Professor Lou is a Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong, serving as the Director of the Sau Po Centre on Ageing and the Master of Social Sciences (Gerontology) program. Her research interests focus on family gerontology, in particular family caregiving for dementia, stroke, end-of-life older adults, and social adaptation and mental health of Chinese older adults and family caregivers. She is now teaching social gerontology, comprehensive geriatric assessments, and human development for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
She has committed to cross-sector collaboration with community partners, social enterprises, and the market. Prof. Lou has been appointed as a member of Statistics Advisory Board, Community Investment and Inclusion Fund, Senior Police Call Central Advisory Board, and Elderly Academy Development Foundation of the HKSAR Government. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, and a Council member of Hong Kong Association of Gerontology and Consortium of Institutes of Family Limited (CIFA). Professor Lou is recognized as Smart Ageing Gold Award – Social & Community Engagement, Golden Age Foundation (2021); Senior Fellowship of Advance HE (2022); Healthy Ageing 50 leaders transforming the world to be a better place in which to grow older in 2022; Woman Change Maker in STEM in 2023; and Smart Ageing Champion (Academic) of the Smart Ageing Leader Award 2024.
| Project Title | PI/Co-I | Funding Source & Amount | Period / Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambivalence in Decision Making for Independent Outdoor Mobility among Adult Child Carers of People with Dementia: A Biopsychosocial Model | PI | General Research Fund (GRF) HK$1,729,226.
|
Jan 2025 – Dec 2026 |
| In-home Respite Support Programme | PI | The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust HK$23,830,000. |
Apr 2024 – Sep 2027 |
| Trust Initiated Project: District-based Caregiver Support Units Project Updated Name: Jockey Club Carer Space Project |
PI |
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust HK$27,040,000 (updated) |
Mar 2023 – Feb 2026 |
| Achieving Successful Caregiving through Social Media Engagement | PI | General Research Fund (GRF) HK$1,147,015. |
Jan 2024 – Dec 2025 |
| Who Cares for Sandwiched Ageing Carers? Effects of Intergenerational Care Provision on Future Care Planning | Co-I (PI: Dr. X. Bai, Department of Applied Social Sciences) |
General Research Fund (GRF) HK$1,439,022 |
Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 |
| Distance Caregiving: Intercultural Perspectives on Future Home Care | PI (HK) | Germany Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme HK$184,500 |
Jan 2023 – Dec 2024 |
| Effects of a decision support intervention on end-of-life care planning in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their family members: A mixed method approach | Co-I (PI: Prof. Y. L. Chan, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) |
General Research Fund (GRF) HK$918,997 |
Jan 2023 – Dec 2024 |
| Development and Applications of Daily-use Fall Risk Assessment Device to Prevent Elderly People from Falling | Co-PI (PI: Prof. N. Xi, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing System Engineering, The University of Hong Kong) |
Innovation and Technology Fund for Better Living (ITF) HK$2,873,330 |
Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Opening the black box of a multicomponent intervention for informal dementia caregivers: A randomized controlled trial using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) |
Co-I (PI: Prof. K. L. Chou, Department of Asian and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong) |
Health and Medical Research Fund (Ref. no. 18191781) HK$1,470,200 |
Dec 1 2021 – Nov 30 2023 Completed |
| Wearable closed-loop neural control ‘Remind-to-move’ treatment for hemiparetic upper extremity in people with hemiplegia after stroke |
Co-PI (PI: Prof. K. Fong, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) |
Research Impact Fund (Ref. no. R5028-20) HK$9,190,000 (Allocated to VW Lou: HK$400,000) |
May 2021 – Apr 2025 Ongoing |
| Hospital discharge support and transitional care project for older people | PI |
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust HK$6,060,000 |
Apr 2021 – Sep 2024 Ongoing |
| Evaluation of JC-Carer Alliance Project | PI |
Hong Kong Association of Gerontology HK$16,000,000 (Allocated to VW Lou: HK$600,000) |
Feb 2021 – Jan 2023 Completed |
| An exploratory study on the institutionalization of a case management model for community care services in Hong Kong |
Co-I (PI: Dr. W. S. Kan, Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences, Caritas Institute of Higher Education) |
University Grants Committee Faculty Development Scheme (Ref. no. UGC/FDS11/H06/20) HK$387,420 |
Jan 2021 – Dec 2022 Completed |
| Intelligent Robotics for Elderly Assistance in Hong Kong |
Co-PI (PI: Prof. W. P. Wang, Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong) |
Theme-based Research Scheme (Ref. no. T42-717/20-R) HK$43,333,000 (Allocated to VW Lou: HK$3,600,000) |
Nov 2020 – Oct 2025 Ongoing |
| Ecological momentary intervention for stroke caregivers’ psychological support: a andomized controlled trial |
Co-I (PI: Dr. J. J. Lee, School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong) |
Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (GRF) (Ref. no. 17617620) HK$734,456 |
