Xiaohui Hou is a Senior Economist in the World Bank, with more than 20 years of experiences working on development issues. She has led World Bank lending operations, country health program development and analytical reports. She is passionate about health financing, service delivery, and overall health system strengthening as she circled back to health after a few years of services in the poverty and social protection global practices. She has worked in East Europe, South Asia, Africa and East Asia and Pacific region. She has published books, book chapters and journal papers in both economic and health peer reviewed journals. She also taught as a visiting scholar in several universities. Xiaohui holds a Doctorate degree in the Health Services and Policy Analysis and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Beijing University.