Research Faculty

With a double qualification of nursing and dietetics, Professor Mandy Ho’s research work centers on translating evidence in the fields of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity to promote good health and prevent chronic diseases across the lifespan. Obesity and diabetes are major global health issues. Her current research interests are the prevention and management of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, with a major focus on obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes. She has obtained more than HK$11 million (~USD$1.4 million) external grants as a principal investigator since 2017 for studies on psychological eating behavior, lifestyle intervention, and diabetes prevention models. She translates evidence to improve diabetes prevention in community and primary care settings, and provides leadership in nursing education. Her current research work focuses on developing innovative and culturally specific models of diabetes prevention targeting the high-risk population (i.e., adults who are overweight and with prediabetes) in community and primary care settings. She has established strong partnerships with non-government organizations and is the pioneer in establishing a culturally specific community-based diabetes prevention program for overweight/obese Chinese adults with prediabetes in Hong Kong. She also led a digital diabetes prevention program for overweight adults with prediabetes. The work has been disseminated at regional and international scientific meetings and international peer-reviewed journals on nursing, obesity, endocrinology, and behavioral science.