CRF2 Team
Project Coordinator
Dr ZAYTS-SPENCE, Olga
Olga Zayts-Spence is an Associate Professor at The University of Hong Kong. She directs the Research and Impact Initiative on Communication in Healthcare (HKU RIICH). She is an interdisciplinary researcher who draws on her dual training in (socio)linguistics and public health. She has conducted extensive research in several medical and healthcare settings: genetic counselling, cancer clinics, end-of-life care. Her most recent projects explore the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of two vulnerable demographic groups in the workforce, such as working mothers and young adults (university graduates transitioning to the workforce). She collaborates closely with government and private healthcare institutions, NGOs, and business organizations in Hong Kong and internationally.
Co-Principal Investigators
Professor CHAN, Cecilia K.Y.
Cecilia Chan is the Founding Director of the Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) and Professor in the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Cecilia has a dual discipline expertise in engineering and education; she has been playing a key role in enhancing engineering, and science education as well as teaching and learning in higher education. Her combined expertise in these fields and multi-cultural experience enabled her to lead and conduct research on topics such as assessment and feedback, experiential learning, technology-enhanced learning, and the development and assessment of 21st century skills spanning in education from East to West.
Dr FORTUNE, Zoë
Zoë Fortune is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Heriot-Watt University, Dubai and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong. She leads the Mental Health Communication research cluster at HKU RIICH. A mixed methods researcher, she combines psychological research and evaluation methods with work to support practical implementation. She has worked across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East within charity, international development, forensic and healthcare settings with work aiming to improve healthcare and mental healthcare communication, delivery and outcomes. Her current research focuses on workplace mental health. She is interested in vulnerable populations in the workplace including students and graduates, working mothers and those who are dealing with mental health difficulties.
Ms. FUNG, Jaime
Jaime Fung was the Director of Careers and Placement of CEDARS (Centre of Development and Resources for Students) of The University of Hong Kong (HKU). She has been leading the team in offering and delivering elite career support services and training programs to HKU students and graduates in attaining promising employability and workplace effectiveness. Prior to HKU, she had assumed senior Human Resources, organization development and consulting roles in different sectors, accumulating 30 years’ of commercial and education experiences, coaching and facilitating adults and students in developing satisfying career journeys. She obtained her Master's in Social Sciences in Behaviorial Health and Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology from HKU.
Professor HAFNER, Christoph A.
Christoph A. Hafner is a Professor in the Department of English, City University of Hong Kong. He is the President of the Asia-Pacific LSP and Professional Communication Association and a past President of the Hong Kong Association for Applied Linguistics. His current research projects investigate digital multimodal pedagogies in language education contexts and the second language socialization processes of law students in Hong Kong. He has published widely in the areas of English for specific purposes, digital literacies, and language learning and technology. His books include: Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction (2nd edition) (Routledge, 2021, co-authored with Rodney Jones); and English in the Disciplines: A multidimensional model for ESP course design (Routledge, 2019, co-authored with Lindsay Miller).
Professor JAWORSKA, Sylvia
Sylvia Jaworska is a Professor of Language and Professional Communication at the University of Reading. Her main research interest is in discourse analysis and corpus linguistics. Her research is interdisciplinary, cross-linguistic and cross-cultural. She combines corpus and computational tools with discourse-analytical techniques to study language use and linguistic practices in professional contexts including (new) media, business and health communication. She is a co-author of Language and Media (Routledge, 2020).
Professor JONES, Rodney
Rodney Jones is a Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Reading. His research interests include discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, and language and digital media. He has contributed research in areas of health communication, digital literacies, and language and creativity. He has authored or edited 15 books and over 100 journal articles and book chapters. His books include Health and Risk Communication: An Applied Linguistic Perspective (Routledge, 2013), Spoken Discourse (Bloomsbury, 2016), Understanding Digital Literacies: A practical introduction, 2nd edition (Routledge, 2021) and The Routledge Handbook of Language and Creativity (2015). He has recently edited Viral Discourse, a collection about the language of COVID-19, with Cambridge University Press.
Dr LEE, Carmen
Carmen Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is also Associate Editor of the journal Discourse, Context & Media, and co-editor of the Routledge Language and Digital Media book series. Her research on digital discourse has been concerned with the relationship between people’s online practices and their everyday lived experiences, and the impact of digital discourse on social practices. Her major publications include Language Online (2013, Routledge), Multilingualism Online (2017, Routledge), and Researching Language and Social Media (2022, Routledge). Recently, she has been researching aggressive discourses such as hate speech and doxxing online.
Dr LUK, Pauline
Pauline Luk is a multidisciplinary scholar with a diverse research background in communication, medical education, and social change. She received her PhD from the National University of Singapore. Her principal research interests are medical education (professionalism, online learning, collaborative learning, and mental wellness) and health communication (alternative medicines, health information seeking, and health policy). She had worked on a variety of social justice-oriented health communication campaigns in Singapore. She taught at a university in Hong Kong and at NUS where she gained experience in teaching communication, public relations, and marketing.
