intervention on Psychosocial Adjustment among Individuals with Newly Diagnosed Breast or Prostate Cancer: A Feasibility Study. Patient Education and Counseling. 80 (2010) 48–55.

LeBel, J., Lu, J., & Dubé, L. (2008) Weakened Biological Signals: Highly-Developed Eating Schemas Amongst Women Are Associated with Maladaptive Patterns of Comfort Food Consumption. Physiology and Behavior. 94(3), 384-392.

Dubé, L., LeBel, J., & Lu, J. (2005). Affect Asymmetry and Comfort Food Consumption. Physiology and Behavior, 86(4), 559-567.

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