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E: lun_li_2@sfu.ca
Office: Harbour Centre, Room 2800
Lun Li
Assistant Professor | Department of Gerontology
Dr. Lun Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gerontology at 51猎奇入口. As a critical social gerontologist, Dr. Li advocates for disadvantaged groups and promotes equity in the health and well-being of the aging population through scholarly activities and community collaboration. Dr. Li鈥檚 work includes the topics of health and social wellbeing of family caregivers to older adults; the intersectionality of caregiving, aging and employment; immigration, life course and healthy aging; social isolation, loneliness and resilience; community-based anti-racism work, as well as gerontological social work education.
Dr. Li received international education and multi-disciplinary trainings. Dr. Li earned his PhD in Social Work from the University of Calgary, Canada, and received his Bachelor of Social Work and Master in Sociology from Fudan University, China. Before joining the Department of Gerontology, Dr. Li worked as a sessional instructor in the University of Calgary, completed postdoctoral training in the Gerontology Research Centre at SFU, and worked as an Assistant Professor at the MacEwan University for four years.
Education
- PhD (Social Work), University of Calgary
- Master (Sociology), Fudan University
- Bachelor (Social Work), Fudan University
Research
Family caregiving; life course and multiple roles; social isolation and loneliness; healthy aging of older immigrants; social resilience of older immigrants; aging and healthy behaviors; anti-racism initiative; community-based method and longitudinal analysis
Current/Selected Grants
Contract/Grant: Grant Awarded: 2025 Period: 2025-2028
Project Title: Social resilience among racialized older immigrants in Edmonton and Calgary: A stakeholder engagement project
Funding: SSHRC Insight Development Grant Type: Research Grant Total: $69,584 CAD
Involvement: Principal Investigator; Dr. Christine Walsh (University of Calgary), Co-I.
Contract/Grant: Grant Awarded: 2025 Period: 2025
Project Title: All-together Against Racism: Empowering Newcomer Communities through Pamphlet Development
Funding: City of Edmonton 鈥� Anti-Racism Grant Type: Community Development Grant Total: $20,295 CAD
Involvement: Principal Investigator
Contract/Grant: Grant Awarded: 2024 Period: 2024-2025
Project Title: The health trajectory of older immigrants: Inter- and intra-group analyses based on the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Funding: CIHR Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data Type: Research Grant Total: $63,308 CAD
Involvement: Principal Investigator; Dr. Andrew Wister, Co-I; Dr. Yeonjung Lee (University of Calgary), Co-I; Dr. Yinfei Duan (University of Alberta), Co-I.
Contract/Grant: Grant Awarded: 2021 Period: 2021-2024
Project Title: A longitudinal analysis of social isolation among family caregivers in Canada
Funding: SSHRC Insight Development Grant Type: Research Grant Total: $58,244 CAD
Involvement: Principal Investigator; Dr. Andrew Wister, Co-I; Dr. Yeonjung Lee (University of Calgary), Co-I.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Kim, B., Wister, A., Mitchell, B., Li, L., & Kadowaki, L. (2026). Exploring the challenges and opportunities of navigating community and healthcare systems among informal caregivers of older adults: Towards communication-oriented care. Geriatric Nursing, 68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.103784
- O鈥橠ea, E., Wister, A., Mitchell, B., Canham, S., & Li, L. (2025). Generativity over the life course: A study of ethnoculturally diverse older adult volunteers. Journal of Adult Development. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-025-09540-y
- Hung, L., Wong, J., Ren, H., Zhao, Y., Fu, J., Mann, J., & Li, L. (2025). The impact of telepresence robots on family caregivers and residents in long-term care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(5), 713, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050713
- Li, L., & Deng, Q. (2024). Loneliness and cannabis use among older adults: Findings from a Canada national survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health, 24 (2983), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20499-5
- Kim, B., Wister, A., Mitchell, B., Li, L., & Kadowaki, L. (2024). Healthcare system navigation difficulties among informal caregivers of older adults: A logistic regression analysis of social capital, caregiving support and utilization factors. BMC Health Services. 24, 1159. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11549-0
