Karen J. L. Liao joined The Lab @ DC as a Research Assistant in July 2026. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy through the University of Chicago's Department of Computer Science and Harris School of Public Policy. Karen earned bachelor's degrees in Diplomacy and English from National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan.
Prior to graduate school, Karen served as a Project Manager at the Association for Foreign Relations, a Track II diplomacy organization in Taipei, and as Chief of Staff for a Europe-based technology startup. Earlier in her career, she conducted research on U.S.-China-Taiwan relations at the Institute for National Policy Research and completed internships with the American Institute in Taiwan and Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Her research interests include artificial intelligence governance, technology policy, organizational strategy, and data-driven decision-making. She is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.
In her free time, Karen enjoys hiking, cooking, dancing, and playing tennis and pickleball with friends and family.