Research Postgraduate Studies
School of Nursing

1.1. Cancer and Palliative Care

Our thematic research group focuses on a wide variety of empirical interdisciplinary and collaborative research, which contributes toward enhancing the experience and outcomes of cancer patients. Our researchers run major programmes to transform knowledge on symptom assessment, biological mechanisms for symptom management, psychosocial needs of cancer patients, interventions related to supportive care, ethical and legal issues in the practice of advance directives and living will, and end-of-life decision making. Our long-term vision is to develop new knowledge and inform clinical practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of care delivered by nurses and other healthcare professionals.

1.2 Gerontology and Long-term Care

This thematic research group focuses on the several global research priorities in tackling the impact of rapid population aging. First, in this Decade of Healthy Aging, we have a solid research track record in promoting the intrinsic capacity of older adults through risk factor modification including sarcopenia, frailty, cognitive decline and social loneliness. Second, by integrating the clinical, tele-medicine and behavioural science, this group has developed various innovative practices to enhance the health outcomes and self-care of persons with prevalent cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease, stroke, coronary heart disease and heart failure. Third, cognitive heath is also a key research priority of the group, and we have extensively used the strength-based concept to develop lifestyle interventions, caregiver empowerment and dyadic care model to enhance dementia prevention and management in a family context. Last but not the least, our research extend to building the capacity of informal care including family caregivers and volunteers to buffer the overstretched aged care service.

2.1. Community and Mental Health Nursing

We focus on the development of effective strategies that benefits our communities in mental well-being and quality of life. We have delved into community projects that cover the areas of child and adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health, behavioural health and chronic disease management. We have conducted multi-centred randomised controlled trials, population-based epidemiological studies, community-based health promotion projects, neurological imaging studies, and other novel designed studies with new technology. Our work has influenced policies and clinical recommendations of both national and international agencies in areas such as breastfeeding and scoliosis screening.

2.2. Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Control

We are one of the leading international research teams on smoking cessation and tobacco control policy. The team has continuously transformed smoking cessation services and influenced tobacco control policies worldwide. Our smoking intervention models have been widely adopted by smoking-cessation providers in Hong Kong, and have informed development of smoking cessation services in the WHO West Pacific Region. The research team has provided >50 Smoking Cessation Counsellor Training Programs to >2000 nurses, physicians, pharmacists, community social workers and students in Hong Kong over the past 2 decades. Every year since 2013, we have conducted large-scale randomised controlled trials to examine the effectiveness of various novel smoking cessation intervention models via a ‘Quit Win Contest’, to build capacity and promote smoking cessation in 18 districts in Hong Kong. Our World’s first peer-led HKU Youth Quitline (since 2005) has been recognised as a Core Partner of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence. The team also obtained numerous external competitive grants, including GRF and HMRF to conduct large-scale pragmatic randomized controlled trails focusing on finding cost-effective, scalable and sustainable intervention for preventing and promoting smoking cessation amongst smokers in clinical and community settings. Our research findings have been published in top international journals with high impacts on clinical applications locally and internationally. Finally, since 2013 our large territory-wide smoking-related policy surveys have provided key evidence on tobacco industry de-normalisation, the negligible effects of taxation on smuggling, the adverse effects of e-cigarette use on respiratory symptoms in adolescents, the null and probable adverse effects of e-cigarettes on quitting in youth smokers and adult smokers, and the public support for e-cigarette regulation and plain packaging and the tobacco ‘endgame’.