Karen Lok Yi Wong is a PhD candidate and sessional lecturer at UBC School of Social Work. Her fellowship is co-supervised by UBC Nursing associate professor Dr. Lillian Hung and VCH Senior Learning Health Systems Lead Krisztina Vasarhelyi. The award is co-funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Michael Smith Health Research BC (MSHRBC), and Vancouver Coast Health. She is also a registered social worker in elder and dementia care and is currently practising with Providence Healthcare. She received the Inspiring Social Worker of the Year in 2021 from the BC Association of Social Workers and the Distinguished Service Award in 2024 from the Canadian Association of Social Workers, acknowledging her contribution to clinical practice and policy advocacy in social work in aging. She is affiliated with the Innovation in Dementia and Aging (IDEA) Lab, the Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia, UBC, and the Science and Technology for Aging Research (STAR) Institute, SFU. Her research interests include healthcare and social service systems in aging, aging and diversity, and aging and technology. Karen’s PhD study is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) doctoral award and AGE-WELL Michael F. Harcourt Policy Fellowship. 

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