Providence Research Profiles: Dr. Lillian Hung

In an effort to shine a light on our many notable researchers, Providence Research is profiling the careers of those who work within our inspiring research community. This month, we are profiling Dr. Lillian Hung, a scientist with the Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, the Canada Research Chair in Senior Care, and the founder and head of the UBC IDEA (Innovation in Dementia & Aging) Lab.

Dr. Hung’s research focuses on innovating and improving dementia care. This includes finding solutions to address clinical problems in care facilities and acute hospitals, and examining the impact of technology and environment on patient care.

Initial research project funded through PHC Research Challenge

Dr. Hung began her research career while working in the acute psychiatry unit at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital. She and her team noticed that the environment in their unit was lacking for their older patients, many of who were experiencing severe depression or dementia, and they wanted to take action to better support their patients.

This inspired Dr. Hung’s first research project, which gathered data through conducting patient observations and interviews on what could be done to improve their living environment.

The project was funded through the PHC Practice-based Research Challenge, an annual competition lead by Aggie Black, Director of Health Services and Clinical Research and Knowledge Translation at PHC. The challenge provides point-of-care PHC staff who may be new to research the opportunity to learn how to design and implement a research project.

Dr. Hung and her team published their findings and used them to successfully advocate for funding to renovate the unit.

“That’s how it got started, that was my first project,” says Dr. Hung.

Discovering technology to fulfil unmet needs

Driven by her experience as a clinician, Dr. Hung is always looking for better ways to support her patients, and for new technologies that can help address patients’ unmet needs.

“I consider myself more of a clinician-scientist, even though I have an academic job. Most of my research was driven by my clinical work and my long years of experience working with clinical teams, my patients and my residents in long-term care,” says Dr. Hung.

She is the founder of the UBC IDEA Lab, which connects health system planners, researchers, patients and students to create innovative solutions in dementia and aging through patient-oriented research.

One example of the technology she studies are the Lovots, Mango and Kiwi, which are AI-enabled companion robots that emulate lifelike behaviours. Dr. Hung is conducting a study to determine if they can improve the quality of life of people with dementia by addressing loneliness and boredom.

At the IDEA Lab, Dr. Hung works with a large team that includes students from many different disciplines, as well as patient and family partners. The Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes supports Dr. Hung’s research, particularly in the areas of knowledge translation and research promotion. The relationships she has built with her colleagues, students and patient partners are very rewarding.

Getting to see the impact of the technology she is studying greatly motivates Dr. Hung in her research – for instance, seeing how a robot can ‘brighten up’ a person who is struggling emotionally and help them have conversations about emotional needs is extremely gratifying for her.

“These people that I work with, people living with dementia, they’re really extraordinary, and I have the opportunity to work with them from project to project,” says Dr. Hung.