Professor Lydia Li is a gerontologist. Her research aims to understand and advance healthy aging among older adults in disadvantaged socio-economic positions. Her current research focuses on social isolation, depression and ageism. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar. She served as the co-chair of the 2016 GSA program committee. She is associate editor of the International Journal of Social Welfare. She also serves on the editorial board of Research on Aging and Journal of Gerontological Social Work. She teaches courses related to social welfare policy, research methods, program evaluation, aging policy and social gerontology.