Dr. Yan Li is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery, and Palliative Care at King's College London, United Kingdom, from 2019 to 2020. Dr. Li has also been a visiting researcher at the University of Sydney, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Turku. In recognition of her outstanding research performance, she has been honored as a Presidential Young Scholar.

Dr. Li is a registered nurse with over 10 years of experience and is an active nurse researcher. Her research interests include Digital Psychosocial Health, Mental Health of individuals with physical disabilities, and AI in Educational Innovations. Her work has been supported by the Hong Kong Government Research Grant Council, the Health and Medical Research Fund, the University Grant Council, the Prof. Ida Martinson Fund, and the King’s College London Global Research Grant. She has also been awarded the Hong Kong Government Health and Medical Research Fund Research Fellowship to further her research and contribute to local service innovation and research development in the area of mental health within spinal cord injury community rehabilitation.

Dr. Li has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and has served on the editorial boards of Scientific Reports and Healthcare. She has also been a reviewer for the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Disability and Rehabilitation, the International Journal of Interprofessional Care, BMC Geriatrics, Spinal Cord, and the Journal of Spine Surgery. Dr. Li has mentored postdoctoral research fellows, PhD students, MPhil students, and research assistants. She leads the Digital Psychosocial Health Research Group at the school, which can be found at Research Group Website

Dr. Li is currently accepting highly motivated PhD students. Interested candidates are encouraged to send an email with their CV and 1-2 first-author publications to Dr. Li.

Some representative Grants

• UGC Shanghai-Hong Kong University Alliance (In progress) Principal Investigator   

‘Sleep Equity for Global Health’—Promoting Healthy Sleep among Health Professionals

• PolyU (UGC) – Strategic Hiring Scheme (In Progress) Principal Investigator               

Digital Preventive Healthcare for People with Physical Disabilities: A Programme of Research

• Health and Medical Research Fund (In Progress) Principal Investigator             

[AI-driven Vaccine Communicator智能疫苗助理]: The Impact of a Web-Based Psychoeducation Programme with a Motivational AI-Based Digital Assistant on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Hong Kong's Population

• Health and Medical Research Fund Research Fellowship Scheme (Completed) Principal Investigator

Effects of a Physical-Psychological Integrative (PPI) intervention on Physical inactivity, Depression and Chronic pain for Community-Dwelling Spinal Cord Injury Survivors: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Some representative publications

