Meet Our Team
Brian J. HALL, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director, Global and Community Mental health Research Group
Visiting Professor, Sun Yat-sen School of Public Health, Center for Migrant Health Policy
Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Email: [email protected]
Office: E21 - Rm 3040
Dr. Hall is a licensed clinical psychologist, epidemiologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Macau. His primary goal is to engage in community participatory research to improve health. He accomplishes this through qualitative and quantitative methodologies (i.e., interviews, focus groups, and epidemiological methods). He is particularly interested in understanding the social determinants of population health, the consequences of adversity and traumatic stress, and developing and evaluating community intervention programs for marginalized populations. Currently his research program is focused on the health of internal (Chinese) and international (African, Southeast Asian) migrants in Macau, Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Dr. Hall earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University and completed his clinical internship as a T32 Traumatic Stress Fellow at The Charleston Consortium, National Crime Victims Center, of the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Hall completed two fellowships in epidemiology and global health sponsored by the National Institute of Health: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Fogarty Global Health Fellowship (China), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health & University of North Carolina Institute of Global Health and Infectious Disease.
Research Staff
Eric Tat Leong WU, BSS
Graduated from the University of Macau and the Honours College with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Eric Tat Leong Wu is working closely with Dr. Hall on local mental health and physical health issues. Having an interest in human emotional issues, especially after an exchange semester in the United States (Boston College) where he took a couple of challenging courses, he is seeking advancement in health-related fields to apply knowledge gained in the past couple of years on population mental health. He investigated the social determinants of mental health among Macau's disadvantaged elderly population for his final year thesis.
Eward Wai-Wa Chan, BA
Edward Wai-Wa Chan received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Victoria, Canada where he spent most of his undergraduate years conducting research in psychology and philosophy. With a combined interest in both disciplines, his primary research area focuses on the interrelations between human reasoning and public mental health, especially the effects of different reasoning patterns on the development of psychological well-being.
PhD Students
Norman Mendoza, MA
Norman earned his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at Angeles University Foundation (Philippines) in April 2011 and finished his graduate studies of Counseling and Psychotherapy at University of Saint Joseph (Macau) in November 2013. Most recently he was a full-time faculty member of the Psychology Department of Angeles University Foundation where he taught General Psychology, Theories of Personality, Research, and Behavioral Statistics. His research is focused on migration and migrant worker health.
Peng XIONG, MSN
Xiong Peng received his bachelor degree in medicine from Hubei University of Medicine in 2010 and Master of Science in nursing from Wuhan University in 2014. He has worked for three years as a health care specialist. His research is focused on the intersection of mental health, clinical epidemiology, and global public health. He plans to develop interventions to reduce the burden of mental disorders among medical patients in China.
Ruth Zhuo Zhuo SHEN, MA
Ruth graduated with a BSS in counseling psychology from the University of Macau in 2014. She is now completing her MSc in psychology with a specialization in animal behavior at the University of Exeter. Her research is focused on integrating animals into intervention programs to improve community health.
Cynthia Sin U LEONG, MA
Cynthia completed her Bachelor in Psychology in 2009 and Master in Counseling and Psychotherapy in 2012; both degrees were obtained at the University of Saint Joseph. She gained research experience by working as a research assistant in a research center for three years. She is now a lecturer at the University of Saint Joseph, teaching Social Science Research Methods, Social Statistics, and Methods and Skills in Counseling. Her plan for PhD studies will be focusing on mental health and psychosocial risk factors in Macau.
Global Mental Health Working Group
Prof. Chang Sio Nga, Kay, Psy.D
Faculty collaborator
Kay Chang, Psy.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Macau. She is a California Licensed Clinical Psychologist in US, a Chartered Clinical Psychologist in UK, Registered Psychologist in Hong Kong, and a Registered Psychotherapist in Macau. She is also an internationally certified addiction specialist working in the field since 1994. Dr. Chang’s diverse and extensive background included chemical dependency program, hospital inpatient work, community mental health clinic setting, family and at-risk youths outreach projects, university counseling, crisis respond team, supervision duties, as well as developing and directing a multicultural addiction program. Besides enjoying teaching, Dr. Chang is noticeably active with developing local community psychological services, providing supervisions, global executive consultations and motivating trainings while volunteering for abuses and disaster trauma works. Her major research interests include the applied aspects of positive psychology, ethnic mental health, supervision issues, gambling behaviors, creativity factors, trauma exposures and resilient capacities.
