Dr. Li Cai
Li Cai is an Professor in the Advanced Quantitative Methodology program in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, where he also serves as Co-Director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). Additionally, he is affliated with the UCLA Department of Psychology in the quantitative area. Broadly speaking, his methodological research agenda involves the development, integration, and evaluation of innovative latent variable models that have wide-ranging applications in educational, psychological, and health-related domains of study. A key component on this agenda is statistical computing, particularly as related to item response theory (IRT) and multilevel modeling. He has developed or co-developed new IRT software programs such as IRTPRO and flexMIRT®. Cai has also collaborated with substantive researchers at UCLA and elsewhere on projects examining measurement issues in mental health, substance abuse treatment, and patient-reported outcomes research.