I am a PhD graduate specializing in the health and well-being of aging populations in low-resource settings, with a particular focus on Cambodia and Southeast Asia. My dissertation, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIH) and the Open Society Foundations, examines how household wealth and economic fulfillment shape well-being outcomes among older Cambodians. Through the analysis of primary data collected from 220 rural-dwelling older adults, my research sheds light on the complex socioeconomic factors influencing aging in post-conflict and resource-constrained communities.
Born and raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I earned dual undergraduate degrees in Social Work (2014) and Education (2015) from the Royal University of Phnom Penh. These formative years allowed me to engage in community-based research and advocacy through internships with Cambodian nonprofits, cultivating a passion for understanding and addressing social challenges. In 2015, I was honored to receive a full scholarship from the Open Society Foundations to pursue my Master of Social Work at Washington University’s Brown School, where I focused on aging societies and the needs of older adults.
My research draws on the life course perspective, exploring how early-life contexts and past experiences—such as exposure to violence and ongoing economic hardship—shape the well-being of older adults in later years. I am particularly interested in adapting and validating measures of well-being and health developed for Western populations to culturally distinct and historically unique low- and middle-income countries.
Currently, I focus on healthy aging, the social determinants of health in later life, and strategies for improving the quality of life among older populations in rural Southeast Asia. My ultimate goal is to produce research that informs policies and interventions to support resilient aging in under-resourced communities.
Thank you for visiting my website! To learn more about my work, feel free to explore my projects and publications at KakadaKuy.com.
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Preferred Contact: KakadaKuy@wustl.edu