Welcome to Half Time Scholars, the podcast series that features the interesting work of independent and emerging researchers, who share their research, interests, and experiences. In this episode, we are joined by Li Xie-Carson, a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland Business School in Australia. Li's current research focuses on non-human influencer, virtual influencer, and influencer marketing in tourism. With over eight years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, Li brings a unique perspective to her research.

During her PhD, Li has been actively engaged in research, receiving numerous awards, including the Best Graduate 3-Minute Thesis Award at TTRA 2021 and the Best Poster Award at CAUTHE 2023. She is also open to research and teaching opportunities within and across disciplines when she graduates.

In this episode, Li will discuss her research on non-human influencers and virtual influencers, the challenges and opportunities of influencer marketing in the tourism industry, and her experience in both industry and academia.