Academic Staff

PolyU Scholars Hub

Prof. Benson LAU

Associate Professor

BSc (Hon), MMedSc, MPhil, PhD (Hong Kong), MRSB

QT519
+852 2766 6712
benson.lau@polyu.edu.hk

PolyU Scholars Hub

ORCID ID

SCOPUS ID

Biography

Prof. Benson W. M. Lau is an Associate Professor on the Occupational Therapy programme, in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His multidisciplinary research bridges neuroanatomy, biological psychology, and rehabilitation sciences, with a focus on the biological mechanisms underlying emotion, social behaviour, and psychiatric disorders. He examines how lifestyle factors such as stress, vaping, and environmental influences affect emotional health, with particular emphasis on neurogenesis, neural plasticity, endocrinology, and transcriptomic expression.

Prof. Lau also conducts translational research in rehabilitation sciences, including identifying biomarkers in human samples to reflect health status, and developing innovative rehabilitation technologies such as 3D printing and virtual reality. He has published widely, serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Reports and HKJOT, and collaborates internationally with scholars from the UK, Australia, Canada, Spain, and the USA.

Dedicated to teaching, Prof. Lau covers human anatomy, psychiatric conditions, neuroscience, and research methods. He integrates flipped classrooms, digital tools, and immersive technologies into his pedagogy, and has received team teaching awards, including the QS Reimagine Teaching Award. He has supervised numerous postgraduate and undergraduate projects, and values the opportunity to support students’ growth through research.

Education and Academic Qualifications

Bachelor of Science, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Master of Medical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
Master of Philosophy, The University of Hong Kong
Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Hong Kong

Research Interests

Research Output

Fung, T. K., Cheung, K. K., Wang, X., Lau, B. W.*, & Ngai, S. P.* (2025). Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Differences in Slow‐Twitch and Fast‐Twitch Muscles of a Cigarette Smoke‐Exposed Rat Model. Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 16(1), e13633.
Cruz-Gonzalez, P., He, A. W. J., Lam, E. P., Ng, I. M. C., Li, M. W., Hou, R., ... Lau, B.W.M.* & Vidaña, D. I. S.* (2025). Artificial intelligence in mental health care: a systematic review of diagnosis, monitoring, and intervention applications. Psychological medicine, 55, e18.
Sun, V. K., Lam, J. W., Ng, M. H., Wong, W. Y., Tai, W. C., Chow, D. H., ... Lau, B.W.M., Cheng, A.S.K. & Yee, B. K.* (2025). Early life environmental enrichment yields resilience to selected behavioural and brain responses to 5-fluorouracil in mice. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 125, 334-354.
Choi, Z. Y. K., Liu, H., Chang, E. E. S., Pang, S. Y. Y., Luo, I. L., Ruan, Y., ... Lau, B.W.M., Ng, R.C.L., Zhang Z., Ho, S.L. & Ho, P. W. L*. (2025). Long-term oral glucocerebrosidase activator reduces soluble α-synuclein oligomer accumulation in Parkinsonian LRRK2 mutant mouse brain. npj Parkinson's Disease.
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, 14(8), 1882-1892.
Lau, B. W. M., Chia-Di Lee, J., Sanchez-Vidaña, D. I., Chan, J. N. M., Lau, W. K. W., & So, K. F. (2023). The Neural correlates of COVID-19-induced erectile dysfunction in males. Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, 3(2), N-A.
Lau, W. K. W.*, Ngan, L. H. M., Chan, R. C. H., Wu, W. K. K., & Lau, B. W. M.* (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on pornography use: Evidence from big data analyses. Plos one, 16(12), e0260386.
Po, K. K. T., Leung, J. W. H., Chan, J. N. M., Fung, T. K. H., Sánchez-Vidaña, D. I., Sin, E. L. L., ... Lau, B.W.M.* & Siu, A. M. H. (2017). Protective effect of Lycium Barbarum polysaccharides on dextromethorphan-induced mood impairment and neurogenesis suppression. Brain research bulletin, 134, 10-17.
Chan, J. N. M., Lee, J. C. D., Lee, S. S., Hui, K. K., Chan, A. H., Fung, T. K. H., ... Lau, B.W.M.* & Ngai, S. P. C. (2017). Interaction effect of social isolation and high dose corticosteroid on neurogenesis and emotional behavior. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 11, 18.
Cheung, J. S. C., Chan, J. N. M., Lau, B. W. M.*, & Ngai, S. P. C. (2016). Purposeful activity in psychiatric rehabilitation: is neurogenesis a key player?. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy, 27(1), 42-47.
Ruan, L.†, Lau, B. W. M.†, Wang, J., Huang, L., ZhuGe, Q., Wang, B., ... & So, K. F. (2014). Neurogenesis in neurological and psychiatric diseases and brain injury: from bench to bedside. Progress in neurobiology, 115, 116-137.