Lydia W. Li
Professor of Social Work
Professor Li’s research examines how socio-structural factors are related to depression, suicide, cognitive function and healthy aging in older adults. She has conducted epidemiological and intervention studies to understand and address health disadvantages of older adults in rural China, older Chinese immigrants in the United States and older adults with low incomes. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and served as the co-chair of the 2016 GSA program committee. She was a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar. Currently, she is serving as an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Social Welfare, on the editorial board of Research on Aging and Journal of Gerontological Social Work, and as an expert reviewer for the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme in Hong Kong. She has been an Associate Editor of BMC Geriatrics. She teaches courses related to social welfare policy, research methods, program evaluation, aging policy, and social gerontology.
Research Interests/Focus
Depression and suicide in later life, rural elders, cross-cultural gerontology, ageism, community-based interventions.
Contact Information
| Phone | Room | Address | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (734) 936-4850 | lydiali@umich.edu | 3839 SSWB | University of Michigan School of Social Work 1080 S. University Ann Arbor, MI 48109 |
Education
| Year | Degree | School | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | PhD | Social Welfare | University of Wisconsin, Madison |
| 1989 | MSW | Social Work | University of Hong Kong, China |
| 1984 | Honor's Diploma | Social Work | Hong Kong Baptist College, China |
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Program Co-Chair, Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Meeting |
| 2013 | Fellow, Gerontological Society of America (GSA). |
| 2005-2006 | Selected participant of the "Summer Research Institute in Suicide Prevention," with scholarship awarded, University of Rochester Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, NIMH |
| 2002 | Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar, John A. Hartford Foundation and Gerontological Society of America |
| 2002 | Selected participant of the "Workshop on Aging" and the "Mini-Medical School for Social Scientists," with scholarship awarded, RAND, NIA, |
| 2002 | Invited participant of the "Retreat on Health Dynamics in Old Age," Older Americans Independence Center, University of Michigan, NIA, |
| 2002 | Trainee, African American Aging Research Training Network, NIMH, Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, University of Michigan |
| 2001 | Selected participant of the "Minority Aging and Health Workshop," with scholarship awarded, ICPSR, University of Michigan, NIA |
| 2000 | New Investigator Award, Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI |
| 1996 | Eugene Lehrmann AARP Scholarship, Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI |
| 1988-1989 | Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Scholarship, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong |
| 1988-1989 | Postgraduate Studentship, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong |
| 1982-1983 | Dean's List, Hong Kong Baptist College |