Dr WONG, Paul W.C.
Paul Wong is a clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong. He has been involved in suicide prevention research and mental health promotion and practice since 2003. His recent research projects include youth social withdrawal behaviour, using animals as part of educational and psychological interventions, youth positive development of local and non-Chinese young people, and family caregiving for people with psychological issues. His main research theme aims to promote social inclusion in our society and has published about 90 academic articles and book chapters.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Dr EDMONDS, David Matthews
David Matthew Edmonds is currently a post-doctoral fellow with HKU RIICH. His primary research interest centers on utilizing sociolinguistic methods to understand healthcare communication in different contexts. His current research project involves investigating the mental health experiences of people working in end-of-life care settings. In addition, he also conducts research on gender in interaction and science and technology studies (STS).
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Dr WU, Jasper Zhao Zhen
Jasper Zhao Zhen Wu is a postdoctoral fellow in the School of English, University of Hong Kong (HKU). His research interests are at the intersection of language policy, mental health, and youth development. Wu received his PhD from the National University of Singapore (2020-2024) before joining the School of English. His current projects study sociolinguistic developments in these areas related to technology-mediated communication (with a focus on AI-human interaction) and in southern China (with a focus on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area). He has also worked on topics of transcultural discourses and workplace mental health. Wu has published in prominent journals across linguistics and psychology, including Language in Society, Language Sciences and BMC Psychology. He is a current research member of the HKU Research and Impact Initiative on Communication on Healthcare (HKU RIICH). He is currently working on a monograph about the regulative language practices in business incubation.
Collaborators
Dr POWELL, Candice
Dr. Candice Powell is the Chief Executive Officer Mind HK which aims to raise awareness and provide support for mental health in Hong Kong. She has nearly 15 years of experience in clinical psychology, specializing in transdiagnostic therapy, low-intensity psychological intervention, mindful parenting, and internet therapy. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist in the Accredited Register of the Hong Kong Government and fellow of The Hong Kong Psychological Society. In addition to her leadership role at Mind HK, she is an active contributor to the academic and research community. Dr. Powell is an Honorary Lecturer at The University of Hong Kong and collaborates on multiple research projects with local and international institutes. Her mission is to advance the field of mental health by applying and disseminating evidence-based interventions and mindfulness practices in the Hong Kong context.
Ms. THIANG, Odile
Odile Thiang is a Paediatric Nurse Practitioner, having completed her undergraduate and graduate education at The University of Toronto, and coming to Hong Kong with 8 years of clinical experience at Sick Kids Hospital, in Toronto. In Hong Kong, Odile has focused on mental health and education. At Mind HK Odile is a clinical advisor focusing on youth mental health and anti-stigma. Odile is also a teaching fellow at the HK PolyU, School of Nursing, and an Honorary Nurse Consultant at the HK Children’s Hospital. Her commitment to serving marginalised communities led her to work on the improvement of mental health care, as well as working with vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth.
Project Manager
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Mr. CHAN, Angus
Angus Chan manages the administrative, financial, personnel, and public relations functions of the CRF project, and provides research support to project team members. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in English Studies at the University of Hong Kong. From 2021 to 2022, he held a Visiting Studentship at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, where he studied English Language and Literature. Angus’ teaching and research interests centre broadly on sociolinguistics, with particular foci in historical sociolinguistics, variationist sociolinguistics and World Englishes (specifically in Asian contexts). He currently holds a concurrent role as a Teaching Assistant in the School of English at the University of Hong Kong, where he contributes to the delivery of English Language and Linguistics and Language and Communication courses.
Research Assistants
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Ms. NG, Josephine
Josephine graduated from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2024 with a major in English Studies and Comparative Literature and a minor in Gender Studies. Her academic interests revolve around contemporary English literature, film studies, feminism, and queer studies. She is particularly passionate about exploring women issues and the transition of graduates into the workplace. Before joining RIICH, Josephine served as an administrative assistant at the Faculty of Arts, where she developed a keen interest in understanding how Arts graduates navigate their entry into the workforce. Beyond her academic pursuits, Josephine is an enthusiastic photographer, cinemagoer and an avid reader, seeking to capture and reflect on the world through her lens.
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Ms. ZHU, Heathrow
Heathrow Zhu holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's degree in Education (with Distinction) from the University of Hong Kong. Her academic interest is centered on language education and intercultural communication, with a particular focus on English Medium Instruction (EMI) and international higher education. Prior to working at RIICH, Heathrow gained over four years of practical experience in the field of education. This includes a year of voluntary teaching in mountainous regions and three years as an educator in an international school. These experiences have sharpened her skills in designing inclusive curricula and navigating cross-cultural learning environments, enabling her to translate complex educational theories into practical, student-centered solutions.