Dennis Kao

Dr. Dennis Kao is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Carleton University, where he teaches macro social work practice. Prior to Carleton, he served on the social work faculty at the University of Houston and California State University Fullerton in the US. His scholarship focuses on health equity issues among ethnic minority seniors, aging-friendly communities, and the applications of data visualization and geographic information systems/spatial analysis for social work practice and research. His previous research has garnered support from various US federal agencies and foundations, including the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute for Justice, and the John A. Foundation. His current research includes examining the accessibility of health care services for ethnic minority seniors (funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) and exploring the effects of racism and discrimination on the health and well-being of Asian Canadians in the COVID-19 context.