Research Assistant Professor

PolyU Scholars Hub

Dr Dalinda Isabel SANCHEZ VIDANA

Research Assistant Professor (Traditional Chinese Medicine)

BSc (ENCB-IPN), MBiomedSc (UU), PhD (PolyU), MB-EAT-Qualified Instructor, Certified Health and Wellness Coach

ST528
+852 2766 7093
dalinda-isabel.sanchezvidana@polyu.edu.hk
Traditional Chinese Medicine

PolyU Scholars Hub

ORCID ID

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Biography

Dr Sanchez is a biomedical scientist, a certified Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) instructor, and a certified Health and Wellness Coach. She earned a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical industrial chemistry from ENCB-IPN, Mexico, a master's degree in biomedical sciences from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, where she was an Utrecht Excellence Scholarship awardee, and a PhD in biological sciences from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Additionally, she completed a postdoc at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden and intensive research training in obesity management as a visiting academic at the University of Western Australia. Dr Sanchez also completed her mindfulness teaching certification and Health and Wellness Coaching training at the Mindful Eating Training Institute in the USA and a mindfulness teaching training course at the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation in the UK.

Her research focus is on the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in addressing disordered eating behaviours and their underlying neurophysiological mechanisms in the context of obesity management. Additionally, she conducts research on the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric and neurological disorders, with a particular focus on neurogenesis and the impact of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as aromatherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. This work explores neurogenesis as a crucial plasticity mechanism associated with the pathophysiology of neurological and affective disorders, investigating the effects of CAM on neurogenesis using both cell-based and animal models.

As a Principal Investigator in Hong Kong, Dr Sanchez successfully obtained over HK$1.5 million funding for various projects, including a Student-Staff Partnership Seed Fund Scheme of PolyU facilitating collaborative learning through compassion, a Health and Medical Research Fund-Fellowship Scheme focusing on digital Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training for obesity management, and startup funds for investigating lavender essential oil's potential as a depression treatment. Furthermore, she led initiatives in Sweden with the Bertil and Berit Adström Research Foundation grant for kidney disease research and played a crucial role as a Project Leader in sustaining suicide prevention efforts in Hong Kong through the WeCare Fund Grants.

Driven by a passion for re-connecting the mind and body to promote mental and physical health, Dr Sanchez is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and improving outcomes in the fields of mindfulness-based interventions and psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Education and Academic Qualifications

Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training-Qualified Instructor, METI, USA
Certified Health and Wellness Coach, METI, USA
Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Master of Biomedical Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Industrial Chemistry, ENCB-IPN, Mexico

