Conference Speakers and Topics

Brian Oldenburg is a behavioural scientist and population health researcher. He is Professor of Non-Communicable Disease Control and Director of the Centre for Health Equity in the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia. His research focuses on how to improve the prevention and control of diabetes, heart disease and co-morbid mental health conditions. He has also developed and evaluated new technologies and m-Health interventions to improve health. He is a current Honorary Professor in Finland and China, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Dr Judith Mackay, SBS, OBE, JP, FRCP (Edin), FRCP (Lon), is a British medical doctor, who has lived in Hong Kong since 1967, initially working as a hospital physician, then since 1984 concentrating on public health, especially tobacco control, in low and middle income countries.

She is currently the Senior Advisor, Vital Strategies/Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use; Director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control; and Senior Policy Advisor to World Health Organisation. She has published over 200 papers and addressed over 500 conferences on tobacco control. Her particular interests are tobacco and women, and tobacco in low and middle-income countries.

She is author or co-author of several atlases: “The State of Health Atlas” (1994), “The Penguin Atlas of Human Sexual Behavior” (2000), “The Tobacco Atlas” (WHO 2002, ACS 2006, ACS 2009, ACS 2012, ACS 2015), “The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke” (WHO, 2004),“The Cancer Atlas” (2006), “Global Tobacco Surveillance: GTSS Atlas” (CDC 2009), “The Atlas of Oral Health” (FDI 2009), and “The GATS Atlas” (CDC 2015).

She has received honorary degrees for her work from the University of Edinburgh and HK Shue Yan University. In addition to many international awards, ranging from the WHO Commemorative Medal (1988) and the TIME 100 World’s Most Influential People Award (2007) to the British Medical Journal Group’s first Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), she has been identified by the tobacco industry as one of the three most dangerous people in the world.

Dr. Qijin Cheng, Research Assistant Professor at Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, HKU. Dr. Cheng specialises in media studies and engagement, and utilising new media technologies for suicide prevention and mental health promotion. She is leading a GRF project to examine media discourse of suicide and depression in Hong Kong and mainland China in the past 30 years. She is also a mentor-in-training at the "eCapacity Development & Growth in the ASPIRE Network Project" funded by the US NIH/Fogarty Grant.

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Helene H. Fung is a Professor at the Dept of Psychology, the Executive Director of the Centre for Positive Social Science and the Director of the Gender Studies Program, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She obtained her BS from University of Washington, Seattle, and MA and PhD from Stanford University.

Professor Fung examines social motivation and cognition across adulthood. She won the 1998 Margaret Clark Paper Award from the Association of Anthropology and Gerontology, and the 1999 Behavioral and Social Science Pre-dissertation Research Award and the 2010 Margret and Paul Baltes award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology from the Gerontological Society of America. She also won the 2006 Young Research Award and the 2013 Research Excellence Award from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is an associate editor for the Australian Journal of Psychology and Acta Psychologica Sinica

In terms of teaching, Professor Fung received the 2008 Retirement Research Foundation Mentor Award from Division 20 and the 2016 Henry David International Mentoring Award from Division 52, American Psychological Association. She also won the 2007 Exemplary Teaching Award and the 2015-16 Faculty Mentorship Award from Faculty of Social Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Sylvia Kwok is the Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the City University of Hong Kong. She is also the convenor of the Positive Education Laboratory in the Department. Her mission is to enhance the mental health of children and adolescents from family ecological and positive psychological perspectives. Her research mainly focuses on the family ecological and positive psychological factors related to anxiety, depression and suicide. She has published a number of papers related to children and adolescent mental health problems in international refereed journals with high impact factor. She was also invited to give presentations and keynote presentations in a number of workshops, conferences and symposiums.

Integrating positive psychology concepts and experiential learning, she implemented a number of positive education projects to alleviate anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, as well as to promote the well-being of children and adolescents. She has co-operated with different social welfare agencies and about 100 schools in launching different positive education projects, e.g. “Enhancing hope and gratitude to alleviate depression in primary school students”, “Developing hope and optimism to decrease anxiety in secondary school students”, “Integrating positive psychology and elements of music therapy to alleviate adolescent anxiety and depression”.

Professor Timothy Kwok had undergraduate medical education and postgraduate training in Geriatric Medicine in the United Kingdom. He joined the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics in the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1994, and became professor in 2006. His main research interest has been on the prevention and care of dementia. Since 2004, he has been director of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive, a day and respite centre for people with dementia. He has conducted clinical trials of vitamin supplements, Taichi and cognitive training in the prevention of cognitive decline. His other research interests include osteoporosis, nutrition in old age, and health care services. He is also the deputy director of Jockey Club Institute of ageing and director of Jockey Club Centre for osteoporosis care and control.

