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Season's Greetings from MHRC

We wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a New Year of 2023 filled with positive mental health and surrounded by your loved ones.

3 MHRC Scholars Ranked World's Top 2% Scientists (2022)

Three MHRC members have been listed among the top 2% of scientists in a global list released by the prestigious Stanford University. The ranking identifies the top scholars in their own areas of specialty and whose publications are most frequently cited by other authors around the globe. The report was released by a team of experts led by Prof. John Ioannidis of Stanford University, and the latest version was published on 3 November 2022. Scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. The publicly available database of over 100,000 top scientists provides standardised information on citations, h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-index, citations to papers in different authorship positions, and a composite indicator. The report can be downloaded from Elsevier. Congratulations to our colleagues on the high ranking and impact in the world! This recognition demonstrates MHRC’s influence in multi disciplines and signifies our dedication in conducting world-class research in mental health. MHRC's Top 2% Scientists in the Global List  Name(by alphabetical order of surname) Subject Field Prof. MAN Wai Kwong David Director of MHRC Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences  Rehabilitation Prof. TSANG Wing Hong Hector Associate Director of MHRC Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences  Psychiatry Prof. YEE Kay Yan Benjamin Associate Director of MHRC Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences  Neurology & Neurosurgery

MHRC Member was Invited to Deliver Talks at Prestigious Universities in Mexico

Dr Dalinda Isabel Sanchez Vidana, member of MHRC, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was invited to deliver four talks to promote mental health well-being at three prestigious universities in Mexico. Dr Sanchez delivered a talk on the topic of “Mental health and self-care in postgraduate students” at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico on 22nd July 2022 (Mexico time). Mental health issues in postgraduate students represent a health concern. Frequently, students are not aware of the signs of mental health challenges and do not seek for professional help. Providing mental health awareness programs and mental health coping strategies can assist in addressing mental health issues in postgraduate students and promote help-seeking behavior. Please click here to review the webinar. Dr Sanchez was also invited as a keynote speaker to deliver a talk on the topic of “The power of smell: Regulation of emotions and therapeutic perspectives” at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Mexico on 20th September 2022 (Mexico time). The sense of smell is the most primitive and one of the most important senses for most animals. It is important to understand the relationship between altered mood and olfactory sensory function to evaluate possible options for the treatment of disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress that act through the olfactory pathway. Please click here to review the webinar. Dr Sanchez was also invited to participate as a keynote speaker at two major events at the Universidad de Guadalajara, the XLII Chemist Scientific and Cultural Event and the 5th. Symposium on Materials Science and Engineering on 9th and 24th November 2022, respectively. Through her talks, Dr Sanchez is promoting an open discussion on mental health in academia emphasizing the importance of cultivating knowledge acquisition and the development of research skills while practicing self-care and activities that can nourish students´ mental health. Dr Sanchez efforts focus on fighting the stigma surrounding mental health in academia. She also discussed how self-awareness to know one´s limits, identification of signs and sources of emotional distress, knowledge of coping strategies, and cultivation of self-care habits are an essential part of a student´s academic journey. Know more about the XLII Chemist Scientific and Cultural Event, Universidad de Guadalajara: https://sites.google.com/cucei.udg.mx/42eccq-cucei/conferencias?authuser=0 Know more about the 5th Symposium on Materials Science and Engineering, Universidad de Guadalajara: http://fisica.cucei.udg.mx/simposiomateriales/index.php

MHRC in Collaboration with University Health Service to Refer and Recruit Research Subjects

The Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) will collaborate with the University Health Service (UHS) of PolyU in providing client referral services and subject recruitment support for MHRC projects and initiatives. The UHS established a Mental Wellness Clinic in September 2016 to support the mental health needs of students and staff of PolyU. Since its establishment, the Clinic has supported around 1,400 cases and more than 7,000 consultations. About 80% service users are students, who mainly report issues of anxiety and depression. Learn more: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/uhs/preventive-care/mental-wellness-clinic/

Get to know more about the Director of MHRC via his feature story in PAIR Newsletter – Issue 3

According to the World Health Organization, there is “no health without mental health”. Mental health—a state of well-being in which a person realises his/ her potential, effectively copes with life stresses, works productively, and contributes meaningfully to the community—has gained increasing awareness in academia and society in recent decades. Mental health research helps inform strategic direction and interventions for the promotion of mental health. To this end, higher education institutions around the world have joined together to establish new research units.

Congratulations to Dr Georg Kranz on being conferred the title of “Presidential Young Scholar”!