• Li, J., Li, Y.*, Mei, X., He, H., Yu, L., Ho, G. W. K., & Chan, E. A. (2024). Effectiveness of Cognitive‐Based Interventions on Psychological Distress in Adolescents With Physical Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. [IF=3.6, Nursing Q1]
• Li, Y., Lee, K. C., Bressington, D., Liao, Q., He, M., Law, K. K., ... & Li, M. (2024). A Theory and Evidence-Based Artificial Intelligence-Driven Motivational Digital Assistant to Decrease Vaccine Hesitancy: Intervention Development and Validation. Vaccines, 12(7), 708. [IF=5.2, Medicine, Research & Experimental Q1].
• Li, Y., Li, J., Li, M., Ho, Y. S., Sun, T. C., Wang, S., Wong, W. K., Zhang, S., Kwan, R., Wong, A. Y., & Yeung, W. F. (2024). Effect of home-based acupressure on constipation in people with spinal cord injury: A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with a mixed-method approach. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 68, 102360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102360. [IF=1.9, Integrative & Complementary Medicine Q3]
• Li, Y., Li, M., Bressington, D., Li, K., Wong, A., Wai Man Chung, Molasiotis, A., Christina Zong-Hao Ma, Pui, P., & Wing Fai Yeung. (2024). The effect of a mindfulness and motivational interviewing-oriented physical-psychological integrative intervention for community-dwelling spinal cord injury survivors: a mixed-methods randomised controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2024.05.017. [IF=3.6, Rehabilitation Q1]
• Li, Y., Hu, Y., Ilaria Pozzato, Arora, M., Schoffl, J., McBain, C., Middleton, J., & Craig, A. (2024). Efficacy of interventions to improve cognitive function in adults with spinal cord injury: A Systematic Review. Journal of Neurotrauma. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2024.0032. [IF=3.9, Clinical Neurology Q1]
• Li, Y.*, Wong, A, Y., Cheung, J, P., Zhu, B, Lee, K, C., Liang, S, R., LI, J, Y., Ho, B, Y., WA., Bressington, D. (2023). Psychosocial interventions for teenagers with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A systematic literature review. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 73, e586-e593. [IF=2.1, Nursing Q2]
• Li, Y., Li, M.*, Yang, L., Bressington, D., Leung, S-F., Xie, Y-J., Qin, J., Molasiotis, A., Leung, AYM. (2023). Are People Willing to Take Regular COVID-19 Vaccines? Prevalence and Determinants of Hesitancy for Regular COVID-19 Vaccination: A Random Population-Based Survey in Hong Kong. Vaccines, 11(8):1388. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11081388. [IF=5.2, Medicine, Research & Experimental Q1]
• Li, Y., Liang, S., Zhu, B., Liu, X., Li, J., Chen, D., Qin, J., & Bressington, D. (2023). Feasibility and effectiveness of artificial intelligence-driven conversational agents in healthcare interventions: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 104494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104494. [IF=7.5, Nursing Q1]
• Li, Y., Wong, A., Wai Man Chung, Li, M., Molasiotis, A., Bressington, D., Christina Zong-Hao Ma, Pui, P., & Wing Fai Yeung. (2023). Evaluation of a Physical-Psychological Integrative (PPI) intervention for community-dwelling spinal cord injury survivors: Study protocol of a preliminary randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 18(3), e0282846–e0282846. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282846. [IF=2.9, Multidisciplinary Sciences Q1]
• Deng, B., Li, Y*., Chen, J. Y., Guo, J., Tan, J., Yang, Y., & Liu, N. (2022). Prediction models of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery: A systematic review. International journal of nursing studies, 135, 104359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104359. [IF=7.5, Nursing Q1]
• Li, Y*., Chien, W.T., Bressington, D. (2022). Culturally sensitive psychosocial care programme for Chinese people with spinal cord injury. Alpha Psychiatry. [IF=1.3, Psychiatry Q3]
• Li, Y., Bressington, D., Wang, S, S., Leung, S, F., Mak, Y, W. (2021). Relationship between parental psychological control and optimism among Hong Kong adolescents: The mediating role of self-mastery. Current psychology, 42(12), 10115-10122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02312-3. [IF=2.5, Psychology, Multidisciplinary Q2]
• Li, Y*., Chien, W.T., Zhu, B., He, H. & Bressington, D. (2021), Predictors of Self‐Efficacy Among People With Spinal Cord Injury During Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Cross‐Sectional Study. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. [IF=2.4, Nursing Q1]
• Li, Y*., Hildersley, R., Ho, G. W. K., Potts, L., & Henderson, C. (2021). Relationships between types of UK national newspapers, illness classification, and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 56(9), 1527–1535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-021-02027-7. [IF=3.6, Psychiatry Q1]
• Li, Y*., Coster, S., Norman, I., Chien, W. T., Qin, J., Ling Tse, M., & Bressington, D. (2021). Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for people with recent-onset psychosis: A systematic review. Early intervention in psychiatry, 15(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.12929. [IF=2.1, Psychiatry Q3]
• Li, Y*., Bressington, D., & Chien, W. T. (2019). Effects of a coping-oriented supportive programme for people with spinal cord injury: A quasi-experimental study. Spinal Cord. 1-12. [IF=2.1, Rehabilitation Q1]
• Li, Y*., Bressington, D., & Chien, W. T. (2019). Pilot evaluation of a coping-oriented supportive program for people with spinal cord injury during inpatient rehabilitation. Disability and Rehabilitation, 41(2), 182-190. [IF=2.1, Rehabilitation Q1]
• Li, Y*., Bressington, D., & Chien, W. T. (2017). Systematic review of psychosocial interventions for people with spinal cord injury during inpatient rehabilitation: Implications for evidence-based practice. Worldviews on Evidenced-Based Nursing, 14(6), 499-506. [IF=3.4, Nursing Q1]

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support: Psychosocial Interventions of People with Physical Disabilities; Stigmatization of Mental Illness; Mental Health Promotion
• Digital Health: Artificial Intelligence (e.g., Chatbot), Virtual Reality, Web-based Interventions.
• Primary Care: Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Vaccination Promotion in the Community

SN5851 Dissertation I—Master’s student supervisor

SN 5061 Advanced Methods in Nursing Research

SN 5896 Concepts and Technological Applications of Smart Hospital 

SN 2S04 Mentoring Health Ambassadors for School Communities

SN 3713 Mental Health Education and Promotion

Final Year Research Project Supervision

Research student supervision