Wisdom in Social・Civic Engagement and Research

Li-Mei Chen (pictured middle) , PhD, uses virtual reality to help train health care professional workers in dementia care.College of Public Health. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

About the Lab

Our mission is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of older adults through comprehensive research and active community engagement. Discover our vision for a future where every older adult is empowered and valued. Explore the origins of our project, our research methodologies, and learn how our core values shape everything we do. We also invite you to become a part of our journey and make a positive impact. Dive into each sublink to understand more about our goals, methods, and how you can contribute to making a difference.

We use Jolly Good Inc.’s health technology in virtual reality to help train workers in dementia care.College of Public Health. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

WiSER was founded on the belief by Dr. Li-Mei Chen, PhD, MSW that research should not only generate knowledge but also drive meaningful change in the lives of older adults. Recognizing the growing challenges faced by aging populations including health disparities, social isolation, and access to quality care. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and active community engagement, WiSER is building the evidence for civic engagement as social prescription for public health issues such as loneliness, social isolation, and depression.

Dr. Chen and her team set out to bridge the gap between research and community impact.

In our most recent research, we use virtual reality technology from Jolly Good Inc. to train dementia care workers and caregivers by simulating the experiences of persons living with dementia.