Cynthia Chen

Assistant Professor

Tel (65) 6601 5526

CHEN Huijun Cynthia

Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

While growing old is inevitable, the twilight years could be spent in good physical and mental health. With the impending demographic shift, the elderly population in Singapore will triple to 900,000 by 2030. This has major implications for both the young and old. Are we prepared? Can we learn from the past and do better?

Dr Chen’s passion for ageing research started a decade ago. She now specialises in the economics of ageing and is interested in retirement and health outcomes, caregiver burden, health care expenditure and the impact of policies. She is currently the principal investigator of multiple grants in Singapore. Her research has also been supported by the National Institute on Ageing and prominent private philanthropy in the USA.

Affiliation

  • Assistant Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Primary)
  • Fellow, University of Southern California

Research Areas

  • Economics of Ageing
  • Healthcare Financing
  • Public Health and Ageing
  • Biostatistics

Teaching Areas

  • Public Health Economics
  • Public Health and Ageing
  • Applied Statistical Methods

Academic/Professional Qualifications

  • PhD in Public Health (2014), NUS
  • MSc in Statistics and Applied Probability (2011), NUS
  • BSc in Statistics & minor in Mathematics (2009), NUS

Awards/Honours

  • SSHSPH Young Researcher Award (2019/2020)
  • NUS Overseas Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015-2018)
  • NUS PhD Research Scholarship (2012-2014)
  • Best Oral Presentation, Universitas 21, Graduate Research Conference, University of Auckland, New Zealand (2014)
  • Best Oral Presentation Runner Up (Singapore International Public Health Conference) (2012)
  • SSHSPH Young Researcher Award (2019/2020)

Career History

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Southern California (2015-2017)
  • Research Scholar, Washington University in St. Louis (2014)
  • Analyst, National Population of Talent Division, Prime Minister’s Office (2011)
  • Research Assistant, National University of Singapore (2009-2011)

Selected Publications

  • Chen C, Maung K, Rowe JW; Research Network on an Aging Society (2021). Gender differences in countries’ adaptation to societal ageing: an international cross-sectional comparison. The Lancet Healthy Longevity; 8: e460–469; doi:10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00121-5
  • Chen C, Thunell J, Zissimopolous J (2020). Changes in physical and mental health of Black, Hispanic, and White caregivers and non-caregivers associated with onset of spousal dementia. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). Nov 2;6(1):e12082. doi:10.1002/trc2.12082.
  • Chen C, Dieterich AV, Koh JJE. et al. (2020) The physical activity at work (PAW) study protocol: a cluster randomised trial of a multicomponent short-break intervention to reduce sitting time and increase physical activity among office workers in Thailand. BMC Public Health 20, 1332. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09427-5
  • Chen C, Lim JT, Chia NC, et al. (2019) The Long-Term Impact of Functional Disability on Hospitalization Spending in Singapore. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, 2019, 100193; doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2019.02.002
  • Chen C*, Cervero-Liceras F*, Flasche S, et al. (2019) Effect and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination: a global modelling analysis. The Lancet Global Health; 7: e58–67; doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30422-4.
  • Chen C, Goldman DP, Zissimopoulos J, Rowe JW; Research Network on an Aging Society (2018). A Multi-dimensional Comparison of Countries’ Adaptation to Societal Aging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (37) 9169-9174; doi:10.1073/pnas.1806260115
  • Chen C, Zissimopoulos J (2018). Racial and ethnic differences in trends in dementia prevalence and risk factors in the United States. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. 2018 Oct 5;4:510-520; doi:10.1016/j.trci.2018.08.009.

Commentaries

  • Commentary: Delaying retirement pays off, The Straits Times, 28 October 2021

Media Coverage

Appendix

Click here to view her detailed CV.

Work in Progress

Cynthia2015to2040
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