Prof. LU Shiyu (盧施羽)

Dr. LU's academic goal is to improve healthy aging in society through various scientific approaches. As our rapidly aging society faces many challenges (e.g., a shortage of care workers and the financial substantiality of the long-term care system), Dr. LU is eager to explore the social determinants of health in later life and the community-based solutions to respond to those challenges. This is built on three interrelated lines of inquiry: (1) how environmental and social-behavioral factors shape well-being and physical and mental health in later life;  (2) community-based innovation (e.g., timebanking) to promote productive engagement of older persons; and (3) economic evaluation and impact assessment of the social innovations to promote healthy aging. She is the principal and co-investigator to external competitive research grants funded by the Research Grants Council and HK Jockey Club Charities Trust, totaling over HK$ 10 million. Dr. LU obtained Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong) from Research Grants Council in 2023. Dr. LU is actively engaged in knowledge exchange activities and works closely with nonprofit organizations in the Greater Bay Area and beyond. 

• Environmental gerontology
• Healthy Ageing
• Social Capital 
• Mental Health
• Social Impact Assessment 

Previous Experience

• 2019-2021  Research Assistant Professor, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong
• 2018-2019  Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong

External Competitive Grants

Principal Investigator

• 2023-2024. Principal Investigator. Social prescribing of virtual reality urban greenness with peer support model to promote mental health among aging population: an effectiveness and feasibility study (on going)(Approved on 28 Sep 2023), Funded by Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards - Research Grants Council. (HK$ 388,978)
• 2023-2025. Principal Investigator. Voluntary Work Design, Volunteer Engagement and Healthy Aging in Later Life: A Mixed Method Study (on going) (Approved on 30 June 2023), Funded by Research Grants Council Early Career Scheme  (HK$ 506,211)
•  2022-2026. Co-Principal Investigator. E2Power: Engagement and empowerment of communities through social capital development. Funded by the Research Grants Council Research Impact Fund. Award amount: HK$ 4,900,000. (Award year: 2020/2021; duration: 4 years; status: ongoing)
• 2021-2023. Principal Investigator. The effects of the Timebank Program on promoting voluntary participation among older adults. Funded by the Research Grants Council General Research Fund. Award amount: HK$944,672. (Award year: 2019/2020; duration: 26 months; status: completed)

Co-Investigator.

• 2023-2028. Co-Investigator. Urban Graduation Approach: Uplift Poor Households in Transitional Housing Out of Poverty (on going) (Approved on 9 August 2023). Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (HK$ 45,070,000). PI: Dr. Siu Ming CHAN
• 2023-2026. Co-Investigator. Apply Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in the development of community social capital through timebank strategy (on going) (Approved on 18 May 2023). Funded by Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (HK$ 4,132,000). PI: Prof. Terry LUM at HKU. 
• 2023-2026. Co-Investigator. Community Re-integration Project for People in Recovery of Severe Mental Illness. Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Award amount: HK$ 3,440,000. PI: Prof. Terry LUM at HKU.  (Award year: 2023; Status: ongoing). 
• 2023-2025. Co-Investigator. Understanding the dynamic nature of the healthy aging framework: A real-time assessment of person-environment interaction using smartphone application and ecological momentary assessment. Funded by the Research Grants Council General Research Fund. Award amount: HK$ 946,656. PI: Prof. Terry LUM at HKU. (Award year: 2021/2022; Status: ongoing)

Internal Grants

• Principal Investigator. Healthy Ageing and Volunteerability among Older Adults. Funded by CityU New Start-up Grant.  Award amount: HK$ 296,800 (Award year: 2022; Status: ongoing)

Administrative Assignment 

• 2022 - Now, College Board, Member.
• 2023 - Now, Associate Director/ MPhil/ PhD Education

Professional Services: Journal Reviewer

• The Gerontologist
• Journals of Gerontology Series B — Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
• Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences
• Aging & Mental Health
• Journal of Gerontological Social Work
• Journal of Aging and Environment

Community Services

• Founder and Chair, Nanhai Society for Social Work Scholars and Students, China (2015–present)
• Members, Social Value UK & Hong Kong Institute of Social Impact Analysts 

Postgraduate 

• SS5111 Social Welfare Policy System and Reform
• SS5302 Research Methods in Social Sciences
• SS8804 Enhancing Social Science Competence

Undergraduate 

• SS2709 Methods of Criminological Research