Mr. Lau Chun Hung has been in the education field for over 20 years taking up the roles of different teaching, administrative and management work in the school and he is also an active member in various advisory bodies in the profession. He is currently the Principal of Lok Sin Tong Yu Kan Hing Secondary School and he treasures the relationship with his students. He enjoys sharing his daily happenings with his students and he will put students’ feelings first place and guide them along whenever they face any obstacles in life. He is both a Principal and a friend in many students’ eyes. The door of the Principal’s room is always open for them.

Principal Lau believes that every student is unique and special, and educators can influence students’ lives positively, helping them to see their values and pursue their dreams. In order to do this, he provides them with various opportunities to explore their potential. Joining the Path-finding Adventure Project is one of the highlights of his school every year and he loves taking part in it with his students, going through all the hardship with them and ultimately, strengthening their confidence and realizing their unfulfilled dreams.

Professor Joseph Lau is a professor and associate director of the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Founding President of the Hong Kong Society of Behavioral Health (HKSBH) and convenor of the Asian Network for Behavioral Health. He has a multi-disciplinary research background. He was the director of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics and President of Hong Kong Epidemiology Association. He is currently director of Centre for Medical Anthropology and Behavioral Health of the Sun Yet Sen University, and holds adjunct professorships of the Institute of Psychology, China Academic Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Central South University and Shantau University in China, and serves as an overseas expert of the China Academy of Sciences. His diverse research interests include those on behavioral interventions for changing risk and preventive behaviours. He has published about 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals, including those in Lancet and BMJ, and has been awarded over 60 grants as PI. He serves in editorial boards of behavioral health journals such as Addiction, Addictive Behavior, AIDS Care, and Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. He has also been providing consultancy to WHO, the Cambodian government and various CDC in China.

Ms. Law Suk-kwan, Lilian is the Executive Director of the Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA) which has been serving Hong Kong for 80 years. With over 950 staff, the 95 service units of BGCA spread across 17 districts in Hong Kong providing service to 450,000 children, youth and families. BGCA also promotes research and advocacy work, with a view to creating a “children-friendly” environment for the younger generation to grow up healthily and happily.

Ms. Law has over 30 years of dedicated experiences in services for Children and Youth, Women, Elderlies and Community Development. Active in public service, Ms. Law is serving as member in a number of statutory and government advisory committees including Family Council, Council for Sustainable Development, Community Investment and Inclusion Fund Committee and Sub-committee on Promotion of Student & Youth Volunteering of Social Welfare Department, etc.

Dr. Steven Sek-yum Ngai is Chairperson and Professor of Department of Social Work at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Director of the CUHK-Nankai Joint Research Center of Social Policy, Appointed Member of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee of Labor and Welfare Bureau of Hong Kong SAR Government, Appointed Member of the Assessment Panel for Qualification Recognition of the Social Workers Registration Board, Subject Specialist of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, and Appointed External Member of the Assessment Panel for Qualification Recognition of the Hong Kong Nursing Council. His current research interests are in the areas of social exclusion and youth citizenship, mutual aid and youth empowerment, service-learning and leadership development, and qualitative research methodology. In total, he has published over 180 articles on these areas, including 120 refereed publications in journals, books and conference proceedings. Since 2000, he has conducted 32 research projects. Among them, four are funded by RGC Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG) or RGC General Research Fund (GRF), and another 21 commissioned by government bureaus/NGOs in Hong Kong or Macau. Given his ongoing efforts and remarkable performance in teaching and research, he received CUHK Faculty of Social Science Exemplary Teaching Award in 2000, CUHK Research Excellence Award in 2011, and CUHK University Education Award in 2014.

Suen Yiu Tung (DPhil, Oxford) is Assistant Professor of Gender Studies, and Associate Director of the Gender Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the Founding Director of the Sexualities Research Programme, the first research programme in Hong Kong dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexuality issues, with a particular focus on sexual orientation, gender identity, law and social policy. He was the Principal Investigator of the ‘Study on Legislation against Discrimination on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status’ commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission, which was awarded the Community Business LGBT Advocacy Award 2016. Prof. Suen serves as the Vice-chairperson of AIDS Concern Hong Kong. He has been frequently invited to speak on LGBT issues addressing a wide range of audiences including policy makers, business leaders, lawyers, health care professionals, service providers, secondary school and university students, and social activists.

