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Dr Lin Gong

Dr Lin Gong

  • Position: Research Fellow
  • Areas of expertise: Dementia; health inequalities; electronic health records; epidemiology; dementia diagnosis; dementia prevention
  • Email: L.Gong@leeds.ac.uk
  • Website: LinkedIn | ORCID

Profile

I am a Research Fellow in the Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research at the University of Leeds. My research focuses on dementia prevention, diagnosis and health inequalities, particularly among minoritised ethnic communities. I previously held a DEM-COMM Postdoctoral Fellowship supported by NIHR ARC Yorkshire & Humber and Alzheimer’s Society.

I use large-scale routinely collected and linked health data, including Connected Bradford and CPRD, to investigate ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in dementia risk factors and diagnostic pathways. I also act as a nominated CPRD user at the University of Leeds, supporting the use and governance of complex routine health data.

My academic background is in social science and quantitative research, and I completed my PhD in Social Welfare and Social Policy at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Alongside my quantitative research, I work with communities, researchers and local organisations to support inclusive research, public involvement and knowledge exchange.

Research interests

My research focuses on dementia epidemiology, prevention and diagnosis, with a particular interest in ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities. I use large-scale routinely collected and linked health data to study dementia risk factors and diagnostic pathways.
Recent research
  • Ethnic inequalities in dementia diagnostic pathways.
  • Dementia diagnosis rates across ethnic groups in Bradford.
  • Modifiable dementia risk factors and health inequalities.
  • Symptom signatures and diagnostic timeliness in dementia.
  • Prognostic prediction models for steroid-related harms.
Methods and data
  • Electronic health records and routinely collected health data, including Connected Bradford.
  • Nominated CPRD user at the University of Leeds, supporting secure data access and governance.
Selected funding and awards
  • DEM-COMM Postdoctoral Fellowship – Fellowship Holder, funded by NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaboration (NIHR ARC) and Alzheimer’s Society, 2023–2026.
  • ESRC Festival of Social Science grant – Principal Applicant, 2026.
  • NIHR DEM-COMM Internship Award – Principal Applicant, 2025.
  • DEM-COMM EDI Special Interest Group Fund – Co-Principal Applicant, 2024.
Selected presentations
  • Society for Social Medicine & Population Health Annual Scientific Meeting, 2025.
  • Alzheimer’s Research UK Research Conference, 2024.
  • Alzheimer Europe Conference, 2024.
Selected public engagement and events
  • Co-organised the Leeds BME Dementia Forum, 2026.
  • Led a public engagement event for the NIHR Festival of Applied Dementia Research, 2025.
  • Co-designed dementia prevention activities across Leeds and Bradford, reaching 150+ participants from diverse communities.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Social Welfare and Social Policy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • MSc in Public Administration, University of International Business and Economics
  • BA in Public Administration, Guizhou University

Student education

I contribute to postgraduate teaching in health research methods and quantitative data analysis, including practical teaching using Stata and R. I also act as an Academic Personal Tutor and support postgraduate students and early-career researchers through supervision and mentoring.

Research groups and institutes

  • Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
  • Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research

Research outputs

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