Leyao Tan

Leyao (Lia) Tan

Ph.D. student in Quantitative MarketingSauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

Hi! I am Leyao (Lia).

My research uses probabilistic machine learning (PML) and representational methods to help address the platform-governance and sustainability challenges in the age of AI.

My recent work focuses on how Bayesian nonparametric Gaussian process methods can enable causal inference when no control group is available; how graph neural networks can identify fake reviews on online shopping platforms; and how large language models can measure firms’ climate concerns from earnings-call text. You can read more about my research here.

I am fortunate to be advised by Dr. Yi Qian and Dr. Shin Oblander.

I was selected as a UBC Li Tze Fong Scholar in 2026, and my research has received multiple competitive research grants and has been accepted for presentation at major academic conferences.

I also hold a Master of Science from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and a bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China (RUC).

Research Interests

Substantive Interests

  • Digital platforms
  • Platform governance
  • WOM
  • Consumer choice
  • Climate risk
  • Sustainability

Methodological Interests

  • Bayesian probabilistic modeling
  • Representation learning
  • Machine learning
  • Graph learning
  • Large language models

Research

Working Paper

Measuring Corporate Risk Using Large Language Model Embeddings: Evidence on Corporate Climate Risk and Supply Chain Restructuring

Leyao Tan*, Jiong Sun, Cyndia Wang, and Yi Qian

SSRN working paper
Presented at 7 conferences and seminars
  • 2025 ISMS Marketing Science Conference
  • 2026 UBC MBS PhD WIP Seminar
  • 36th Annual POMS Conference
  • AIMOR @ Banff 2026 Workshop
  • 2026 ISMS Marketing Science Conference
  • BizAI Conference
  • AAA Global Connect 2026

Selected Research in Progress

A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach to Inferring Event Effects Using Cohorted Data

Shin Oblander* and Leyao Tan*

Presented at 4 conferences and seminars
  • 2025 Annual UBC/UW Marketing Conference
  • 2026 Marketing Dynamics Conference
  • 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings
  • 2026 ISMS Marketing Science Conference

Selected Research in Progress

Detecting Coordinated Manipulation on Digital Platforms: A Community-Aware Active Graph Learning Approach

Leyao Tan*, Jianwei Wang, Kaixin Liu, Kai Wang, and Shuo Zhang

Presented at 3 conferences and seminars
  • 2025 ISMS Marketing Science Conference
  • 2025 Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Business Analytics at Columbia University
  • 2026 ISMS Marketing Science Conference

* First or co-first author.

Conference & Workshop Presentations

  1. ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Nova School of Business and Economics, Carcavelos, Portugal

    • Measuring Corporate Risk Using Large Language Model Embeddings
    • Detecting Coordinated Manipulation on Digital Platforms

  2. Marketing Dynamics Conference, ESSEC Business School, Paris, France

    • A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach to Inferring Event Effects Using Cohorted Data

  3. AIMOR @ Banff Workshop, Banff, Alberta, Canada

    • Measuring Corporate Risk Using Large Language Model Embeddings

  4. Annual POMS Conference, Reno, NV, USA

    • Measuring Corporate Risk Using Large Language Model Embeddings

  5. UBC MBS PhD Work-in-Progress Research Seminar Series, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    • Measuring Corporate Risk Using Large Language Model Embeddings

  6. 2025 Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Business Analytics, Columbia Business School, New York, NY, USA

    • Detecting Coordinated Manipulation on Digital Platforms

  7. ISMS Marketing Science Conference, University of Georgia, Washington, DC, USA

    • Measuring Corporate Risk Using Large Language Model Embeddings
    • Detecting Coordinated Manipulation on Digital Platforms

  8. Annual UBC/UW Marketing Conference, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    • A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach to Inferring Event Effects Using Cohorted Data

Awards & Honors

  • Li Tze Fong Memorial Fellowship, $40,000, UBC

    2026

  • Dean Earle D MacPhee Memorial Fellowship in Commerce and Business Administration, UBC

    2023, 2025

  • Sales and Marketing Executives International Charles Weinberg Research Award, UBC

    2023, 2025

  • Sauder Graduate Award, UBC

    2023, 2025

  • Climate Action Grant, $10,000, UBC Sauder’s Centre for Climate and Business Solutions

    2025

  • Business for Social Good Research Grant, UBC

    2024

  • C K Choi Fellowship in Business Administration, UBC

    2023

  • Academic Excellence Scholarship, SJTU

    First Class (top 10%).

    2021, 2022

  • China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) Scholarship, SJTU

    First Class (top 5%).

    2021, 2022

  • Beijing Municipal Outstanding Graduate, RUC

    Beijing’s highest honor for graduating undergraduates.

    2020

  • National Scholarship, Ministry of Education of China, RUC

    Highly competitive national award (top 5%).

    2018, 2019

  • Second Prize, National High School Mathematics League

    National Competition, Hunan Division

    2014

Teaching

Instructor

  • COMM 365 203: Market Research (assigned)

    UBC, Undergraduate

    2026–27

Teaching Assistantships

  • BAMA 508: Marketing Research

    UBC, Master’s level

    Dr. Yi Qian2024, 2025
    Dr. Cluny South2024, 2025
    2026

  • COMM 365: Market Research

    UBC, Undergraduate

    Dr. Eddie Ning2025
    2026

  • BAIT 617: Data Visualization

    UBC, Master’s level

    Dr. Chunhua Wu2025

  • BAMA 517: Data Driven Marketing

    UBC, Master’s level

    Dr. Eddie Ning2025

  • Econometrics

    SJTU, Undergraduate

    Dr. Wenjian Xu2022

  • Marketing Engineering and Modeling

    SJTU, Undergraduate

    Dr. Shuo Zhang2021