Research Faculty
BN(Hons), MPH, PhD, RN, APN (Education and Research in Nursing), FHEA, FAAN, FHKANM (Education & Research – Education)
Assistant Professor
[javascript protected email address]
3917 6644

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.
- 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 |
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 |