Dr Bridget Tianyin LIU (Bridget) was trained in cognitive psychology, gerontology, and art therapy with an emphasis on counselling. Before joining the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University as an Assistant Professor, she held positions as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong, and as a Project Manager (research) of the JC JoyAge Project: Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness.

Through fieldwork with older people and collaboration with service providers from different sectors, Dr Liu recognised the gap between older people's mental health needs and accessible services. With an interdisciplinary background, Dr Liu aims to employ a range of scientific methods to improve the mental wellness of older adults. This is built on three interrelated lines of inquiry: (1) using bottom-up approaches to understand the internalised stigma of mental illness and internalised ageism experienced by older people; (2) establishing evidence of innovative non-pharmacological interventions, especially arts-based intervention, for at-risk older people through rigorous research (e.g., randomised controlled trials); and (3) applying a network approach to understanding psychopathology, in particular, common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Dr Liu believes these inquiries are relevant for and generalisable to other marginalised communities at risk for mental health problems.

Dr Liu’s work has been widely published in renowned international journals in the fields of gerontology, mental health, and psychology, including Innovation in Aging, Aging & Mental Health, Ageing & Society, BMC Geriatrics, International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, BMJ open, and Cognitive Science.

• PhD in Psychology, The University of Hong Kong

• MA in Art Therapy, Saint Mary-of-the-woods College

• BSSc, The University of Hong Kong