Prof. Yun Kwok WING graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is currently a Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Dean (Student affairs) of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also the Director of the Sleep Assessment Unit at Shatin Hospital. He has been the Honorary Chief of Service in the Department of Psychiatry in both Shatin Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital since 2003. Professor Wing has diverse research interests including sleep medicine, psychiatric epidemiology and transcultural psychopharmacology. His major sleep research focus is on the epidemiology of sleep disorders in both general and clinical population. He was awarded the distinguished national award for Sleep Medicine Scientific Technological Advance in China by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, China in 2010 and distinguished contribution award to Sleep Medicine by the Chinese Sleep Research Society in 2015.

Professor Wing has over 200 regular publications in international journals as well as an active involvement and contribution to the scientific communities, including his leadership service role in the Hong Kong Society of Sleep medicine (Immediate Past President, HKSSM), Asian Sleep Research Society (Committee member, ASRS), Collegium Internationale Neuropharmacologicum (Local organizing Committee of biennial CINP symposium, 2010) and World Association of Sleep Medicine (Scientific Committee, WASM, 2011-2017). He has delivered keynote lecture at World Association of Sleep Medicine (2015) and served as plenary speaker at 3rd Asean Sleep Congress, Singapore, November 2015

Professor of Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare

Director of the Jockey Club Bowel Cancer Education Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Honorary Consultant, Department of Family Medicine, Hospital Authority

Professor Martin Wong of the School of Public Health and Primary Care and is currently the Director of the Jockey Club Bowel Cancer Education Centre at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. As a specialist in family medicine and an expert in the field of colorectal cancer screening and cardiovascular pharmacology, Professor Wong has over a hundred publications in international peer-reviewed journals, received over ten international and local research awards for his studies in his area of expertise. He pioneered the establishment of the first colorectal cancer screening service provided by CUHK in 2007. He acted as a speaker for more than 400 health seminars at both local and international levels, and is also a consultant/director in more than 30 governmental committees and NGOs serving the chronically disabled and the needy. His enthusiasm to teaching has been well received by students and has been selected for the “Master Teacher” and the “Annual Teacher of the Year Award” for five years.

Dr. Wong was awarded the First Outstanding Volunteer Award by the Agency for Volunteer Service and the Hong Kong Humanity Award by Hong Kong Red Cross in 2005 and 2009, respectively. In 2010, he was conferred with the Award of Benevolence by Radio Television Hong Kong, and the next year being named as the most outstanding NGO volunteer by the Correctional Services Department. Prof. Wong is the only person in Hong Kong who received the Global Fervent for Love of Lives Medal from the Taiwan Cultural and Educational Foundation in 2011-2012, an award recognized by the international media as “Nobel Prize of Lives”. He was elected as the Ten Outstanding Young Person of Hong Kong in 2012. He was conferred an Honorary Fellowship by the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing in 2016 in recognition of his contributions to primary care.

Stephen H. S. Wong is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Sports Science & Physical Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He also serves as Co-Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research of the university. Professor Wong is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Hong Kong Association of Sports Medicine & Sports Science, and Honorary Professor of the University of Sydney. He focuses his research on physical activity and sedentary behavior on schoolchildren, and nutritional and metabolic aspects of exercise. He has published extensively in the leading journals of his field and is currently conducting several government-funded research projects aimed at understanding how schoolchildren in Hong Kong compensate their sleep and physical activity over weekends. He also serves as associate editor and member of the editorial board of various international journals in the area of exercise science and behavioral health. Professor Wong obtained his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Loughborough University as a Commonwealth Scholar. He is currently the Outstanding Fellow of the Faculty of Education at CUHK.

Professor Paul Yip is the Director of the Centre Suicide Research and Prevention and a professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong. He has served as a Secretary General of Asian Population association. He has been appointed as a part-time member of the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government in 2009-2010, 2013-2014. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award, La Trobe University in 2008 for his excellent research and service on population health especially in Asia. He is also a recipient of the Knowledge Exchange Award, The University of Hong Kong in 2013; the Stengel Research of the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) in 2011; an Outstanding Researcher and supervisor in 2009 and 2011, and a Silver Award of the 8th Asian Innovation Awards, by the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Singapore Economic Development Board in conjunction with Global Entrepolis @ Singapore 2005. He has published nearly 400 scientific papers in international journal. His current interests are in population health issues including poverty alleviation, adopting a public health approach in suicide prevention especially, restriction of means, cost-effectiveness of suicide prevention and program evaluation.