Research Assistant Professors

Dr Yu obtained his BSc in Bioinformatics from The University of Hong Kong (HKU), followed by an MPhil and a PhD in HKU’s Department of Psychiatry. His academic training and early research focused on neuroscience and neuroimaging, applying quantitative and statistical approaches to examine how brain structure and function relate to mental health and behaviour.

Before joining the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Dr Yu was a Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he conducted research using diffusion MRI and ultra-high-field 7T MRI data. He also utilised computational models, specifically normative modeling and BrainAGE methods, to quantify individual variations in brain structure and function in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Prior to his appointment at UBC, Dr Yu worked as a Scientific Officer at the University Research Facility in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience (UBSN) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, gaining experience in EEG, fNIRS, and non-invasive brain stimulation (TMS and tDCS) methods. His current work focuses on normative modelling and brain-age approaches, applying these methods across diverse cohorts to quantify how an individual’s brain differs from typical patterns and to examine how such differences relate to symptoms, cognition, and functional outcomes.

• Bachelor of Science (Bioinformatics), The University of Hong Kong
• Master of Philosophy, The University of Hong Kong
• Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Hong Kong