Prof. LU S.Y. Tracy
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Prof. LU S.Y. Tracy

Assistant Professor
Biography

Prof. 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), Prof. 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. Prof. LU obtained Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong) from Research Grants Council in 2023. Prof. LU is actively engaged in knowledge exchange activities and works closely with nonprofit organizations in the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

Selected Publications
  • Lu, S*. (Accepted). How time Exposure, role Engagement and task Essence (“3E”) of volunteering interact to associate with healthy aging: A cross-sectional mixed-method study in Hong Kong. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.
  • Lu, S*., Chui, C. H. K., Lum, T. Y. S. (2025). Timebanking promotes equitable volunteering in older adults without crowding-out effects: evidence from a quasi-experimental study in Hong Kong. The Gerontologist. DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnaf200
  • Lu, S., & Chan, W. K. (2024). Understanding Organizational Resilience of Care Homes for Older People During COVID-19 in China: A Qualitative Study with Post-Pandemic Policy Implications. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 36(6), 1432–1451. DOI: 10.1080/08959420.2024.2403828
  • Lu, S., Chui, C., & Lum, T. Y. S. (2024). Facilitating volunteer engagement among older adults in social services: A case study of an innovative timebank program in a Chinese society. The Gerontologist. 1-10. DOI: doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad010
  • Lu, S*., Chui, C. H. K., & Lum, T. Y. S. (2022). Promoting social capital for healthy aging: Towards an integrative framework. The Gerontologist. 63(4), 628–636, DOI: doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac062
Key Community Services
  • Consultant, Blessing Community, Hong Kong, May 2024 – present
  • Founder and Chair, Nanhai Society for Social Work Scholars and Students, China, 2015-present
Honours
  • Award Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Research Grants Council, September 2023