Research Summary
I am Professor in Residence and a practicing clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF. My research interest centers on developing and testing culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions for reducing cancer health disparities, particularly in tobacco control targeting vulnerable populations. I am a bilingual and bicultural psychologist originally from Hong Kong, China, my research and clinical specialties are in the areas of behavioral medicine and health psychology, and in individual and group cognitive behavioral treatment in diverse populations, including Asian American immigrants. I have extensive training and research experience in questionnaire design, qualitative methods, intervention development, clinical research methodology, and treatment outcome evaluation.
My current research funded by NIH and the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), which targets tobacco use among Asian Americans. In addition to leading a current NIDA R01 study testing a family-focused intervention targeting Asian American smokers, I have led or co-led more than 14 smoking cessation clinical trials combining the use of psychological and pharmacological treatments, including interactive multi-media intervention systems targeting smokers with comorbid disorders such as depressive disorders in outpatient psychiatric settings, smokers with substance use disorders in drug treatment settings, pregnant smokers in prenatal care settings, and Asian American smokers in the community and primary care settings. I have extensive experience in developing and testing interactive computerized tailored intervention programs such as the “Pathways-to-Change Expert System” and “Video Doctor” in both clinical and community settings. In summary, I have expertise in designing and implementing culturally and linguistically intervention program targeting multiple Asian American communities on tobacco use reduction and other health related areas. In addition, I have extensive experience in conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR).
Research Funding
July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024 - Connect Cancer Patients to Tobacco Cessation Care by Automated Interactive Outreach , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), Sponsor Award ID: T32IP4743
December 1, 2020 - May 31, 2024 - Getting Asian Americans INFORMED to Facilitate COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIDA, Sponsor Award ID: 3R01DA036749-05S1; 3R01DA036749-05S2
July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2023 - Interactive Mobile Doctor (iMD) to Promote Tobacco Cessation among Cancer Patients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: T31IP1716
November 21, 2021 - March 31, 2023 - Evaluating Methods to Remove Thirdhand Smoke from Homes , Principal Investigator (11/21/2022 - 3/31/2023); Co-Investigator (4/1/2019 - 11/20/2022) . Sponsor: Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), Sponsor Award ID: T29IP0284CA
Education
State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, B.A., 1990, Psychology
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, M.A., 1993, Clinical Psychology
University Univ. of Mississippi/Veterans Affairs Med. Center, Jackson, MS, Residency, 1994-95, Clinical Psychology
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, Ph.D., 1995, Clinical Psychology
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Post-doc, 1995-97, Cancer Prevention
University of California San Francisco, CA, Post-doc, 1997-99, Substance Abuse
University of California San Francisco, CA, Certificate, 2001-02, Clinical Research