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Jojo Yan Yan KWOK
ORCID

Prof. Jojo Kwok is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing and the Associate Director at the Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong. She is a registered nurse and a certified yoga instructor in Hong Kong, holding a BNurs (First Class Honours), MPH and PhD degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof. Kwok’s research portfolio centers around neurology care, behavioral science and rehabilitation medicine, focusing on nurse-led, compassionate-based care models for movement disorders. Her pioneering research has been published in top-rank journals in clinical neurology, gerontology and behavioral medicine, such as JAMA Neurology, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, and npj Parkinson’s Disease. Her scholarly works have gained international attention and have been featured in regional and international news media outlets such as Reuters and Radio Television Hong Kong. The impact of her research is evident, with her publications cited in international guidelines such as the 2021 and 2024 Lancet Seminar on Parkinson’s disease, and she was listed in the top 2% of the world’s most cited scientists in 2023-2024 by Stanford University. With her dedication to advancing health and social care services for aging populations, Prof. Kwok successfully obtained a substantial donation (HK$12.87M; US$1.6M) to support her leadership in developing and implementing a territory-wide, community-based compassionate care model for managing Parkinson’s disease.

In recognition to her research achievement and contribution to the nursing profession, Prof. Kwok has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2024, and an Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award from the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International in 2023. She has also received an Early Career Award from the Hong Kong Society of Behavioral Health in 2022, an Outstanding New Researcher Award in 2021, an Early Career Award and a Meritorious Scientific Abstract Award in 2018 from the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM). She has been appointed as an external reviewer for national competitive research grants such as the Dutch Research Council and the Austrian Science Fund. Additionally, Prof. Kwok serves as a council member and education and training committee member of the Hong Kong Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, contributing to PD-specific education and training for patients, caregivers, and allied health professionals.

Furthering her research expertise, Prof. Kwok is also a Research Scholar (Visiting) at the Osher Center for Integrative Health, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is actively engaged in international collaboration on mechanistic and effectiveness investigation of integrative care and mind-body modalities, complementing her primary work on nurse-led, compassionate-based care models for movement disorders.

Prof. Kwok is currently accepting PhD applications, please reach out for more information.

More
  • Neurology research (Parkinson’s disease, symptom management and caregiving)
  • Gerontology (aging, loneliness)
  • Behavioral medicine (psychological interventions, mHealth, gut microbiome)
  • Complementary and alternative medicine (yoga, mindfulness, inflammatory biomarkers)
  • Research methodology (clinical trials, systematic review, network meta-analysis, mixed-method)
Funding Scheme Project Title Approved Amount (HK$)

Impact Project Scheme, Knowledge Exchange (KE) Funding Exercise 2025/26, HKU

Mind-Body Connect: A Value-Based Online Platform with AI Chatbot for Neurodegenerative Care in Hong Kong 150,000
Research Impact Fund (RIF), University Grants Council, Research Grants Council Alleviating loneliness in older adults living in poverty: A multi-level intervention with 3-arm randomized controlled trial* 5,300,000
Health and Medical Research Fund, Health Bureau Effects of a hybrid, personalised mindfulness-optimised pulmonary rehabilitation (Mindful-Breath) programme for active living for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A pilot randomised controlled trial 500,000
The Nethersole Institute of Continuing Holistic Health Education (NICHE) Research Grant 2024/2025 Exploring Compassion, Emotion Regulation, and Self-Care Behaviors in Informal Caregivers of People with Movement Disorders: A Mixed-method Study 106,471
General Research Fund 2024/2025, Research Grants Council Enhancing psychological wellbeing and the patient-caregiver relationship through dyadic mindfulness: A randomized controlled trial in people with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers 927,800
Health and Medical research Fund, Health Bureau Effects of a nurse-led palliative care programme, ‘Cultivating Acceptance and Living Meaningfully with Progressive Neurological Diseases’ (CALM-Neuro): A feasibility randomized control trial 499,976
Health and Medical research Fund (HMRF) Research Fellowship Scheme 2022, Health Bureau A Brief and Blended Mindfulness-based Lifestyle counselling programme (B-Mindful-Life) for behavioural risk modification among caregivers of people with neurodegenerative disorders: A pilot randomised controlled trial 998,813
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust The Jockey Club Movin’ Care for Parkinson's Disease Project*
賽馬會「柏動愛」柏金遜症關懷計劃*
https://www.jcpdmovincare.hku.hk/
12,870,000

The Nethersole Institute of Continuing Holistic Health Education (NICHE) Research Grant 2022/2023

