Join us in having a round of applause for Dr Esther Yung, Associate Professor of BRE! Dr Yung was successful in being awarded the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards, HLCA(HK) for her project ‘A Cave Automatic Virtual Therapeutic Garden for Residential Care Homes for the Elderly,’
Given that older people living in Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) have limited opportunity to access to public open space due to the mobility impairments or chronic illness, the awarded project can provide older residents with a simulated experience of natural healing elements, with the aim of reducing stress and improving psychological and emotional well-being.
Besides, due to limited land resources in Hong Kong, it is difficult to provide space for an outdoor garden within RCHEs. With her passion for extending the elderly’s healthspan, Dr Yung is eager to identify issues and innovatively apply the concept of a therapeutic garden by using Cave Automatic Virtual Environment to build a virtual therapeutic garden within RCHEs.
Led by Dr Yung, the research team includes Dr. Wang Siqiang and Dr. Sun Yi of BRE, Prof. Angela Leung of School of Nursing at PolyU, and Dr. Wayne Chan of Department of Rehabilitation Science at PolyU. The project will kick off in end Oct 2023.
The Research Grants Council (RGC) has collaborated with the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) of the United States for the HLCA (HK). The award aims to encourage bold and innovative ideas from any discipline that have the potential to extend the human healthspan. The RGC offers ten Catalyst Awards in the HLCA (HK) each year with a cash prize of US$50,000 at a maximum.
Have a read of Dr Esther Yung’s profile: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/.../academic.../dr-esther-hk-yung/
More about #BRE BSc (Hons) Scheme in Building and Real Estate Programme: https://polyu.hk/EzRGo
More about #BRE Taught Postgraduate Programmes: https://polyu.hk/rPAOS