- Wister, A., Li, L., Ferris, J., Kim, B., Klasa, K., & Linkov, I. (2024). Resilience among older adults with multimorbidity using the Connor-Davidson Scale in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: Health behaviour, socio-economic, and social support predictors. BMC Public Health, 24, 2567. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19992-8
- Deng, Q., & Li, L. (2024). The effect size and nonlinearity of the relationship between cannabis consumption and consumer self-perceived mental health: A study based on eight national surveys in Canada. Journal of Consumer Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12602
- Li, L., & Lee, Y. (2024). A thematic analysis of social work students鈥� assignments of reflection on interviews with older adults. Journal of Education Gerontology, https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2024.2379628
- O'Dea, E., Wister, A., Li, L., Canham, S., & Mitchell, B. (2024). Volunteering among culturally diverse older adults before and during the-COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal analyses of the CLSA. Canadian Journal on Aging. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980824000229
- Kim, B., Wister, A., Mitchell, B., Li, L., Kadowaki, L., & O鈥橠ea, E. (2023). The roles and experiences of informal caregivers of older adults in community and health care system navigation: A scoping review. BMJ Open. 13: e077641. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077641
- Li, L., Wister, A., Lee, Y., & Mitchell, B. (2023). Transition into the caregiver role among older adults: A study of social participation and social support based on the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Journals of Gerontology, Series B Social Sciences, 78 (8), 1423-1434. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad075
- Wister, A., Li, L., Levasseur, M., Kadowaki, L., & Pickering, J. (2022). The effects of loneliness on depressive symptoms among older adults during COVID-19: Longitudinal analyses of the CLSA. Journal of Aging and Health, 35(5-6):439-452. https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643221129686
- Wister, A., Li, L., Whitmore, C., Ferris, J., Klasa, K., & Linkov, I. (2022). Multimorbidity Resilience and Health Behaviours Among Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.896312
- Li, L., Wister, A., & Mitchell, B. (2022). Examination of the Healthy Caregiver Effect among older adults: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Gerontology (Karger), 69(3), 289-300. https://doi.org/10.1159/000526251
- Wister, A., Li, L., Best, J., Cosco, T., & Kim, B. (2022) Multimorbidity, COVID-19 and mental health: Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) longitudinal analyses. Clinical Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2022.2094742
- Wister, A., Li, L., Mitchell, B., et al. (2022). Levels of depression and anxiety among informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study based on the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Social Sciences, gbac035, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac035
- Li, L., Lee, Y., & Lai, D. (2022). Mental health of employed family caregivers: A gender-based analysis on the role of workplace support. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150221077948
- Wister, A., Li, L., Cosco, T. et al. (2022). Multimorbidity resilience and COVID-19 pandemic self-reported impact and worry among older adults: A study based on the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. BMC Geriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-02769-2
- Lee, Y & Li, L. (2021). Evaluating the positive experience of caregiving: A systematic review of the Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab092
- Wister, A., Li, L. & Mitchell, B. (2021). A study of social isolation, multimorbidity, and multiple role demands among middle-age adults based on the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150211040451
- Shankar, J., Li, L., & Tan, S. (2021). Work experiences of people with mental illness in a supported employment program. Sage Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211033558
- Li, L. & Wister, A. (2021). Geographic distance and social isolation among family caregivers providing care to older adults in Canada. Ageing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X2100060X
- Li, L., Wister, A., & Mitchell, B. (2020). Social isolation among spousal and adult-child caregivers: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Social Sciences, 76(7), 1415-1429.
- Li, L. & Lee, Y. (2020). Caregiving choice and caregiver-receiver relation: Effects on psychological wellbeing of family caregivers in Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging, 39(4), 634-646.
- Li, L. & Lee, Y. (2019). Employment adjustment and mental health of employed family caregivers in Canada. Aging and Mental Health, 24(12), 2073-2081.