KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Prof. Jee Hyun KIM
Professor, School of Medicine
Deakin University
Australia
Professor Jee Hyun Kim is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and the Head of Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory at the School of Medicine, Deakin University. After obtaining her PhD from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Jee received postdoctoral training at University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA) before her appointment at the University of Melbourne in 2011. Dr Kim joined Deakin University in 2020. Jee studies the neurobiology of memory in mental disorders across development and ageing in rodents and humans, with a strong cognition focus.
Apart from basic neuroscience work in memory, Jee is currently managing the Trimetazidine In bipolar DEpression (TIDE) clinical trial to test the efficacy of a metabolic drug on reducing depression in bipolar disorder. Jee has won numerous national and international awards for her ground-breaking work (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jee_Hyun_Kim), including the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry Young Investigator Award in 2024. Jee has >120 publications, for which she is the corresponding author to >60. Her work is cited ~5,000 times across many countries.
Jee is an active science communicator, with her TEDxMelbourne talk reaching > 800,000 views (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_t9O5MgisM).
Jee strongly believes in open science and collaborations to actively combat the replication crisis in science. For example, she has been leading mapping of dopamine receptors (DOPAMAP) across development in partnership with the Human Brain Project funded by European Union (https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/about/project-structure/partnering-projects/dopamap/).
Prof. CHAN Ko Ling, Edward
Chair Professor of Child and Family Welfare &
RGC Senior Research Fellow
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Prof. Edward Chan is the Chair Professor of Child and Family Welfare at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, an RGC Senior Research Fellow. Prof. Chan is an internationally renowned scholar in family violence studies and the pioneering researcher in family poly-victimization. Since 2019, Stanford University reports have ranked him among the top 2% of scientists worldwide.
Dr. MANN Ka Fai, Stephen, PhD, PsyD
Registered Clinical Psychologist (UK, Australia and New Zealand)
Registered Counselling Psychologist (HK)
Registered Occupational Therapist (HK)
More than 30 years of experiences with a PhD and a PsyD, Dr. Stephen Mann is a seasoned Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, and Occupational Therapist who have expertise training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He also obtained association and national registration in psychology in Hong Kong, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Dr. Mann is also a renowned trainer and speaker in psychology, counselling, child mental health, and health care issue.
Dr. Mann has published peer-reviewed articles on topics such as mindfulness-based interventions, acceptance and commitment therapy, mental illness stigma, and psychological responses to trauma. His work includes systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials, contributing to advancements in mental health research. Dr. Mann has received recognition for his contributions, including the Outstanding Academic Papers Award (City University of Hong Kong) and the Best Hospital Programme Award (Hong Kong Hospital Authority).
Dr. Mann actively supports teaching and helping professionals through collaborations with schools, universities, and NGOs in Hong Kong, He also provides clinical supervision to psychologists, counsellors, social workers and trainees, offering guidance to enhance their therapeutic skills. His supervision draws on his extensive experience in clinical psychology and occupational therapy, providing a structured framework to meet diverse professional needs.
GUEST SPEAKERS
The Team
Who We Are
Prof. LI Ka Wai, Carrie
Principal Investigator of the Project Stride &
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration
The University of Hong Kong
Professor Carrie Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong and the Principal Investigator of the “Jockey Club Project Stride.” Her research focuses on family violence, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), with an emphasis on applying empirical findings to local services and policy development. She has led Hong Kong’s first representative survey on ACEs among adults, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to uncover the prevalence, intergenerational impacts, and culturally specific dimensions of ACEs. Professor Li also advocates for trauma-informed and strengths-based intervention models, aiming to foster innovation and practice in child and family services across the community.
Dr. WAN Ho Yin, Adrian, PhD
Lecturer, Department of Social Work and Social Administration & Deputy Programme Director of MSocSc in
Behavioral Health Centre on Behavioral Health
The University of Hong Kong
Dr. Adrian Wan is a researcher, educator, registered social worker, and compassion-informed psychotherapist at the Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD under the Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU; and had attended postgraduate trainings in HKU and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is currently the Deputy Director of the Master of Social Sciences (Behavioral Health) Program at HKU. His research interests lie in evidence-based practice of mindfulness and self-compassion-based practices, holistic health approaches to wellness, psycho-social oncology, cancer survivorship, and coping with trauma. He was presented the Young Investigator Award in 2011 by the scientific committee of the 18th Hong Kong International Cancer Congress (HKICC).
As an educator, Dr. Wan teaches courses related to behavioural health, scientific inquiry, clinical assessment, practicum in behavioural health, and contemplative approaches to personal and social well-being.
Dr. Wan is the first Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher in Hong Kong. As a mental health practitioner, he works with people suffering from a spectrum of mood-related problems. Dr. Wan also provides workshops and training programmes to promote holistic health within the community of helping professionals and the general population in Hong Kong.
Ms. PANG Kit Ling
Ex-Assistant Director
(Family and Child Welfare)
Social Welfare Department
Ms PANG was determined to become a social worker since she learned of the profession at the age of 16. Graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1984, she started her journey of social work career in the Social Welfare Department and was retired in 2021. In over 37 years of service, her work touched upon a wide spectrum including psychiatric social work, social welfare subventions, domestic violence and child protection, rehabilitation service, elderly service, family and child welfare service.
Moderators
Prof. LAM Ching Man
Professor
Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Science
Saint Francis University
Prof. Wong Yuen Ha
Janet
Dean of School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Dr. CHUI Wing Ho
William
Specialist in Psychiatry
Prof. LEE Wing Yan
Vivian
Associate Professor
Center for Learning Enhancement And Research (CLEAR)
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dr. TSANG Wai Hung
Wallace
Assistant Professor Department of Social Work
Hong Kong Shue Yan University