Dr Chao Fang, a CDAS visiting research fellow, works as a research fellow in the Institute of Education at the University College London (UCL). Chao has previously conducted his PhD at CDAS and worked as a research associate for a CDAS project on older people’s loneliness between 2019-2021. Building upon this experience, Chao is currently conducting a longitudinal qualitative research project on long-Covid. Being part of the 9 million NIHR-UKRI funded Convalescence Long-COVID Study, Chao will work with researchers from the University of York and many other institutions to conduct approximately 300 interviews with long Covid patients, their close others and healthcare professionals across three waves of interviews between 2021 and 2023 (100 interviews per wave). Chao will play a significant role in this exciting project, exploring long Covid not only as an array of physio-cognitive symptoms but also as an emotionally laden and socially meaningful experience. The research findings will be used to inform and improve support and care in social and health care settings to better accommodate long Covid patients’ multifaceted needs in their ongoing lives.

While working on the long Covid project, Chao is actively involved in varied research and public engagement activities at CDAS. Chao will continue his work alongside CDAS director Dr John Troyer and other centre colleagues to reinforce collaborations with research institutions in China, Japan and other neighbouring countries and regions, further developing a trans-national research network on ageing, end of life care and social policy in the Pacific region.