Migrant Health Working Group
Levina C. KHOE, MD, MPH
Dr. Khoe is an Indonesian medical doctor trained in the Master of Public Health programme in The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Previously, she has been working with refugees and asylum seekers community in Hong Kong, and worked as clinician and researcher in Indonesia. Her research interests include migrant's health, public health in natural disasters and community health. Dr. Khoe is working with the research group on mixed-methods research projects related to migration in Pearl River Delta, specifically among Indonesian Migrant Workers.
Melissa R. GARABILES, MA
Melissa is currently a candidate for a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the Ateneo de Manila University, where she is also a full-time faculty member at its Psychology Department. Her research interests include positive psychology, transnational families, and men and masculinities. She is collaborating with the research group on migration studies and on her dissertation on the process of resilience of Filipino domestic helpers and their left-behind families.
Leia Y. SALTZMAN, MSW
Leia is a doctoral candidate at Boston College in the School of Social Work. Her current research areas include community and individual resilience, and in particular the emergence and trajectory of posttraumatic growth following traumatic events. Her work with our research group has primarily focused on how the perceived loss of resources impacts posttrauma adaptation after repeated exposure to political violence among migrant communities living in Israel.
Jeremy KANE, PhD, MPH
Jeremy Kane is a doctoral candidate in psychiatric epidemiology (PhD, expected May 2015) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His primary research interests are focused on the cultural and migratory factors associated with mental health and the intersection of these relationships with alcohol and substance use. His previous international research experience includes managing and coordinating large-scale clinical trials in Tanzania and Zambia and is also currently working on projects in Uganda. His collaboration with the research group has focused on the role of social resources in buffering the adverse effects of domestic violence exposure in Kurdistan, Iraq and political violence exposure among Jewish and Palestinian Israelis.
Undergraduate Researchers
Year 4
Christy CHAN
Honours College Student
She is a senior majoring psychology in University of Macau. Her interest area are social and positive psychology, especially topics related to relationships and understanding ways for relationships to flourish. In the coming January, she will be studying for one semester in the United States.
Isaac IP
He is a senior psychology student in the University of Macau. A lot of different psychological areas have attracted him. However, he is particularly interested in social, educational and positive psychology, and he has already participated in a few research projects in these areas. Isaac is planning to continue his postgraduate study in psychology in Taiwan. In his spare time, he loves to play sports and musical instruments.
Kelly LAM
She is a senior psychology student at the University of Macau. Her research interests include positive psychology, particularly on optimism and belongingness. In her final year thesis she is investigating the association between hopefulness and belongingness in Macau adolescents, with a primary focus on the effects of community environment on mental health. She hopes to study mental health issues in Macau and become a counsellor/social worker in the future.
Oracle NG
He is a senior majoring in psychology at the University of Macau. He particularly interested in clinical psychology, the field he plans to pursue for his postgraduate degree. His research experiences include levels of university engagement and Halo effect on consumers’ choices. He seeks to raise the awareness of mental health in the Macau community, as well as to help people with mental disorders in the future.
Peggy HO
She is a senior Psychology major at the University of Macau, who has chosen this major primarily because of her interest in social psychology. In her third year of study, she wants to explore the many-sides of psychology and plan for her future career or further study in psychology. She is interested understanding more about community issues and mental health in Macau.
Year 3
Aether YIN
Aether is a junior psychology student at the University of Macau. She is interested in social psychology, community psychology, developmental psychology and clinical psychology. Recently she is focusing on psychology statistics and she wants to acquire research skills.
