On this #InternationalWomensDay, we celebrate the women whose knowledge, leadership, and care are shaping innovation in dementia, aging, and senior care research. Today and every day, we honour your contributions to creating a better world.
A screenshot from a CIHR virtual networking event with a slide titled “Revolutionizing Dementia Care Transition through the Learning Health System (LHS) model at Vancouver Coastal Health.” It lists research goals, implementation progress (patient journey mapping, system mapping, EDI advisory, learning community education), knowledge mobilization strategies, the population of interest, and challenges/opportunities. A small video tile shows Dr. Lillian Hung speaking.
At yesterday’s CIHR Implementation Science Teams Networking Forum, @nurselillian.bsky.social shared how our Learning Health System partnership with @vchhealthcare.bsky.social is improving dementia transitions through a Learning Community. Learn more here: idea.nursing.ubc.ca/2025/02/21/b...
GPA training for dementia education The passion of my participants fuels my teaching. ♥️ @vchhealthcare.bsky.social
We worked with our collaborators at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to conduct a scoping review on the use of headphones in music programs for people living with #dementia in LTC homes @nurselillian.bsky.social @agingsmart.bsky.social @vchhealthcare.bsky.social @vchresearch.bsky.social
Our student team reflected on deploying the Aether care robot in long-term care, and shared what transdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration taught them along the way. Check out our new paper in Nurse Education in Practice:
We are hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow with a computer science or engineering background to lead the technical development and real-world implementation of autonomous mobile robot assistants in long-term care settings. Learn more and apply: www.postdocs.ubc.ca/ad/58967
Graphic with a navy background. At left, a group photo of the UBC IDEA Lab team standing and sitting around a decorated Christmas tree, framed by a colourful holiday border. At right, large text reads “Happy Holidays from the UBC IDEA Lab,” beside a cartoon character wearing a Santa hat and scarf. A gold banner along the bottom reads: “Read our 2025 year-end message from Dr. Lillian Hung.”
Happy Holidays from the UBC IDEA Lab 🎄✨ Read our 2025 year-end message from @nurselillian.bsky.social here: idea.nursing.ubc.ca/2025/12/24/m...
Is caring for a pet beneficial for brain health? VCHRI researcher Dr. Lillian Hung spoke on the Defy Dementia podcast about innovations in dementia care, including the use of robotic pets: https://ow.ly/MeA250XC2xN Dr Lillian UBC School of Nursing UBC IDEA Lab Centre for Aging SMART
New space, same mission. We can’t wait to welcome you into our new home on the fourth floor of the UBC Gateway Building as we continue advancing dementia and aging care through #PatientOrientedResearch.
New qualitative study led by @nurselillian.bsky.social explores how two #TinyRobots (EMO and AIBI) can support intergenerational interactions between older adults and university students. Out now in Frontiers in Dementia (@frontiersin.bsky.social):
A group of long-term care staff, researchers, and patient partners sit in a bright lounge at Opal Vancouver, listening to Dr. Jim Mann, an older adult patient partner, standing and speaking at the front of the room during a long-term care clinical huddle.
Last week, our Intergenerational & Interdisciplinary Research (IIR) team ran a long-term care clinical huddle at Opal Vancouver.
Patient partner Dr. Jim Mann spoke about unconscious bias toward people living with dementia and how small assumptions shape everyday care 💜
We @idea.nursing.ubc.ca completed our Canada arm of multi countries cultural aging study. Very happy to share Canadian results with other countries in Singapore
New blog post on Bioethics Today by Hana Abbasian and Perisa Ashar responds to our recent LOVOT reflection paper, raising ethical questions about #AlgorithmicIntimacy and #EmotionalAccountability when using social robots in dementia care.
Sena Kholmatov speaks at a wood-paneled lectern with a laptop and mic during SFU’s Research Day on Aging.
Sena Kholmatov recently presented our Co-Create VR project at the SFU GRC (@SFUGero.bsky.social) Research Day on Aging. We explored how VR can create meaningful moments for older adults through co-design with residents, staff, and families. Feeling grateful to share this work.
10 strategies: 1, inclusion, 2, focus on what works, 3. Embrace complexity, 4, connect hearts. 5 connect heads, 6 adopt to need,7 build big tent, 8, make it easy, 9 realtime testing, 10 keep pace
Dr. Lillian Hung and Yuka Ohno stand smiling on either side of their research poster titled “Long-term care residents and staff perspectives on PARO using video reflexive ethnography” at GSA 2025.
Yuka Ohno and Dr. Takanori Shibata stand in front of the PARO booth in the exhibit hall at GSA 2025, each holding a fluffy white PARO seal robot and smiling at the camera.
Our #PARO project co-lead, Yuka Ohno, presented a poster on her work and met PARO’s inventor, Dr. Takanori Shibata, in the exhibit hall at #GSA2025. We’re excited to keep exploring how socially assistive robots like PARO can support people living with dementia and their care partners.
Thanks for sharing, friends!
On #RemembranceDay, we honour and remember the military and civilian lives lost to war, and the families who hold their stories. Working alongside older adults and care partners, we are reminded every day of the power of memory and community.
Flying to Boston #GSA2025, 2 papers, an invited president symposium, 6 posters @idea.nursing.ubc.ca @ubc-vnursing.bsky.social 🥳 🤩 Excited to see friends and colleagues
Featured in Canadian Healthcare Technology, a new study by VCHRI researcher Dr. Lillian Hung reveals how accessible, AI-enabled robot companions foster emotional engagement & social connection for residents of long-term care homes: ow.ly/gHZ850XnXP5
So happy to provide the keynote for the Crest conference to inspire practice based research @providencehealthcare.org stories of patient oriented research conducted @ubc-vnursing.bsky.social @idea.nursing.ubc.ca
Congrats Kayoung and team!
New #nursesky pub alert! Our research team at @idea.nursing.ubc.ca (led by @nurselillian.bsky.social) captured perspectives of people living with dementia and family partners on the potential, limitations, and ethics of implementing #LOVOT in long-term care homes:
New paper in @PLOSOne.org 🦊🎮
Our team, led by Dr. Lillian Hung (@nurselillian.bsky.social) studied a gamified cycling game in a Canadian long-term care home.
Participants shared that it was easy to use, engaging, and supported physical & mental well-being. Learn more:
Thanks for sharing!
Our thematic analysis of student-facilitated silent-disco in LTC found three themes: intergenerational togetherness, inclusion via personalized music, and stronger social bonds with twice-weekly parties. Read our brief report in JAMDA:
New pub @idea.nursing.ubc.ca @ubcappliedscience.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...
We presented 2 presentations, won the best demo award at AgeWELL conference; then presented 13 presentations at CAG. What a blast @idea.nursing.ubc.ca @ubc-vnursing.bsky.social @ubcappliedscience.bsky.social
Jeffrey Wong stands smiling in a cream sweater and CAG 2025 conference badge in front of two side-by-side posters on a grey board.
Group photo of the UBC IDEA Lab team smiling in the poster hall. From left to right: Yong Zhao, Jeffrey Wong, Yuka Ohno, Dr. Lillian Hung, Lily Haopu Ren, Joey Wong, and Albin Soni.
Great week of learning and connecting at #CAG_2025 in Montréal with @nurselillian.bsky.social and the @idea.nursing.ubc.ca team. Presented posters on a seated dance pilot in LTC and a scoping review on social support for 2S/LGBTQ+ older adults in Canada :)
