Prof. Terry LUM
Principal Investigator
Professor Terry Lum holds the esteemed Henry G. Leong Professorship in Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong. His primary research interest lies in aging policies. He is a member of the Chief Executive Policy Unit and the Research Committee of the Our Hong Kong Foundation. He also serves as a member of the social services committee in several large NGOs. He directs several large-scale social care interventions, such as the JC JoyAge Project, the JC Supportive Employment Project, and the GrandMove Project. Internationally, he is a member of two World Health Organization’s committees in healthy aging and global long-term care network and a commissioner of the Lancet Commission in Person-centred Long-term Care. His contributions to the field have been recognized through his election as a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America in 2011, awards of the prestigious Career Leadership Award by the Association of Gerontology Education in Social Work in the United States in 2016, and the NTU-Kim-Koo Professorship in Taiwan in 2024. He was awarded the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Knowledge Exchange in 2014 and 2024 and the Faculty of Architecture’s Knowledge Exchange Award in 2017.
Prof. Wai Chi CHAN
Co-principal investigator
Prof. Chan joined the Department of Psychiatry in November 2012 as a clinical associate professor. He is also an honorary research fellow of Sau Po Centre on Ageing, a member of HKU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Network, and an associate member of State Key Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, HKU. As an honorary consultant at Queen Mary Hospital, he is heading the psychogeriatric service in the Hong Kong West Cluster, and a tutor and trainer of psychiatric trainees of the hospital. His research focuses on longitudinal follow-up of older persons to identify the predictors of neurocognitive disorders, prevalence and interventions of behavioural and psychological symptoms associated with neurocognitive disorders, caregiver burden and intervention, interventions for late-life depression and psychiatric epidemiology.
Prof. Gloria WONG
Co-principal investigator
Prof. Gloria Wong is Honorary Associate Professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong. Prof. Wong received her undergraduate training in Philosophy & Psychology and PhD training in Psychiatry from The University of Hong Kong. Her research aims to apply knowledge of these disciplines to improve well-being of people with mental health conditions, including dementia and psychosis, and preventive mental health in older people and young adults. She has been co-leading two large-scale preventive mental health programmes, JC JoyAge and LevelMind@JC, to co-develop with stakeholders models of effective community mental health prevention. Her previous government consultancy research has facilitated the routine provision of the Dementia Community Support Scheme, improving access to care and intervention for thousands of families living with dementia every year. These research projects have been translated into over 130 international peer-reviewed journal papers, six book chapters, and two books. Beyond academic research, Gloria actively serves the community by advising NGOs and supporting professional/public education. She is currently the Director of Training for Cognitive Stimulation Therapy-Hong Kong. She has trained over 900 health and social care professionals from Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, and nearby regions.
Ms. Angie SHUM
PROJECT MANAGER (CLINICAL) AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Stephanie WONG
PROJECT MANAGER (RESEARCH) AND RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Dr. Stephanie Wong is Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Work and Social Administration and the Project Manager (Research) of the JC JoyAge project. She received her PhD in psychiatry from The University of Hong Kong and has since been working on multiple projects involving populations spanning from clinical samples with psychotic disorders, community samples with at-risk mental state and high-risk depressive symptoms, as well as epidemiological youth samples. Her research interests involve the identification of early markers and risk factors for mental disorders in community members, particularly the influences of environmental factors and their interactions with personal factors, both in young and older adults in the hope to inform early preventative intervention work. She has also been actively exploring the use of low-stigma and digital approaches in mental health assessments and interventions by involving others with lived experiences throughout the design and implementation process as means to improve awareness and help-seeking among the general public.
Dr. Dara LEUNG
RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Dr Dara Leung is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong, where she obtained her PhD specialising in dementia studies. With master’s degrees in health psychology and Buddhist studies, she is interested in research revolving around dementia, late-life mental health, and Buddhist psychology. Her current research focuses on conceptualising and cultivating compassion in older people and their carers, with the aim of improving their overall well-being. She is also keen to explore how information and communication technology can enhance the access and efficacy of psychosocial interventions for older people with dementia and mental health problems.
