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We are pleased to welcome Lun Li to the Department of Gerontology as our newest assistant professor.

With expertise in family caregiving and gerontological social work and a passion for advocating for disadvantaged groups and promoting equity in the health and well-being of the aging population through his research and community collaboration, Li brings a fresh perspective and valuable experience to our department. In this Q&A, Li shares more about his background, research, and what he is looking forward to in this new role.

Can you tell me about yourself and your background?

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gerontology. I have been living in Canada since 2012 and have lived in Alberta, PEI, and BC. I first came to Canada for my PhD in Social Work from the University of Calgary in 2019. Before that, I obtained my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master’s degree in Social Work from Fudan University in China. In addition, through my three-year postdoctoral training (2019-2022) at the 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚGloria Gutman Gerontology Research Centre, I further integrated my research programs on family caregiving and aging immigrants from both gerontological and social work perspectives.

Throughout my post-secondary education in social work, my thesis topics have consistently focused on aging-related issues, including nursing home residents, community senior centres, and family caregiving for older adults. Twenty years ago, when I had to choose my first practicum placement for my BSW program, I chose a nursing home because I had always had a close relationship with my grandparents. Through this practicum, I learned about the experiences of nursing home residents and the roles of professional caregivers in this field. I believe this was the beginning of my journey in gerontological social work. Among all the populations and issues I have worked with as a social worker—including youth, addiction, and post-disaster community rebuilding—I have always found working with older adults to be the most rewarding. Therefore, it became a natural choice for me to focus on older adults when I began developing my research program as a doctoral student and later as a postdoctoral research fellow.

What are you looking forward to in this role?

I really look forward to the interdisciplinary collaboration with my colleagues. Gerontology is a broad and dynamic field that encompasses a wide range of topics and perspectives. As someone with a background in social work, I am excited to work with colleagues who bring expertise from different disciplines. I believe this interdisciplinary approach is essential to advancing gerontological research and practice and to supporting older adults with diverse needs in our rapidly changing society and environment.

In addition, I am excited to work with students from different fields and backgrounds, particularly graduate students who seek to enhance their professional practice and academic development. I believe gerontology is a promising and meaningful field because older adults can receive more comprehensive support and care when knowledge and expertise from multiple disciplines are integrated. I have been teaching for more than 10 years, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to support graduate students in developing their research projects and community-based programs. I look forward to contributing to their academic and professional development while learning from their diverse perspectives and experiences.

Why is your research particularly relevant right now?

My research program focuses on social resilience among older immigrants in Canada. As we all know, the Canadian population is aging and becoming increasingly diverse. Older immigrants often experience unique challenges in their daily lives due to the intersection of age, immigration status, race, and other social factors. Social isolation and loneliness are among the key issues they may face.

Therefore, I work with a range of stakeholders, including older immigrants, service providers, and scholars in this field, to develop collaborative approaches that support older immigrants in building and strengthening their social resilience. Through this work, I also seek to contribute to broader social and systemic changes that can promote the well-being, inclusion, and participation of older immigrants in Canadian society.

What do you enjoy about teaching and mentoring students?

What I enjoy most is the journey of working with students and growing alongside them, even when our time together is only one semester. I find the moments when students reflect on their learning particularly meaningful. Beyond helping students develop new knowledge and skills, I always emphasize partnership in the classroom, the practice of lifelong learning, the application of knowledge to professional practice, and the development of a strong sense of social justice. I believe this process is critical in preparing students for their future professional development, particularly in the helping professions.

As an instructor, I have always found that students come from different walks of life and bring diverse life and professional experiences to the classroom. Therefore, their learning and development are shaped by their unique backgrounds, experiences, strengths, and perspectives. I value the ways in which students achieve their learning goals by drawing on their own strengths and developing strategies that work for them.

I enjoy being a facilitator in this process and growing alongside my students. At the same time, this process empowers me to continuously reflect on my own teaching, learn from my students, and become a better instructor and a better person.

Do you have any advice for students who are interested in gerontology but new to the field?

Over the past several years, I have supervised many social work students, and some of them have chosen to become gerontological social workers after working with me. I feel incredibly proud and excited whenever they share this news with me. Like many other students, they may never have heard much about gerontology or considered working with older adults before. However, I always remind my students that Canada is an aging society, and we will work with older adults either directly or indirectly in many areas, including mental health, housing, child and youth services, and inner-city development.

Therefore, I encourage students to reflect on their everyday lives. For example, beyond their grandparents, do they regularly interact with older adults? In their professional settings, I also encourage them to think about which social issues are particularly relevant to older adults and which issues are shared by older adults and other populations.

If you are interested in gerontology, you have already taken the first step by exploring this field. You may also have some basic knowledge about aging and aging-related issues, which is a great starting point. What you need to do next is to remain open-minded and explore what you want to do in the field of gerontology. When you find the best fit between yourself and gerontology, that is your moment.