Personal Statement
Chao Fang holds the position of Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Liverpool, where he also takes on the role of Deputy Director for the Centre for Ageing and the Life Course (CALC). This centre is dedicated to studying ageing and its associated issues, considering them within the context of the human lifespan and society as a whole.

Chao's research interests lie in ageing, chronic illness, death, dying, and bereavement, with a particular emphasis on exploring the intersections between these human experiences. A particularly notable aspect of his research is the keen emphasis on understanding and disseminating insights into human existential needs, both through interdisciplinary research and public engagements. Chao is also seeking to further expand his expertise in existential sociology.

Beyond his academic endeavours, he actively engages with media outlets such as The Conversation, The Guardian, and the World Economic Forum. His research has also been featured by BBC. He aims to help the public better comprehend the often poignant yet nuanced encounters in our lives. The topics Chao has engaged with include grief, loneliness, Long COVID, and ageing.

Having received education and conducted research in the UK, China, and Japan, Chao welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD students. He is interested in topics that can be explored from a cross-cultural perspective or with a specific focus on any particular culture:

• Ageing, ageism, and any age-related issues in society
• Loss, grief, and bereavement, whether death-related or not
• Chronic illness and its impact on everyday life, identity, and temporality
• Death, dying, and practices/policies related to the end of life and palliative care
• Existential crises in various human conditions, such as ageing, adolescence, illness, and immigration
• Inter-generational and compassionate communities

Research Overview
Chao has conducted research on loss, resilience, and the existential aspects of human experience in various socio-cultural contexts. Initially focusing on death, dying, and bereavement, he has expanded his interests to include ageing, Long COVID, and chronic illness. He has examined how changes in living circumstances and losses can lead to existential challenges for older people. In his recent work, he specifically examines the existential dimension of living with Long COVID, asserting that the struggles individuals face are rooted in the disruptions to the construction of their identity as a coherent narrative connecting their past, present and future. Chao seeks to understand how people navigate loss and existential challenges, while also exploring how society can better support individuals in these circumstances.

Chao is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at University of Bath. He also holds an Honorary Research Associate position at the Institute of Education at University College London, where he collaborates with researchers from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies on longitudinal qualitative research on Long COVID. Additionally, he coordinates diverse international collaborations between institutions in the UK and overseas, notably in China and Japan.

Below is a list of projects that Chao has been involved in over the recent years:

2023-present: Intergenerational Interactions and the Experience of 'Fall' Among Older People and Children: a qualitative study, funded by the School of Law and Social Justice Research Development Funds.

2022-2026: UnTIL Net. Understanding Tiredness of LIfe in Older People Research Nerwork, funded by Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO).

2021-present: CONVALESCENCE Long COVID longitudinal qualitative Study, funded by UKRI-NIHR.

2020-2022: Exploring “social isolation” of older immigrants in Japan and the United Kingdom, funded by Japan Univers Foundation and British Sasagawa Foundation.

2019-2021: Exploring emotional loneliness in older people living in retirement communities, funded by Guild Living.

2019-2020: Mitori Project: end of life care in the United Kingdom and Japan, funded by ESRC and AHRC.

As a researcher, I also use my knolwedge to help navigate personal experiences, such as loss of a loved one. If you are interested, you can read a blog that I worte when I lost my grandmother in 2022.