Yifan Lou
Email: louy@vcu.edu
Phone: (804) 828-2863
Pronouns: She/her
Yifan Lou, Ph.D., M.S.W., is a social gerontologist and social worker who uses mixed methods to understand inequalities and disparities in access, use and quality of end-of-life care in the United States and Asia. Prior to VCU social work, Dr. Lou was a postdoctoral associate at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine -Geriatrics. Dr. Lou received her Ph.D. in social work from Columbia University, M.S.W. from University of Chicago and B.S.W from East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China.
Although everyone wants to die with dignity, a “good death” is often privileged. Dr. Lou’s current research includes population and policy studies on structural, household and psychosocial mechanisms by which disparities in end-of-life care operate nationally and globally. Dr. Lou is particularly interested in Asian older adults and aims to use research to inform culturally appropriate interventions to improve their dying experiences. She also studies the unique needs and challenges related to end-of-life care among older adults with cognitive impairments and their family caregivers, including end-of-life-care planning, service utilization and caregiving.
Dr. Lou is committed to the science of aging and has a strong scholastic record with more than 20 presentations at national conferences and over 15 publications in highly respected journals, including The Gerontologist, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. She plans to make unique contributions by providing theory-driven evidence on why inequalities and disparities exist and how to mitigate them, which will benefit all people, who will experience aging and, eventually, dying.
Areas of expertise
- Aging Services and Gerontology
- Health
- International Social Work and Global Issues
- Mental Health
- Race and Ethnicity
Education and credentials
Postdoctoral associate, Yale University
Ph.D., Columbia University
A.M./M.S.W., University of Chicago
B.A., East China University of Science and Technology
Work
Selected publications
Lou, Y., Thi, V., Piechota, A., Monin, J., (2024), Emotion Regulation in People Living with Dementia and Their Spouses: The Role of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms. Aging and Mental Health.
Liu, J., Cheung, E., Lou, Y. (2024), A pilot study of a peer mentoring program for Chinese American dementia caregivers. Aging and Mental Health.
Lou, Y. (2023), End-of-life Care Discussions with Healthcare Providers and Dying Experiences: A Latent Class Analysis Using the Health and Retirement Study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Pre-proof available.
Lou, Y., Liu, J., Carr, D. (2023), To Tell or Not: Older Chinese Adults’ Preferences for Disclosing or Concealing Serious Illness Diagnoses. The Gerontologist.
Liu, J., Lou, Y., Cheung, E. (2023), Beyond Dichotomy and Stability: ICT Use Among Asian American Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Applied Gerontology.
Lou, Y., Carr, D. (2022). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Advance Care Planning: Assessing the Role of Subjective Life Expectancy. The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.
Wang Y., Guo M., Liu, J., Lou, Y., Cater, K., Dong, X. (2022) Neighborhood Environment and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Older Immigrants in the U.S.: The Mediation Effects of Coping. The Gerontologist.
Liu, J., Lou, Y., Li, L., Xu, H., Zhang Z. (2022). Dyadic Effects On Depressive Symptoms of Spouse Caregivers and Their Care Recipients in China: Evidence from CHARLS. Aging and Mental Health.
Liu, J., Lou, Y., Cheung, E., Wu, B. (2022). Use of Tangible, Educational and Psychological Support Services among Chinese American Dementia Caregivers. Dementia.
Lou, Y., Liu, J. (2021). Racial Disparities of Possessing Healthcare Power Attorney and Living Will among Older Americans: Do SES and Health Matter? Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Liu, J., Ji, B., Lou, Y. (2021), The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community services for homebound older adults: Evidence from a program evaluation. Health & Social Care in the Community.
Liu, Z., Yang, F., Lou, Y., Tong, F., Yang, Y. (2021), The effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy on Alleviating Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults, A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology.
Lou, Y., Liu, J. (2020). Death Narrative in 19th Century China: How Did Newspapers Frame Death and Dying? OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying.
Liu, J., Lou, Y., Wu, B., Mui, A. (2020). “I’ve been always strong to conquer any suffering:” Challenge and resilience of Chinese American dementia caregivers in a life course perspective. Aging and Mental Health.
Ding, K., Lou, Y., Li, X (2018). Hospice Social Work: A Historical and Regional Comparative Study (in Chinese), Journal of the Social History of Medicine and Health.
Lou, Y. (2015). Patients’ Anticipation of Social Workers’ Gender Role in Hospice Care (in Chinese), Chinese Social Work.
Lou, Y. (2015). Gerontological Social Work Intervention with Homebound Elders (in Chinese), Journal of Chongqing Administration School (originally named: Social Work Education and Research).
Professional highlights
Research projects and funding
- Racial and ethnic disparities in end-of-life care and planning
- End-of-life care planning among East and South Asian older adults
- End-of-life care and planning among people living with dementia
Teaching areas and interests
- Aging and mental health
- Research method and statistical analysis
- Death and dying
Recent courses
- Advanced Research Method & Statistics for Policy Analysis, School of Social Work, Columbia University
Affiliations and service
Ad-hoc reviewer
- Research on Aging
- Aging and Mental Health
- Journal of Applied Gerontology
- Health & Social Care in the Community
- OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying
- International Journal of Wellbeing
- Journal of Family Studies