Professor Zhuang Xiaoyu attains Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) from Health Bureau

Following Professor Zhou Shuo (School of Communication), we are with great pride to announce another new HMRF awardee for this year, Professor Zhuang Xiaoyu from the Academy of Wellness and Human Development, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). 

With her expertise in mental health issues in youth and families, Professor Zhuang’s awarded project “A randomised controlled trial of a sensor-aided ecological momentary intervention for emotion regulation and mental health (EMI-ER) in parents of children with special educational needs,” is an interdisciplinary collaborative project with other HKBU experts. In addition to Professor Daniel Wong and Professor Pan Jiayan from FASS, this project also involves active participation of Professor Chen Li and Dr Chan Chun Pong from the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science.

Professor Zhuang’s research addresses a critical gap by delivering mental health support to over 60,000 Hong Kong families raising children with special educational needs (SEN). Her randomised controlled trial on a sensor-aided ecological momentary intervention emotion regulation (EMI-ER) system integrates cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, and mindfulness exercises. Targeting stress, anxiety, and depression while strengthening emotional resilience, adopting multilevel modelling for data analysis, it offers a science-backed complement to existing services.

The main aims of HMRF are to build research capacity, encourage, facilitate and support health and medical research to inform health policies, improve population health, strengthen the health system, enhance healthcare practices, advance standard and quality of care, and promote clinical excellence through evidence-based scientific knowledge in health and medicine. 

We warmly congratulate Professor Zhuang and her team on this well-deserved funding from the Health Bureau, further validating the HKBU research community’s role in driving meaningful progress for society.