Research Projects
Mixed-Methods Investigation of Cardiometabolic Disease Risk among Ethnic Minority Adults in Hong Kong


Programme(s) to which this project applies:
☒ MPhil/PhD ☑ MRes[Med] ☒ URIS

Project Overview:

This community-based initiative headed by the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care aims to improve early detection and continuity of care for cardiometabolic diseases among ethnic minority (EM) adults in Hong Kong. This project employs nurse-led outreach to deliver free on-site health screening, point-of-care testing for HbA1c and non-fasting lipids, anthropometric measurements, and active linkage of screen-positive individuals to publicly funded care pathways (District Health Centres, Chronic Disease Co-Care Scheme, and Hospital Authority services). It also provides culturally tailored lifestyle coaching, social prescription, and psychosocial support while systematically documenting structural barriers to sustained engagement.

Objectives:

  1. Contribute to community outreach by assisting with on-site cardiometabolic screening, thereby gaining first-hand experience in delivering health services to underserved populations and collecting primary quantitative data on disease prevalence and risk profiles.
  2. Conduct and analyse in-depth qualitative interviews with EM participants to explore lived experiences of chronic disease management, perceived healthcare needs, and barriers to accessing and remaining in care.
  3. Synthesise quantitative screening data with qualitative findings to estimate the burden of undetected or poorly controlled cardiometabolic conditions and identify intervention targets for improving public chronic disease programmes more accessible and effective.

Students will be involved in 1 or more objectives – to match with their interests and the opportunities that arise. Students will also have opportunities for co-creation of research with partner NGOs.

Professor P Tanuseputro, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care

Professor Peter Tanuseputro completed his training as a Public Health and Family Medicine specialist at the University of Toronto. He joined as a Clinical Professor at the University of Hong Kong's Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care in 2024. He focuses on using linked big data to develop population perspectives on health care use and outcomes for frail, aging, and end-of-life populations. He has published over 300 PubMed papers including in many in high impact journals (e.g., JAMA, BMJ, NEJM, and JAMA).

 

Biography
HKU Scholars Hub
ORCID
petertan@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. 

Research @ Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care