RISA People

Dr Lu Hua Chen (Pearl) is a registered medical practitioner who had received training and practiced at an affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong, China before pursuing her postgraduate study in Hong Kong. Her clinical training experience has aroused her passion for conducting research in neuropsychiatric disorders ranging from early neurodevelopment to late-life neurodegeneration. After graduating with a PhD degree from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, she received her postdoctoral training in clinical neuroscience at the Department of Psychology of The University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, separately.

Dr Chen’s research interests currently focus on understanding how genetic risk factors, environmental risk factors, and gene-environment interplay drive the development and/or exacerbation of neuropsychiatric disorders and related behaviors/traits. She intends to use systems science approaches combined with advanced and interdisciplinary analytic methods to bring together data from multi-levels and theories of multiple disciplines to facilitate our comprehension of the cognitive functions of the human brain. Additionally, she has interest in identifying cognitive endophenotypes for early disease detection and revealing social and cultural risk factors. Her ultimate aim of research is to translate findings to early clinical interventions to help patients suffering from impairments of mental abilities.

Awards:

• “Best Free Paper Award”, The Chinese Dementia Research Association (CDRA) 10th Annual Scientific Meeting: All-round Dementia Care, Hong Kong, China, 2019
• “Best Free Paper Award”, The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists (HKCPsych) International Mental Health Congress, Hong Kong, China, 2018
• Travel Fellowship, 2018 World Life Science Conference, Beijing, China, 2018
• “Academic Research Award: 2nd Runner-up Poster Award”, International Alzheimer’s Disease Conference 2017: Advances in Dementia Research and Care, Hong Kong, China, 2017
• “Best Poster Presentation Award”, International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) Master Class on Ageing (MCA), Hong Kong, China, 2012
• “Best Paper Award”, Alzheimer’s Disease Conference 2011: From Public Health, Basic and Clinical Sciences to Therapeutic Insights, Hong Kong, China, 2011
• Travel Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association 2011 International Conference, Paris, France, 2011