Jan 2020 – Jul 2021 Completed |
| When Both Spouses Have Functional Decline: Spousal Collaboration Dynamics in Mastering Daily Stressors Using Ecological Momentary Assessment | PI |
Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (GRF) (Ref. no. 17605119) HK$1,163,688 |
Jan 1 2020 – Jun 30 2022 Completed |
| PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION / MEMBERSHIP | |
|---|---|
| 2024 – date | Senior Consultant for Elderly Care Services, Xinyi Social Work Service Center, Doumen, Zhuhai |
| 2022 – date | Fellow, The Healthy Ageing 50 |
| 2022 – date | Member, Advisory Committee for the School of Social Sciences of Caritas Institute of Higher Education (CIHE) |
| 2022 – date | date Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) |
| 2018 – date | Member, British Society of Gerontology |
| 2016 – date | Associate Fellow, interRAI (A collaborative network of reserchers and practitioners in over 35 countries committed to improving care for persons who are disabled and/or medically complex) |
| 2015 – date | Fellow, The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) |
| 2013 – date | Council Member, Hong Kong Association of Gerontology |
| HONORARY ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS (2015-date) | |
| 2024 – date | Associate Director, HKU Research Hub of Population Studies (‘Hub’) in the Faculty of Social Sciences (2024 Mar 8 to 2026 Mar 7), The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong, P.R.C. |
| 2024 – date | Chairperson, Thesis Examining Committee (TEC) for LI Suk Man’s Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree examination, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong, P.R.C. |
| 2024 – date | External Audit, SUSS’s Minor in Applied Ageing Studies in 2024, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore |
| 2023 – date | Senior Fellow, Centre on Contemporary China and the World, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R.C. |
| 2021 – date | Adjunct Professor, International School of Social Work, East China University of Science and Technology, P.R.C. |
| 2020 – date | Expert Panel, Institute on Ageing Research, China National Committee on Ageing, ECNU, P.R.C. |
| HONORS & AWARDS | |
| 2024 | AHFE 2024 Best Paper Award, 15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2024), Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France |
| 2024 | Smart Ageing Champion (Academic) of the Smart Ageing Leader Award 2024, 9th Golden Age Expo & Summit (9th GAES), Golden Age Foundation (GAF), Hong Kong, P.R.C |
| 2024 | Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award 2024 (Faculty of Social Sciences), HKU (Team member of project awarded “JC JoyAge – Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness”) |
| 2023 | Outstanding paper, 30th Annual Congress of Gerontology, Hong Kong Association of Gerontology (HKAG), Hong Kong, P.R.C |
| 2023 | Jockey Club Empowerment-based Transitional Care Project – Platform, Smart Ageing Bronze Award – Elderly Care, Golden Age Foundation, Hong Kong, P.R.C. |
| 2023 | Outstanding Paper, Emerald Literati Awards 2023 |
| 2023 | 19th Women of Influence – Woman Change Maker in STEM Award |
| 2022 | The Healthy Ageing 50 Leaders, the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, Switzerland |
| 2022 | Senior Fellowship of Advance HE, U.K. |
| Government Committee Member | |
|---|---|
| 2024 – present | Member, Medical and Support Services (MSS) Sub-Committee, Council for the AIDS Trust Fund |
| 2024 – present | Investor and Financial Education Council Advisory Group – Financial Education for Retirees |
| 2020 – present | Senior Police Force Central Advisory Board |
| 2020 – present | Elderly Academy Development Foundation |
| 2019 – present | Community Investment and Inclusion Fund |
| Editorial Board Membership | |
| 2021 – date |
Educational Gerontology Editorial board member |
| 2020 – date |
Asian Journal of Gerontology & Geriatrics Chief Editor |
| 2019 – date |
Aging & Mental Health Associate Editor |
| 2019 – date | Research on Aging Editorial board member |
| 2019 – date |
Journal of Gerontological Social Work Editorial board member |
| Community Service | |
| 2024 – date | Working Group Member, Establishing Caregiving Friendly Policies, Living, Learning and Earning Longer Initiative |
| 2024 – date | World Health Organization, Anti-ageism panel member |
| 2023 – date | World Health Organization, Decades of Healthy Ageing, Life Course Framework Panel Member |
| 2024 – date | Honorary Advisor, The Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong |
| 2022 – date | Committee Member, Human Resources Committee, Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) |
| 2023 – date | Director, Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) |
| 2023 – date | Social Service Advisor, Pok Oi Hospital |
| 2023 – date | Honorary Advisor of Service Management Committee, Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Limited |
| 2021 – date | Council Member, Consortium of Institutes on Family in the Asian Region (CIFA) |
| 2020 – date | Consultant, Social Service Division, Caritas Hong Kong |
| 2020 – date | Senior Police Force Central Advisory Board |
| 2019 – date | Elderly Academy Development Foundation |
| 2019 – date | Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) |
| 2018 – date | Convenor, Ageing Among Asian, GSA Interest Group |
