Message from Dr Lillian Hung
As we close 2025, we pause with deep gratitude and pride to celebrate an extraordinary year at the Innovation in Dementia and Aging (IDEA) Lab.
This year has been defined not only by productivity and excellence, but by relationships and the shared purpose of our lab members. In 2025, we contributed to a growing international body of scholarship that is reshaping how aging, dementia, technology, and care are understood and practiced.
Together, we published 37 peer-reviewed papers; many co-authored with people living with dementia and care partners, reinforcing our commitment to equity, co-design, and lived expertise. Our work was shared worldwide through invited talks, keynote presentations, and conference presentations spanning Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
From social and service robots, virtual reality, digital health, and integrated care, to ethics, empowerment, and relational practice, IDEA Lab research continues to influence international conversations about compassionate, person-centred, and responsible innovation.
This year IDEA Lab further strengthened global partnerships, with active collaborations across Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. Cross-cultural projects on aging and technology, immersive and VR research, music and well-being studies, and comparative aging research enriched our perspectives and extended the global reach.
At the heart of IDEA Lab is learning. In 2025, we proudly mentored and trained a vibrant community of students, postdoctoral fellows, clinicians, and community partners across nursing, engineering, rehabilitation sciences, social work, gerontology, design, and computer science.
Many trainees received prestigious scholarships, fellowships, and awards, while others moved into leadership roles in academia, health systems, and community organizations.
We are especially proud of our continued commitment to public engagement, ensuring that research remains accessible, relevant, and accountable to the communities it aims to serve.
Our lab remains a space where curiosity is encouraged, voices are valued, and growth is collective where trainees learn not only methods and theories, but also humility, reflexivity, and the ethics of working with communities rather than on them. IDEA Lab’s impact extends far beyond journals and conferences. In 2025, our work informed health system innovation, policy discussions, and public understanding of dementia and aging. Through media engagement, public lectures, documentaries, community events, and partnerships, we helped shift narratives—from deficit and decline to agency, creativity, joy, and mattering.
With Gratitude, Looking Ahead
None of this would be possible without our students, staff, collaborators, older adult partners, pe ople living with dementia, care partners, clinicians, funders, and community allies. Your generosity, courage, and trust make this work meaningful. As we head into the holiday season, we wish everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas, and time to rest, reflect, and reconnect. We look ahead to 2026 with optimism and resolve—ready to deepen our partnerships, ask brave questions, and continue advancing equity, compassion, and innovation in aging and dementia care. Thank you for being part of the IDEA Lab community. Together, we are proving that care is relational, knowledge is collective, and change is possible. Merry Christmas and warm wishes for the New Year.