Prof. LU Peiyi
Prof. LU Peiyi

Assistant Professor
Biography

Prof. Lu is a gerontologist with expertise in social work, public health, and statistics. Her research interests broadly include gerontological social work, health disparity, social welfare policy related to aging, and quantitative methodology. She specializes in investigating the socioeconomic and cultural determinants of health in later life using cross-national and longitudinal survey data. She also has extensive experience in utilizing causal inference analysis to evaluate social welfare policies (e.g., elder abuse, anti-poverty, food insecurity) in China and the United States, with an ultimate goal of advancing social justice and health equity through policy advocacy. Her current research explores the intersection of housing and health in Hong Kong and beyond.

Prof. Lu has a MSW from Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan. She completed her PhD in Gerontology and MS in Statistics in 2021 from Iowa State University, USA. Before joining HKU, she was a postdoctoral fellow in social epidemiology at Columbia University, USA.

Selected Publications
  • Lu, P., Kong, D., Shelley, M. & Li, C. (2024). Health effect of elderly family planning subsidy on older Chinese with only one child. Journal of Aging and Social Policy.1-19. DOI: 10.1080/08959420.2024.2422659
  • Lu, P., Chandola, T., & Lou, V. (2025). Housing conditions change and its association with lung function, mobility limitations, and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese. Research on Aging. 1-11. DOI: 10.1177/01640275251388875
  • Lu, P., Kong, D., & Lou, V. (2025). Childhood housing condition and old age health among Chinese: the mediation role of adulthood socioeconomic and medical history. Journal of Applied Gerontology. 44(9), 1543-1553. DOI: 10.1177/07334648241309733
  • Lu, P., Liu, F., Chang, A., & Lou, V. (2025). Who used in-home respite care and was it effective? A systematic review on the influencing factors and program effect of in-home respite care. Geriatric Nursing. 64, 103428. DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.103428
  • Lu, P., Kezios, K., Lee, J., Calonico, C., Wimer, C., & Zeki Al Hazzouri, A. (2023). Association between Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program use and memory decline: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. Neurology. 100(6), e595-e602. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201499
Honours
  • Zaffarano Prize (Honorable Mention), Graduate College, Iowa State University, 2022
  • Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, China Scholarship Council, 2020
  • Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) Graduate Student Paper Award, Gerontological Society of America conference, 2019
  • Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Student Research Award – Pre-Dissertation, Gerontological Society of America conference, 2018
  • Presidential Scholar Award, Iowa State University, 2017-2019