‘Facial Recognition’ for Cells

Anyone suspected to have cancer wants to know the situation as soon as possible – is the diagnosis confirmed? Is the treatment working? Has it come back? But getting accurate information can be expensive and time-consuming. Labels, or biomarkers, have to be...

Relief for the Lonesome

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Professor Doris Yu Sau-fung of the School of Nursing was overseeing a team of nurses working to identify and engage with ‘hidden elders’ – those who live alone – and bring them to community facilities for health...

Neighbourhood Effects

Cities have been associated with many things – more pollution, crime, inequality and traffic congestion. When they are poorly designed,with high population density, they can also increase social isolation and a sense of loneliness.This insight has been...

A Measure of the Problem

On the surface, determining a person’s sense of loneliness and social isolation should be straightforward: just ask them how they feel and who they are socially connected with. But the reality is much more complicated, says Professor Chen Yu-chih, Assistant Professor...

A Slippery Slope to Depression

As many as 40 per cent of middle-aged and elderly adults may suffer from chronic loneliness, meaning there is a discrepancy between their preferred and actual social relations. That puts them at risk for depression. But what is the mechanism that links the two?...