Meet The Team

Principle Investigator

Sonata Suk-Yu YAU

Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science,

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Key Research Areas:

Neurobiology & environmental risk factors of neurodegenerative & psychiatric disorders
Peripheral biomarkers for pro-cognitive effects of physical exercise
Pharmacological treatment target for improving mood & memory performance
Mechanisms of neuroprotective effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Diseased animal models (e.g depression, autism, diabetes and memory impairment)

Postdoctoral Fellow

Research Interest:

Peripheral mediators of neuroprotective effects of physical exercise
Hippocampal adult neurogenesis
Traditional Chinese Medicine

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Crystal Tong Cheng

Postdoctoral Fellow

Research Interest:

Rapid antidepressant treatments
Physical exercise interventions
Spinogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the PFC

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Douglas Formolo

PhD Student

Research Interest:

Neurobiology of exercise behavior
Peripheral & central mechanisms underlying antidepressant response
Lifestyle factors & mental health

Akhlaq Hussain

PhD student

Research Interest:

Air pollutants on cognitive function & neurological health
The gut–brain axis
Dietary interventions

Davina Yunxiao Zhong

PhD student

Research Interest:

Pro-cognitive effects of physical exercise
Aging animal models
Hippocampal synaptic plasticity

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Mars Zonghao Ma

MPhil student

Research Interest:

Ambient air pollutants on lung & brain health
Inflammation
Depression & learning and memory

Charles Ho Kiu Chan

Part-time Undergraduate Researcher (Physiotherapy)

Research Interest:

Psychophysiology of mind-body interventions
Neuropsychiatric & mental illness

Alumni

Douglas Formolo — PhD (2025), MPhil (2020) (Currently Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Shue Yan University)
Ahadulla — MPhil (2021)
Thomas Hoiyin Lee — MPhil (2020)
Ke Lai — Postdoctoral Fellow
Zafar Iqbal — Postdoctoral Fellow
Julia Mercado — Postdoctoral Fellow (currently Assistant Lecturer at CUHK)
Wilson Leung - Research Associate (currently Assistant Professor in Tung Wah College)

Undergraduate Researchers

Isbella Chee Yin Yam (Occupational Therapy)

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Research Award 2025]

Mars Zhonghao Ma (Applied Biology and Chemical Technology)

[University Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme, URIS 2023]

Jamie Kit Wai Ip (Physiotherapy)

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2023]

Kin Hei Chan (Physiotherapy)

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2021]

Ka Hei Wong (Physiotherapy) — Undergraduate Researcher

Meet The Team

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

PhD Student

PhD student

PhD student

MPhil student

Charles Ho Kiu Chan

Part-time Undergraduate Researcher (Physiotherapy)

Alumni

​​

Douglas Formolo — PhD (2025), MPhil (2020) (Currently Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Shue Yan University)

Ahadulla — MPhil (2021)

Thomas Hoiyin Lee — MPhil (2020)

Ke Lai — Postdoctoral Fellow

Zafar Iqbal ​— Postdoctoral Fellow

Julia Mercado — Postdoctoral Fellow (currently Assistant Lecturer at CUHK)

Wilson Leung - Research Associate (currently Assistant Professor ​in Tung Wah College)​

Undergraduate Researchers

Isbella Chee Yin Yam (Occupational Therapy) ​

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Research Award 2025]

Mars Zhonghao Ma (Applied Biology and Chemical Technology)

[University Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme, URIS 2023]

Jamie Kit Wai Ip (Physiotherapy)

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2023]​​​

Kin Hei Chan (Physiotherapy)

​ [FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2021]

Ka Hei Wong (Physiotherapy) — Undergraduate Researcher

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2021]

Zafar Iqbal — Postdoctoral Fellow

Wilson Leung - Research Associate (currently Assistant Professor in Tung Wah College)

Isbella Chee Yin Yam (Occupational Therapy)

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2023]

[FHSS Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award 2021]