Shu‐Chuan Chen
Papers
7
Total Citations
411
H-Index
7
About
Shu-Chuan Chen is a pioneering researcher in gerontechnology, specializing in the intersection of social robotics, aging, and mental health in long-term care settings. Her work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of how therapeutic robots—particularly the PARO robotic seal—can address pressing psychological challenges facing older adults, including depression, loneliness, and cognitive decline associated with dementia. Chen's most influential contributions include a landmark systematic review of social robots and depression in older adults (2018, 135 citations) and a landmark mixed-methods intervention study demonstrating meaningful improvements in depression, loneliness, and quality of life among Taiwanese long-term care residents (2020, 146 citations). These foundational works have helped legitimize social robotics as a credible therapeutic modality within geriatric care. She has also broadened the conversation by examining the perspectives of health professionals toward robotic technologies and centering the lived experiences of older adults themselves—asking, compellingly, whether a robot can genuinely be a "buddy." Her most recent randomized controlled trial (2024) pushes the frontier further, investigating PARO's effects on cognitive and autonomic nervous system function. With over 400 cumulative citations, Chen's user-centered, compassionate approach to aging research continues to meaningfully shape both policy and practice in aged care globally.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2Social Robots for Depression in Older Adults: A Systematic Review135 citations · 2018
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