Wenqian Xu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Health Sciences at Lund University. He holds a PhD in Ageing and Social Change from Linköping University (2021). His current research focuses on the experiences of childlessness and the meaning-making of remaining childless in late adulthood. His expertise lies in gerontology and public policy, with a particular emphasis on building institutional capacity to support older adults in pursuing their aspirations under shifting structural conditions. His research spans several topics, including ageism, age-friendly environments, the lives of older adults with limited family support, and the societal implications of technology—examined from life course and intersectionality perspectives.

Xu worked as a part-time lecturer at IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems and Linköping University.

Xu has experience in organizing multisectoral and multistakeholder meetings, such as an international workshop on Fostering Age-Friendly Environments Bridging Science, Policy and Implementation (2024).

Xu served as a full-time consultant for healthy aging at WHO Regional Office for Western Pacific for two years. In this capacity, he led the production of the following technical and communication materials.

• WHO videos: Creating an Age-Friendly, Enabling Environment for Social Participation https://youtu.be/qspyyiGwF24; Promoting Community Support and Health Services for All Ages https://youtu.be/zL_hE5m-7P4; Fostering Multistakeholder Collaboration for Age-Friendly Communities https://youtu.be/RdKkfMiZgOw 
• Feature story: Working with the community to tailor health services to meet needs in Japan https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news-room/feature-stories/item/working-with-the-community-to-tailor-health-services-to-meet-needs-in-japan 
• Lancet series on healthy aging https://www.thelancet.com/issue/S2666-6065(23)X0005-4#Articles