ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4074-689X
Scopus Author ID: 7401939442
ResearcherID: P-8181-2017
Google Scholar Profile: I8XkufwAAAAJ

Metrics for Academic and Research Impact

B.Sc. (Toronto)
Ph.D. (Hong Kong)

Previous Experience

• 1989 - 1993, Demonstrator, Department of Psychology, the University of Hong Kong.

Dr Julian Lai obtained his Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Toronto. He joined the City University of Hong Kong to start his research career after graduating from the University of Hong Kong with a Ph.D. in psychoneuroimmunology. In addition to research on the psychophysiology of stress, he also engaged in research on topics associated with personality and social psychology, health psychology, and environmental psychology. One of Dr Lai's major contributions is the adoption of salivary cortisol as a biomarker to examine the health impact of personal and interpersonal characteristics in Chinese populations. He is also one of the few scholars who pioneered research on the psychosocial determinants of pro-environmental behavior in the Chinese people. His major publications appear primarily in international journals in psychology. Dr. Lai has been serving as an expert reviewer for a number of prestigious journals in psychology and related disciplines. He was the Editor of the official journal of the Hong Kong Psychological Society (2009-2012) and is a former president of the Hong Kong Psychological Society (2004-2005). He has been an honorary research fellow of the Center on Behavioral Health of the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Lai also has extensive experience in teaching and program planning, especially in taught postgraduate programs. He served as the program leader of the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology for a number of years and was in charge of converting the program to the MSocSc in Applied Psychology in 2009. He has been serving as the program leader of the master program since then. Dr. Lai's teaching expertise concentrates in areas such as biological psychology, behavioral neuroscience, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology (e.g., the interaction between the social environment and psychological processes in determining risk perception). He has also served as the external examiner of various courses and programs offered by other universities in Hong Kong.

Award and Achievement

• 1995 “Outstanding PhD thesis of Congregation 1995” The University of Hong Kong Libraries. Thesis title: "The Effects of Examination Stress on Secretory Immunity".
• Oct 2012 “Honorary Research Fellow” Center on Behavioral Health, University of Hong Kong.
• 2011 “Interdisciplinary Professional Development Award: Law, Reasoning, and Morality: A Critical Analysis” City University of Hong Kong.

Conferences Attended

• 8 Jul 2014 - 13 Jul 2014, 28th International Congress of Applied Psychology, France.
• 9 Nov 2012 - 11 Nov 2012, 2nd China International Conference on Positive Psychology, China.
• 11 Jul 2010 - 16 Jul 2010, 28th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Australia.
• 20 Jul 2008 - 25 Jul 2008, XXIX International Congress of Psychology, Germany.

• Optimism, Resilience, and Health
• Psychosocial Determinants of Neuroendocrine Function
• Psychology of Biculturalism

• 2009 - Now, Undergaduate, Social Risk Analysis.
• 2008 - Now, Undergraduate, Basic Psychology II.
• 2001 - Now, Undergraduate, Biological Psychology.
• 2001 - 2009, Undergraduate, Cognitive Psychology.
• 2000 - Now, Undergraduate, Neuropsychology.
• 1994 - Now, Taught Postgraduate, Biological Basis of Behavior.
• 1994 - 2009, Taught Postgraduate, Perception and Cognition.

Administrative Assignment

• 2016 - 2018, Board of Graduate Studies, Member
• 2008 - 2012, Departmental Staffing Committee, Member.
• 2017 - 2018, Departmental Staffing Committee, Member.
• 2000 - 2016, Departmental Advisory Committee, Member.
• 2000 - 2017, Departmental Executive Committee, Member.

Research / Thesis Supervision

• 2012 - 2013, Dr. Ye Jiawen, PhD thesis: A Comparative Study of the Effects of an Intermediary on the Trust Decisions and Perception of Chinese and Westerners.
• 2007 - 2009, Ms Kitty Wan Kit Ying, MPhil thesis: Coping Affects Neuroendocrine Response to Psychosocial Stress .
• 2004 - 2006, Ms Chan Wing Sum, MPhil thesis: Posttraumatic Growth among Healthcare Workers after SARS.

Public Service

• 2011 - 2017, Member of the Panel of Adjudicators, The Obscene Articles Tribunal. Hong Kong.
• 2003 - 2011, Director, The Hong Kong Psychological Society Limited.Hong Kong.
• 2016 onward, Director, The Hong Kong Psychological Society Limited, Hong Kong.

Professional Activity

• 2017, Advisory Peer Group member of the Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Psychology, The Open University of Hong Kong.
• 2016 - 2019, External Academic Advisor, Department of Applied Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
• 2009 - 2013, External Academic Advisor, Associate of Social Science in Applied Psychology, Community College of City University of Hong Kong.
• 2009 - 2012, Editor of The Journal of Psychology in Chinese Societies, The Hong Kong Psychological Society.Hong Kong.
• 2009 - Now, External Examiner, School of Arts and Social Sciences, the Hong Kong Open University.Hong Kong.
• 2006 - 2009, Associate Editor of The Journal of Psychology in Chinese Societies, The Hong Kong Psychological Society.Hong Kong.

Consultancy Service

• 2017, Member of the Technical Committee, the 6th International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Society, International Economics Development and Research Center, Hong Kong.
• 2016, Member of the Assessment Panel of substantial changes to programs offered by Tung Wah College Hong Kong, HKCAAVQ.
• 2015, Panel Member, five-year program review of BSocSc program, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
• 2015, Panel Member of Re-accreditation of Master of Social Sciences in Counselling Psychology offered by Hong Kong Shue Yan University, HKCAAVQ.
• Mar 2009, Member of Validation Panel for Master of Social Sciences in Counselling Psychology offered by Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications.Hong Kong.

Community Service

• 2007, Consultant, 屯门區扶貧工作小組: Tuen Mun District Council .Hong Kong.