Lucas Puah

Working on SAGE has given me the experience of understanding first-hand how ageing can be dignified, purposeful, and fun! Hopefully what we can achieve is not just programmes, but a shift in thinking towards how older adults can truly age well.

I graduated from Yale-NUS College, majoring in Anthropology, and I am keenly invested in the interplay between culture, lived experience, and the potential for social change. Having been exposed to medical anthropology, I entered Public Health hoping to understand health and wellbeing through the lens of social science and the humanities. In particular, I want to highlight nuanced and diverse perspectives of health in Singapore that encompass cultural, social, psychological, and economic dimensions. This is done mainly through qualitative methods of which I have practised ethnography, interviews, focus groups, and participatory learning and action activities, among others, as I try to stay creative in my research process. I remain curious about how we can learn from one another and make change together.

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health, focusing on how participatory action research can support ageing-in-place. By working closely with community co-producers, I have been able to understand issues through their lens and collaborate with them on taking action together. I am excited about the potential of community-building processes to change the lives of older adults. Beyond the PhD, I have supported Dr Zoe Hildon in various other areas of public health research, from antimicrobial resistance to intellectual disabilities. As a qualitative researcher, I try to offer critical insights and unique perspectives on the issues at hand. Overall, I am a curious learner and an ambitious dreamer who enjoys harnessing the social for good.