Effects of a nurse-led palliative care programme, ‘Cultivating Acceptance and Living Meaningfully with Progressive Neurological Diseases’ (CALM-Neuro), on psychospiritual well-being: A mixed-method feasibility randomised controlled trial. 66,420
Early Career Scheme (ECS) 2021/2022, Research Grants Council Effects of a Home-based Exercise Programme Incorporating Mindfulness and Yoga Practice on Balance and Mobility for People with Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial 1,070,000
General Research Fund 2020/2021, Research Grants Council ‘Mindfulness in stillness’ or ‘mindfulness in motion’? A randomized controlled trial on the effects and acceptability of individual mindfulness techniques – meditation and yoga – on anxiety and depression in people with Parkinson’s disease 979,252
Interdisciplinary Knowledge Exchange (KE) Project Fund, HKU Mindfulness Yoga for Parkinson’s Disease (MY-PD) 正念瑜伽展柏力 175,000
Professor Ida Martinson Project Fund, The East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars (EAFONS) A cross-regional study comparing symptom prevalence, severity and health-related quality of life among people with Parkinson’s disease in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand 45,000
Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff The effect of yoga on psychological distress for people with Parkinson’s disease: a pilot study 49,800
  1. Sin WW, Chan LM, Ng CT, Choi EP, Lok KY, Fong DY, Kwok JY*. Factors impacting caregiver burden in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2025 Nov 19;174:105299. Available from: doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2025.105299
  2. Kwok JY*, Lai CA, Sin WW, Chan LM, Shum YY, Choi EP, Lee JJ, Lok DY, Pang SY, Auyeung M, Wong SY, Ho RT. Enhancing whole-person care through mindfulness: Qualitative insights from patients with Parkinson’s disease. Mindfulness. 2025;16(8):2303-2314. Available from: doi: 10.1007/s12671-025-02626-4
  3. Szeto JC, Chan LM, Sin WW, Fong DT, Kwok JY*. Effects of psychosocial interventions on loneliness amongst long-term care residents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2025 Jun 11. Available from: doi: 10.1111/jan.17107
  4. Kwok JY*, Cheung DS, Zarit S, Cheung KS, Lau BH, Lou VW, Cheng ST, Gallagher-Thompson D, Qian M, Chou KL. Multicomponent intervention for distressed informal caregivers of people with dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. 2025 Mar 3;8(3):e250069. Available from: doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0069
  5. Kwok JY*, Chan LM, Lai CA, Ho PW, Choi ZY, Auyeung M, Pang SY, Choi EP, Fong DY, Yu DS, Lin CC, Walker R, Wong SY, Ho, RT. Effects of meditation and yoga on anxiety, depression and chronic inflammation in patients with Parkinson’s disease: A randomised clinical trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2025;94(2):101-118. Available from: doi: 10.1159/000543457.
  6. Yeung DY*, Jiang D, Warner LM, Choi NG, Ho RT, Kwok JY, Chou KL. The effects of volunteering on loneliness among lonely older adults: the HEAL-HOA dual randomised controlled trial. Lancet Healthy Longevity. 2025 Jan;6(1):100664. Available from: doi: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2024.100664.
  7. Kwok JY*, Jiang D*, Yeung DY, Choi NG, Ho RT, Warner LM, Chou KL. Layperson-delivered telephone-based behavioral activation among low-income older adults during COVID-19 pandemic: the HEAL-HOA randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2024 Jun 3;7(6):e2416767. Available from: doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.16767
  8. Kwok JY*, Choi EP, Wong JY, Lok KY, Ho MH, Fong DY, Kwan JC, Pang SY, Auyeung M. A randomized clinical trial of mindfulness meditation versus exercise in Parkinson’s disease during social unrest. npj Parkinson’s Disease, 2023 Jan 21; 9 (1):7. Available from: doi: 10.1038/s41531-023-00452-w
  9. Kwok JY*, Smith R, Chan LM, Lam LC, Fong DY, Choi EP, Lok KY, Lee JJ, Auyeung M, Bloem BR. Managing freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Journal of Neurology. 2022 Jun;269(6):3310-3324 . Available from: doi: 10.1007/s00415-022-11031-z
  10. Kwok JY*, Kwan JC, Auyeung M, Mok VC, Lau CK, Choi KC, Chan HY. Effects of mindfulness yoga vs stretching and resistance training exercises on anxiety and depression for people with Parkinson disease: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Neurology. 2019 Jul;76(7):755-763. Available from: doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.0534
2025 - Now Editorial Board Member, Geriatric Nursing: Asia
2021-2024 Editorial Board Member, BMC Public Health
2024-2025 Counselor, Pi Iota Chapter, The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
2024-Now Associate Director, Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong
2023-Now Council Member, Hong Kong Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
2021-Now Ordinary Member, Hong Kong Academy of Nursing (Education & Research – Education)
2019-2024 Co-opt Member, Pi Iota Chapter, The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
2018-Now Member, Hong Kong Society of Behavioral Health
2016-Now Education and Training Committee Member, Hong Kong Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
2016-Now Member, International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
2016-Now Life member, Hong Kong Movement Disorder Society
Year Scholarship/ Award Institution/ Organization
2025 Top 2% of the world’s most cited scientists in 2025 Stanford University
2025 Outstanding Optimization Mentor Award Society of Behavioral Medicine
2024 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing The American Academy of Nursing
2024 Top 2% of the world’s most cited scientists in 2023 Stanford University
2024 The Mind & Life’s Summer Research Institute Scholarship The Mind & Life’s Summer Research Institute
2023 Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
2022 Early Career Award Hong Kong Society of Behavioral Health
2021 Outstanding New Researcher Award International Society of Behavioral Medicine
2020 Pi Iota Chapter Scholarship The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
2018  Early Career Award The International Society of Behavioral Medicine
2018  Meritorious Scientific Abstract Award The 15th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, The International Society of Behavioral Medicine
2017  International Congress Travel Grants Award The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
2016 Early Career Researcher Award (runner-up) International peer-reviewed journal, Complementary Therapies in Medicine
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