Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care

I joined the University in 2015 as a lecturer and I teach units on health and social care and research methods.

My research interests lie in the areas of demography and ageing, social care and digital health.

I am currently involved in a study evaluating the impact of technology on the well-being of older people during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study is part of the research project investigating the effectiveness of Covid-19 protective measures for older adults with care needs living in the community and their carers. In particular,

My other recent research projects include a UK-based pilot study of post-diagnostic support for people receiving a diagnosis of dementia and a study of unpaid care provision and changing family responsibilities in South Korea.

I have been providing consultancy to the government officials and research institutes based in South Korea on matters related to health care and social care reform. I have held several positions in academic societies, including the Korean Society of Gerontological Social Welfare and the Korean Gerontological Society, and have served as a reviewer for international journals in the field of health and social sciences.

I am a member of the Social Policy Association and an Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. I was also an active member of the former Dementia Research Group at the University of Bedfordshire.

Qualifications

• PhD Social Policy – University of Oxford
• MSc Social Policy and Planning – London School of Economics and Political Science
• BA Social Policy (First Class Hons) – University of York

Teaching Role

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Health and Social Care in an Ageing Society
• Research Methods

Research Interests

• Demography and Ageing
• Comparative Social Policy
• European Social Policy (social care and social security in particular)
• East Asian Social Policy

Recent Research Projects

• An evaluation of the effectiveness of protective measures for older adults with care needs and informal carers during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Pilot study of post diagnostic support for people receiving a diagnosis of dementia, University of Bedfordshire and Alzheimer’s Society Hertfordshire
• Unpaid care and changing family responsibilities in South Korea

Recent Conference Papers

• Tak, M., Almeida, J. and Papadopoulos, C. (2025) 'The impact of technology on the well-being of older people during the Covid-19 pandemic', 7-9 March 2025, London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Birkbeck College, University of London.
• Tak, M. (2022) ‘Coping with the diagnosis of dementia’, International Conference on Medical Humanities, 12-13 March 2022, London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and University of Bedfordshire.
• Tak, M. (2021) ‘Long-Term Care in Transition in South Korea’, International Conference on Gender Studies, 10-11 July, London Centre of Interdisciplinary Research.
• Fisher, M. and Tak, M. (2020) 'Post-diagnostic support for people living with dementia in the UK', International Conference on Medical Humanities, 14-15 March 2020, University of Oxford.
• Tak, M. (2019) 'Marginalisation of informal carers in South Korea', International Conference on Medical Humanities, 16 March, University of London.
• Tak, M. (2018) 'Informal caregiving in South Korea', 11-13 July, Annual Social Policy Association Conference, University of York.

Contact Details

Room C405
School of Society, Community and Health
University Square
Luton
LU1 3JU

E: min.tak@beds.ac.uk