FHSS Clinical Trials Unit

Objective

The FHSS Clinical Trials Unit (FHSS-CTU) was established by the Faculty Dean, Prof. David Shum, to provide training and consultation for staff interested in conducting clinical trials.

Welcome note from

Prof. Janelle Yorke,

Head(SN), FHSS CTU Director

Establishing a clinical trials unit focused on non-pharmacological interventions is essential for the nursing and allied health professions because these disciplines play a pivotal role in delivering holistic, patient-centered care. Many health conditions—such as chronic pain, mobility impairments, and mental health disorders—can be effectively managed or improved through non-pharmacological approaches, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise, behavioral interventions, and patient education. By setting up a dedicated clinical trial unit, nursing and allied health professionals can rigorously evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and cost-efficiency of these interventions, generate high-quality evidence to inform best practices, and contribute to the development of innovative, multidisciplinary care models. Ultimately, such a unit empowers these professionals to lead research, advance their fields, and advocate for evidence-based, non-pharmacological treatment options within the broader healthcare system.

The Unit will facilitate colleagues to prepare research proposals and conduct research by providing the following services:

Statistical analyses and reporting consultation
Health economics consultation
Randomisation consultation and implementation of independent randomisation procedures
Development and maintenance of a trial registration portal
Training in clinical trial methodology, ethics, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

Latest activities of the Unit

The Unit is planning to conduct a series of online workshops related to trial design and health economics and a PPIE seminar. The updates will be provided on this website and communicate to colleagues via email in due course.

The above list is not exhaustive. Our services will be expanded and extended gradually. Please feel free to contact us through 'fhss.ctu@polyu.edu.hk' with any suggestions for future expansion of the FHSS-CTU.

Request for consultation service

If you are interested to request for consultation service* from our Unit, please complete the online form here.

*Further updates for the consultation sessions will be provided in due course.

The Unit is overseen by a team of FHSS staff members:

Prof. Janelle YORKE

Head (SN), FHSS CTU Director

Prof. Janelle Yorke holds the Angel S.P. Chan Lau Professor in Health and Longevity and serves as the Head of the School of Nursing. She was awarded a Hong Kong SAR Global STEM Scholar in 2024 and is Director of the JC STEM Lab of Digital Oncology Care Enhancement (DOCE). She has expertise in the development and evaluation of complex non-pharmacological interventions and the application of the MRC Framework. Prof. Yorke is a mixed methods researcher. She is a world-leader in the development, evaluation and real-world clinical implementation of patient reported outcomes (PROs). She has led many large scale multisite clinical trials.

Prof. Arnold WONG

Assoc. Professor (RS), FHSS CTU Co-director

Prof. Arnold Wong is an Associate Professor and the Leader of the BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy programme in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. He is recognised as one of the top 2% most cited scientists in the orthopedic field since 2022, according to Stanford University. Additionally, he is ranked as the leading expert in low back pain in Asia according to Expertscape. Prof. Wong has been invited to contribute to the Lancet Low Back Pain Series II and Lancet Seminars. He possesses extensive experience in securing external funding for conducting randomised controlled trials, qualitative research, and epidemiological and methodological studies.

Prof. Georg KRANZ

Assoc. Professor (RS)

Prof. Georg Kranz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. His research utilises non-invasive brain stimulation in combination with neuroimaging to investigate the mechanism of action of brain stimulation therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders. Prof. Kranz has utilised a variety of study designs, including RCTs, epidemiological research and methodological studies. With over 130 peer-reviewed publications, his work has contributed to advancing neuropsychiatric research by combining neuroimaging techniques with clinical and experimental frameworks to deepen our neurophysiological understanding of mood disorders.

Prof. Stanley WINSER

Assoc. Professor (RS)

Prof. Stanley Winser is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. He specialises in neuro-rehabilitation and physiotherapy, with a strong focus on balance training, falls prevention, and economic evaluation for individuals with neurological disorders and older adults. His research integrates clinical trials, systematic reviews, and psychometric analyses to assess interventions. His methodological expertise includes randomized controlled trials, economic assessments, and meta-analyses, shaping evidence-based physiotherapy practices.

Prof. Grace XIE

Assoc. Professor (SN)

Prof. Grace Xie is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. Her academic background spans the fields of nursing and public health. She has extensive experience in interdisciplinary research that bridges epidemiology, brain imaging analysis, AI algorithm, and big data in designing and implementing many types of experimental studies and observational studies. She has got several external competitive grants like GRF and Chinese Medicine Development Fund in conducting clinical trials.

Prof. Jerry YEUNG

Assoc. Professor (SN)

Prof. Jerry Yeung is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. He is a registered practitioner of Chinese medicine with over 40 publications in clinical trials and 10 external competitive grants, serving as Principal Investigator using Randomised Controlled Trial designs.

Prof. LI Yan

Assistant Professor (SN)

Prof. Yan Li is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing. She has led and collaborated on many high quality randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and qualitative research, particularly in the areas of mental health, spinal cord injury, and community care. She brings expertise in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement, ensuring research is co-designed with communities to enhance relevance and impact. Prof. Li has secured competitive external funding to support her work and actively contributes to advancing inclusive and patient-centered methodologies in clinical research.

Secretary for the Unit

Miss Cindy YU, Senior Executive Officer (FHSS)

Welcome note from Prof. Janelle Yorke, Head(SN), FHSS CTU Director