Research Projects
Effects of a hybrid, personalised mindfulness-optimised pulmonary rehabilitation (Mindful-Breath) programme for active living for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A pilot randomised controlled trial

The Mindful-Breath project is an assessor-blind pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a personalized mindfulness-optimized pulmonary rehabilitation programme for Chinese COPD patients. The 8-week intervention includes hybrid mindfulness-based sessions and tailored instant messaging for goal setting and counseling, compared to a control group receiving basic COPD education. Using questionnaires, wristband trackers, and spirometry, the study assesses physical activity, lung function, stress, spiritual well-being, symptom burden, and quality of life. URIS students will engage in recruitment, participant interaction, data collection, and study design, gaining hands-on research skills. This study addresses critical gaps in COPD care, potentially enhancing clinical practice and health outcomes.

Professor YY Kwok, School of Nursing

Prof. Jojo Kwok is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing and the Associate Director at the Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong. She is a registered nurse and a certified yoga instructor in Hong Kong, holding a BNurs (First Class Honours), MPH and PhD degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof. Kwok's research portfolio centers around neurology care, behavioral science and rehabilitation medicine, focusing on nurse-led, compassionate-based care models for movement disorders. Her pioneering research has been published in top-rank journals in clinical neurology, gerontology and behavioral medicine, such as JAMA Neurology, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, and npj Parkinson's Disease. Her scholarly works have gained international attention and have been featured in regional and international news media outlets such as Reuters and Radio Television Hong Kong. The impact of her research is evident, with her publications cited in international guidelines such as the 2021 and 2024 Lancet Seminar on Parkinson's disease, and she was listed in the top 2% of the world's most cited scientists in 2023 by Stanford University. With her dedication to advancing health and social care services for aging populations, Prof. Kwok successfully obtained a substantial donation (HK$12.87M; US$1.6M) to support her leadership in developing and implementing a territory-wide, community-based compassionate care model for managing Parkinson's disease.

In recognition to her research achievement and contribution to the nursing profession, Prof. Kwok has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2024, and an Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award from the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International in 2023. She has also received an Early Career Award from the Hong Kong Society of Behavioral Health in 2022, an Outstanding New Researcher Award in 2021, an Early Career Award and a Meritorious Scientific Abstract Award in 2018 from the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM). She has been appointed as an external reviewer for national competitive research grants such as the Dutch Research Council and the Austrian Science Fund. Additionally, Prof. Kwok serves as a council member and education and training committee member of the Hong Kong Parkinson's Disease Foundation, contributing to PD-specific education and training for patients, caregivers, and allied health professionals.

Furthering her research expertise, Prof. Kwok is also a Research Scholar (Visiting) at the Osher Center for Integrative Health, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is actively engaged in international collaboration on mechanistic and effectiveness investigation of integrative care and mind-body modalities, complementing her primary work on nurse-led, compassionate-based care models for movement disorders.

Prof. Kwok is currently accepting PhD applications, please reach out for more information.

Biography
Scholars Hub
ORCID
jojoyyk@hku.hk

For more information or to express interest for this project, please email the supervisor or the specified contact point in the project description.  Interested candidates are advised to enclose with your email:

1. your CV,
2. a brief description of your research interest and experience, and
3. two reference letters (not required for HKUMed UG students seeking MRes[Med]/URIS projects).

Information on the research programme, funding support and admission documentations could be referenced online at the Research Postgraduate Admissions website. General admission enquiries should be directed to rpgmed@hku.hk.

HKUMed MBBS students interested in the Master of Research in Medicine (MRes[Med]) programme may visit the programme website for more information.  

HKUMed UG students interested in the Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme (URIS) may visit the scheme’s website for more information.