Cheila ALEXIS
Cheila is a junior psychology student at the University of Macau. She enjoys learning about social psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and recently, school psychology. She is interested in socio-cultural influences on mental health and behaviors as well as in close relationships and their effects on mental health, especially among adolescents. She hopes to understand more about mental health among adolescents with different cultural backgrounds in Macau.
Elsa SUI
Elsa is a junior majoring in psychology at the University of Macau. Her future ideal job is a licensed clinical psychologist. She is interested in the relationships between emotions and behaviors, such as depression and suicide. Social psychology is another field which attracts her interest. Elsa hopes to help people relieve negative emotions and mental health issues as a professional counselor.
Eve GUO
Honours College Student
Eve is a junior psychology student studying at the University of Macau. She is interested in how different cultural environments influence migrant worker health. Eve hopes to become a clinical psychologist in the future.
Fanie CHOU
Fanie is a junior psychology student at the University of Macau. She is interested in areas including social psychology, school psychology, and clinical psychology - particularly after her exchange to Leiden University in the Netherlands. In the future, Fanie would like to continue her studies abroad in psychology.
Year 2
Anita HUNG
Honours College Student
She is currently a sophomore psychology student of University of Macau. She is particularly interested in clinical psychology and hopes to study in the field of family issues and cultural differences. She wants to work as a counselor or work in communities in the future.
Kay LAO
Honours College Student
She is a psychology sophomore at the University of Macau. She is interested in fostering well-being and improving mental health, and also in additive behaviours. She would like to apply findings and knowledge in community service and support.
Paul YIP
Honours College Student
A sophomore majoring in Psychology in the University of Macao, Paul is interested developments of social trends and cultural currents and its effects on behavior-shaping and on mental health in general. He is also interested in cross-cultural differences. He hopes to be a clinical psychologist in the future.
Sammy YANG
Honours College Student
Sammy is currently a sophomore psychology student of University of Macau. She has a strong interest in clinical psychology and would like to apply her knowledge working on mental health problems in the community in future career. Besides, she is interested in some other areas such as neuropsychology and cognitive science.
Year 1
Leona LEE
Leona is a freshman psychology student at University of Macau. She wants to be a counseling psychologist to help people work through their emotional problems in the future. She has a wide range of interests in psychology, especially positive psychology, clinical psychology, and social psychology. In her spare time, she loves drawing cartoon or portraits.
Los LAO
Los is a freshman majoring in psychology at the University of Macau. She is interested in social and clinical psychology, especially the relationship between social support and mental health. She is fascinated by individual differences and uniqueness. Her future ideal job is to become a licensed clinical psychologist and she hopes to work in the Macau community. Writing and reading poetry and sharing ideas with people are her interests.
Tiffany SIU
Tiffany is a freshman majoring in psychology at the University of Macau. She is particularly interested in positive psychology. For her future career, she would like to devote herself in promoting self-help capacity in mental health and self-actualization in Macau, especially among adolescents.
Research Group Alumni
Yan WU, BSS, Psychology, '14
She graduated from the University of Macau with a major in psychology, in August of 2014. She is especially interested in art therapy, particularly in dance movement therapy, which plans to pursue in her master degree. Yan spent a semester exchange in the United States and has been to several countries for volunteer work (India, Tajikistan, Philippines). In the summer of 2014, she went to the Philippines to attend an International Service Learning Program, and launched a women's workshop in Suyac Island, are area affected by Typhoon Yolanda. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, yoga, reading and playing sports.
Ka-Lon SOU, MSc, Research Coordinator, '15
After completing his undergraduate degree at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and his master degree in Psychological Studies at the University of Glasgow, Ka-Lon joined Dr Hall's research group to further advance his academic career. He served as a study coordinator for almost one year. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D in Psychology at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Chan-Kit HOI, BSS, Psychology, '15
Chan-Kit graduated from the University of Macau in psychology. His research interests include migrants' mental health, topics he investigated in his senior thesis, and the mental health of men who have sex with men (MSM). Chan-Kit is now pursuing his MA in Counseling Psychology at the National Changhua University of Education in Taiwan and plans to pursue a career in clinical/counseling psychology.