We are pleased to announce that Dr Georg Kranz, member of MHRC, Assistant Professor (Occupational Therapy) at the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, has been conferred the title of “Presidential Young Scholar” for a period of three years commencing 1 July 2022. As a Presidential Young Scholar, he will be provided with a start-up grant to support his career development. The Presidential Young Scholars Scheme recently established under the Strategic Hiring Scheme by the University aims to support outstanding Assistant Professors and Associate Professors normally under or around the age of 45. These faculty members should have conducted/led world-leading research that is commensurate with the stage of their academic career. They should be rising stars in a particular area, and for Assistant Professors, should have undertaken their PhD and/or postdoctoral research in a world-leading research group, and published a significant amount of world-leading research as a main author. Dr Kranz received his MSc in Psychology at the University of Vienna and his PhD in Clinical Neurosciences at the Medical University of Vienna. He received his habilitation (venia docendi) in Neurosciences with his habilitation thesis titled “Imaging the effects of sex steroid hormones on brain structure and function” in April 2016. Between 2017 and 2018, Dr Kranz was Head of the TMS Lab at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna. His research focuses on the neural underpinnings of mood disorders. He has conducted numerous neuroimaging studies in the past and published the results in high-ranked journals.  

PolyU InnoTech Open Day and Inauguration Ceremony of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held the PolyU InnoTech Open Day on 16 July on campus to showcase the University’s latest endeavours in education, interdisciplinary research, knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship which are helping to empower the innovation and technology (I&T) development of Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond. The Opening Ceremony also marked the inauguration of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR). PAIR is the largest research platform of its kind in Hong Kong and the GBA to foster interdisciplinary research, partnership with world-renowned scholars, and the transfer of technologies to stakeholders. PAIR aspires to be a world leader in providing interdisciplinary solutions for major societal challenges, and its research focuses on frontier areas such as artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality, deep space exploration, smart cities, smart energy, and many more. Click here to watch the PAIR video premiered at the inaugural ceremony on 16 July.  Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) had set up a booth to showcase members' projects on mental health and well-being topics related to Neuroscience-driven assessment and intervention. Moreover, Prof. David Man, Director of MHRC, delivered a speech in the breakout session "Neurohealth from Vision to Brian". Near 40 industry practitioners and PolyU expert researchers participated, discussed and exchanged viewpoints on the related topics.  

The Director of MHRC will Present at PolyU Research Postgraduate Summer School 2022

Prof. David Man, Director of MHRC, Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences, was invited to present at PolyU Research Postgraduate Summer School 2022. It is organised by The Graduate School, aiming to highlight the research excellence of PolyU, attract and recruit talented local and overseas undergraduates and master's students to pursue a research postgraduate degree at PolyU. It is our great pleasure and honor to have this chance to present and promote our Centre!

MHRC Associate Director Prof. Sylvia Chen Received Outstanding International Psychologist Award

Prof. Sylvia CHEN, Associate Director of the Mental Health Research Centre, Associate Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, received the Outstanding International Psychologist Award conferred by the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 52 (International Psychology). The American Psychological Association is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and the largest association of psychologists in the world. The Outstanding International Psychologist Awards recognize outstanding contributions to international psychology through significant research, teaching, advocacy, and/or contributions to international organizations. An award is given to a psychologist from the United States and to a psychologist from outside the United States. Congratulation to Prof. Chen on her latest award!

MHRC’s research reveals that over 10% Hong Kong people exhibit PTSD symptoms one year after the onset of the pandemic

With support from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Food and Health Bureau, a research team led by Prof. David Shum, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing, Yeung Tsang Wing Yee and Tsang Wing Hing Professor in Neuropsychology, Chair Professor of Neuropsychology and Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at PolyU, conducted survey during the fourth wave of the pandemic and about one year after its onset. Among the respondents, 69% were aged between 18 and 59, and most of them were working adults. The survey found that (1) more than one in ten (12.4%) of the respondents had exhibited post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, indicating that they might have PTSD; and (2) being unemployed or having no personal income, and with lower educational attainment were associated with a higher chance having of PTSD symptoms. Read more from: PolyU research reveals that over 10% Hong Kong people exhibit PTSD symptoms one year after the onset of the pandemic; Severity of symptoms is associated with time spent watching pandemic-related news | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University   Prof. Shum also elaborated the study results on an RTHK programme “HK2000” on 26 May and on an RTHK TV programme "Anti-pandemic News Express" on 4 June.  It’s estimated that up to 30-40% of citizens may suffer from PTSD due to Hong Kong’s fifth wave of pandemic. Despite the figure, Prof. Shum said people should not be overwhelmed if they found themselves having symptoms, but ought to seek help from professionals once symptoms begin to affect their daily lives for a period of time.   Online Review: 1. RTHK (26 May): https://polyu.me/33VwWBn (1:37:35 - 1:51:26) 2. RTHK TV (4 June): https://polyu.me/3OVSBiP (10:20 – 22:49)