Mr. Raymond CHAN
SENIOR TRAINING OFFICER AND SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER
Dr. Michelle LEUNG
Training Officer and Clinical Psychologist
Michelle is a clinical psychologist and a training officer in the team. She has completed a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from University College London and a master’s degree in mental health studies from King’s College London. During the clinical training, her research thesis focused on the effectiveness of virtual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (vCST) with people with dementia. Michelle currently specialises in working with people with depression and anxiety disorders, from children and youth to the ageing population. Her clinical work is informed by cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), commitment-focused therapy (CFT) and systemic and narrative approaches.
Mr. Nicholas CHEUNG
TRAINING OFFICER AND SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER
Nicholas is a registered social worker. He has experience in working with mental health in youth and aging population, male victims of domestic violence and people with social disadvantage. He is interested in the practices of experiential learning and somatic experiencing. He believes in the strength-based approach while providing clinical social work and supervision.
Ms. Stella WONG
TRAINING OFFICER AND SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER
Stella is a registered social worker. She has served in different settings, including hostels, schools, family and elderly centers. She is also experienced in volunteer training, development and management. She believes continuous participation in the community is the key in maintaining elderly’s physical, mental, social and spiritual health.
Dr. Yao DU
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
Dr. Lucy LU
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
Ms. Wing Yin FOR
SOCIAL WORKER
As a budding social worker, Ms. For is dedicated to working with older adults susceptible to mental health challenges, as well as providing support to caregivers and fostering their resilience and competence. She is interested in both clinical practice and research, hoping to integrate them into her efforts to promote older adult mental health. She also strives to induce positive changes in the community, whether it is through advocating for mental health awareness, or implementing interventions that cater to the unique needs of her clients.
Mr. Ken HO
SOCIAL WORKER
Ken is a registered social worker. He is a compassionate social worker dedicated to empowering the elderly and promoting mental health. With a deep passion for working with older adults, he is dedicated to empowering older adults and is driven to foster positive change and enhance community awareness surrounding mental health issues. He firmly believes in the value of understanding each individual and their unique circumstances, and integrating them into the community, recognizing the profound impact of social connections on overall well-being.
Ms. Coco LEE
Content Creator
Coco has strong background in media production. She mainly supports public awareness matters in JoyAge and create supporting materials which is suitable to older adults, aiming to raise older adult mental health literacy among the general public and to promote older adult mental health wellbeing in the society.
Mr. Bowen CHEUNG
Public Education Officer
Mr. Eric YIU
RESEARCH & SYSTEM SUPPORT OFFICER
Eric is particularly interested in investigating the mental health condition and depressive symptoms of older adults. He is also deeply committed to promoting elderly mental health and preventing elderly depression.
Ms. Zuna NG
SENIOR Research Assistant
Zuna is interested in experimental study particually in late life mental health and resilience. She is passionate in working with at-risk individuals and hopes to enhance public awareness about old age emotional wellness and mental disorder prevention.
Ms. Jessica LEE
Research Assistant
As a driven research assistant with Psychology major, Jessica aspires to contribute to psychology research and expand knowledge in the field in a hands-on manner. She is committed to being a member of community psychological services in Hong Kong.
Ms. Melody IP
Research Assistant
Melody is a psychology graduate who is passionate about layperson-led interventions for individuals who struggle with mental health issues, as well as service navigation within the community. She aspires to create a mental health-friendly community by raising public awareness about emotional well-being.
Ms. Dipsy WONG
Research Assistant
Dipsy is a research assistant with a background in psychology and counselling. With her experience in working with the elderly and their caregivers, she is dedicated to enhancing their emotional well-being, resilience, and quality of life. She is also interested in the concept of peer support in mental health.
Ms. Pik Ying CHAN
Executive Officer