| Biography | |
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 Prof. Doris YU The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China) |
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| Abstract: Healthy and active aging is about enabling older adults to enjoy a fulfilling and engaging life, and to maintain active roles in the society. Maintaining an optimal cognitive function is a highly important pre-requisite to achieve this purpose. We have conducted a longitudinal study to examine how late-life activity participation, sleep quality, psychological health and disease burden affected the changes in objective cognitive function and subjective memory over 12 months among a cohort of Chinese older adults in Hong Kong. We found that late-life activity participation can counteract the detrimental effect of physical and psychological risk factors on cognitive health. Whereas participation in social and intelligent activities play a key role in maintaining the objective cognitive function, physical activities uptake is crucial to maintain the subjective memory. This presentation will provide evidence-based recommendations on how to develop innovative service to promote cognitive health in later life. | |
| Biography: Doris Yu is the Professor and Vice Director of Research of the Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). She is also the Professor of the Institute of Aging of CUHK. Her research interest focus on brain health promotion among older adults, dementia caregiving, late-life symptom management including insomnia, depressed mood, and fatigue, as well as disease management models for chronic heart failure. With the interest in these topic areas, she has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed articles in peer-reviewed journals including the top journals in the field of gerontology and cardiology. Prof. Yu has been very active in conducting innovative evidence-based research and extensively translating her research findings into high quality teaching as well as health and social services. Over the past years, she has been awarded with over USD1.25 million research grant from various government-based funding bodies. She also has developed two online platforms to support older people to cope with insomnia and to guide the baby boomers to have successful age transition. In recognition of her work, she was honored with the Award of Excellence in Social Engagement (Best Impact) and the Vice Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award by CUHK. She also serves as advisors of elderly service for various non-government organizations to support the development of evidence-based health and social service. | |