Research Interests

Research Output

Zhang, J. J., Bai, Z., Sánchez Vidaña, D. I., Cousijn, J., & Fong, K. N. K. (2024). Computational simulation of transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced electric fields in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of heavy cannabis using individuals. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 93, 103963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.103963
Lau, W. K.-W., Sanchez Vidaña, D. I., Tai, A. P.-L., Chan, J. N.-M., Ngan, L. H.-M., Leung, M.-K., & Lau, B. W.-M. (2023). The Differential Effect of Oxytocin on Mindfulness in People with Different Resilience Level. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02186-5
Lau, B. W.-M., Lee, J. C.-D., Sanchez-Vidaña, D. I., Chan, J. N.-M., Lau, W. K.-W., and So, K.-F. (2023). The Neural correlates of COVID-19-induced erectile dysfunction in males. Ageing Neur Dis 3, 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/and.2023.09
Sanchez Vidana, D. I.* (first author and corresponding author), Li, J., Abokyi, S., Chan, N. M. J., Ngai, P. C. S. & Lau, B. W. M. (2023). In vitro methods in autophagy research: Applications in neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience.
Zhang, J. J., Sánchez Vidaña, D. I. (first co-author), Chan, J. N.-M., Hui, E. S. K., Lau, K. K., Wang, X., Lau, B. W. M., & Fong, K. N. K. (2023). Biomarkers for prognostic functional recovery poststroke: A narrative review. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.1062807
Chan, J. N.-M., Sánchez-Vidaña, D. I., et al. (2022). RNA-binding protein signaling in adult neurogenesis. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. Doi:10.3389/fcell.2022.982549. Publication included in the e-book of the research topic “Protein-RNA interplay regulated signalling in stem cells and cancer”
He, A. W. J., Ngai, S. P. C., Cheung, K. K., Lau, B. W. M., Sánchez-Vidaña, D. I., & Pang, M. Y. C. (2022). Impacts of Cigarette Smoke (CS) on Muscle Derangement in Rodents-A Systematic Review. Toxics, 10(5), 262.
Cortés-Álvarez Nadia Yanet, Saldivar Garduño Alicia, Sánchez-Vidaña D.I., and Vuelvas-Olmos César Rubén (2023). A longitudinal study of the psychological state of teachers before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico. Psychological Reports. Psychological Reports, Vol.126(6)2789–2820
Vuelvas-Olmos, C. R., Sánchez-Vidaña, D. I., & Cortés-Álvarez, N. Y. (2022). Gender-Based Analysis of the Association Between Mental Health, Sleep Quality, Aggression, and Physical Activity Among University Students During the COVID-19 Outbreak. Psychological Reports, 00332941221086209.
Ahorsu Kwasi Daniel, Sánchez-Vidaña D. I., et al. (2021) Effect of a peer‐led intervention combining mental health promotion with coping‐strategy‐ based workshops on mental health awareness, help‐seeking behavior, and wellbeing among university students in Hong Kong. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 15:6.
Sánchez-Vidaña D. I., et al. (2019). Molecular targets of Bis (7)-cognitin and its relevance in neurological disorders: A systematic review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 445.
Sánchez-Vidaña, D. I. et al. (2019). Lavender essential oil ameliorates depression-like behaviour and increases neurogenesis and dendritic complexity in rats. Neuroscience Letters, 701, 180-192.
Liao, L.-Y., Lau, B.-M., Sánchez-Vidaña D. I., et al. (2019). Exogenous neural stem cell transplantation for cerebral ischemia. Neural Regeneration Research, 14:7, 1129-1137.
Sánchez-Vidaña D. I., et al. (2017). The effectiveness of aromatherapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: eCAM 2017:5869315.
Sánchez-Vidaña D. I., et al. (2017). The use of omic technologies applied to traditional Chinese medicine research. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017:1–19.
Po KK-T; Leung JW-H; Chan JN-M; Fung TK-H; Sánchez-Vidaña D. I.; et al. (2017). Protective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on dextromethorphan-induced mood impairment and neurogenesis suppression. Brain Research Bulletin, 134.
Chan Jackie N-M; Lee Jada C-D; Lee Sylvia S P; Hui Katy K Y; Chan Alan H L; Fung Timothy K-H; Sánchez-Vidaña D. I.; et al. (2017). Interaction effect of social isolation and high dose corticosteroid on neurogenesis and emotional behavior. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. Frontiers Media SA:18.
Sánchez-Vidaña D. I.; et al. (2016). Repeated treatment with oxytocin promotes hippocampal cell proliferation, dendritic maturation and affects socio-emotional behavior. Neuroscience 333:65–77.

2024-2025 Student-Staff Partnership (SSP) Seed Fund Scheme | Community of Practice,
Educational Development Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. Empowering
Learning through Compassion: A roadmap for cultivating a supportive student-teacher collaboration built on
compassion." (Principal-Investigator, 01MAR24-31AUG25).

2023-2025 Health and Medical Research Fund-Fellowship Scheme | Health Bureau, Hong Kong. Digital mindfulness-based
eating awareness training for obesity management: A randomised controlled trial (Principal Investigator, Ref.
08220067, 01NOV23-30JUN25)

2022-2023 Start-up Fund for RAPs under the Strategic Hiring Scheme (PolyU) | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Hong Kong. The mechanism of lavender essential oil as an autophagy and neurogenesis enhancer to treat
depression (Principal Investigator, Ref. P0041471, 01JUL22-30JUN24)

2022-2025 Departmental General Research Fund (UGC) | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. Understanding
the cross-talk molecular mechanisms of autophagy and neurogenesis for target identification for depression
(Principal Investigator, Ref. P0042682, 01JUL22-31JMAY25)

2019-2020 Bertil and Berit Adström Research Foundation | Sweden. Grant for kidney disease and renal medicine research
(Principal Investigator).

2017-2018 WeCare Fund Grant | Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention HKU, Hong Kong. Grant to sustain a suicide
prevention project in Hong Kong as awardees of the Best Practice award for project implementation (Project
Leader, Ref. WCFBP-2017/04/003).

2016-2017 WeCare Fund Grant | Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention HKU, Hong Kong. Grant awarded for the
implementation of a suicide prevention project in Hong Kong (Project Leader, Ref. WCF-2016/07/002).

Best Practice Award, 2nd runner-up for the implementation of a suicide prevention initiative (project leader), 2018, WeCare Fund, Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Best Poster Award, 2nd place (Basic Neuroscience), certificate of outstanding poster presentation (PhD candidate), 2018, My Neuro 2017: Reconnecting the Synapses, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.