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Dr Judy Yuen-man Siu
PolyU Scholars Hub

Dr Judy SIU

Associate Professor

Biography

Dr Judy Siu is an anthropologist with a strong research interest in health care. Having received trainings in anthropology from her undergraduate and Research Master’s degrees, and then in public health from her PhD studies, she is keen on using qualitative research approach in the studies of various health topics. She had started her journey of medical anthropology in her Research Master’s studies by participating in different qigong and tai chi classes as a participant-observer, investigating as an insider, how chronically ill patients use complementary and alternative medicine to get over their illness. She further developed her professional training in medical anthropology in her research doctoral studies. By investigating how the SARS epidemic in 2003 was socially and culturally constructed in Hong Kong in her PhD thesis, Dr Siu expanded her research interest further to other contemporary health topics in human society, such as health behaviours and illness-associated stigmas in relation to infectious diseases.

Dr Siu has solid experience and track records in social-cultural and anthropological studies of medicine and health issues. Her publications are seen in various international peer-reviewed journals and books. She has extensive research experience in the qualitative studies of different health issues in Hong Kong, such as the meanings and the use of complementary and alternative medicine as overcoming and resistant strategies for chronically ill patients, the interrelationship between social experience and health behaviours in infectious disease outbreaks, the illness experience of chronically ill patients and their caregivers, illness-associated stigmas, doctor-patient communication in relation to social structure and gender hierarchy, the interrelationship between people’s perceptions on vaccines and vaccination behaviours, the perception and adoption of related preventive health behaviours, treatment seeking behaviours, and the interrelationship between health inequality and social inequality.

Dr Siu has obtained competitive external research grants in the role of principal investigator from the General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong, and from the Quality Education Fund of the Education Bureau of Hong Kong. She also serves as co-investigator in some grants from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Food and Health Bureau, partnering with other health social scientists and public health practitioners in researching contemporary health topics.

Education and Academic Qualifications

  • PhD, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Australia
  • MPhil, Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • BSSc with honours, Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Academic and Professional Experience

Research Interests

  • Social and cultural determinants of health
  • People’s perceptions and responses on health and diseases
  • Health and illness behaviours
  • Illness experiences
  • Health inequalities
  • Illness-associated stigmas
  • Interdisciplinary Centre for Qualitative Research

Grants (selected)

Siu J.Y.M., Chan E.A., Lee I.Y.M. (1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021). “Investigation of the decreasing blood donors: A qualitative study on the perceptions and values of blood donation to Hong Kong people”. Funded by General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong. [PolyU 15602018]. Grant amount: HK$665,000.

Siu J.Y.M., Fung T.K.F. (1 January 2017 – 30 June 2019). “Promoting Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to women and men in Hong Kong: An investigation by using qualitative and experimental approaches”. Funded by General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong. [PolyU 12641016]. Grant amount: HK$568,000.

Siu J.Y.M., Chan K., Lee A. (1 March 2015 – 29 February 2016). “Promoting healthy eating to adolescents in Hong Kong: A school-based health intervention.” Funded by Quality Education Fund, Education Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, [EDB/QEF/2013/0831]. Grant amount: HK$194,800.

Yeung N.C.Y., Chan E.Y.Y., Cheng C., Mak W.W.S., Siu J.Y.M., Cheung P. (20 December 2021 – 19 February 2023). Supportive care needs and telehealth-related perceptions as determinants of intention to use telehealth for supportive oncology care among recently-diagnosed breast cancer survivors. Funded by Health and Medical Research Fund, Food and Health Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Shum D.H.K., Cao Y., Siu J.Y.M. (March 2021 – February 2022). “Psychological trauma and unsafe behaviour during the COVID-19 epidemic: A mixed-method study of people’s emotion, knowledge, attitude and behaviour.” Funded by Health and Medical Research Fund, Commissioned Research on the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), Food and Health Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [COVID190217]. Grant amount: HK$1,408,810.

 

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