The Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health (MPhil-PhD in Public Health) Programme is research-focused and designed to equip students with an interdisciplinary outlook and independent research capabilities in public and population health, along with community-oriented primary care.
The MPhil and PhD programmes are articulated. Students can transfer between the two degree paths with approval from the Graduate Division, i.e., transition from the MPhil programme to the first, pre-candidacy part of the PhD programme, or vice versa, depending on their academic progress and interests.
Conducted in English, the programme features a wide range of specialisation options and has attracted talented students from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and around the world. Our students benefit from a supportive, interdisciplinary environment that encourages collaborative learning and innovation.
For enquires, please contact us at +852 2252-8423 or send an email to phtraining@cuhk.edu.hk
Admission
If you are passionate about advancing public health research and making a positive impact on communities, we invite you to join our dynamic programme.
Application Deadlines:
Main Round: 1 December every year (for admission in the following academic year)
Clearing Round: 31 March every year (for admission in the following academic year; applications will only be considered subject to the availability of places)
Part-time PhD Applications are accepted throughout the year.
How to Apply
Step 1:To submit an initial application to RGC.
Step 2: To submit full application to CUHK.
Please visit the Graduate School webpage about the application procedures and admissions requirements.
Studentship and Scholarship
CUHK Postgraduate Studentships (Scholarship/Stipend)
The CUHK Postgraduate Studentship is available for full-time research postgraduate students throughout normative study period in 3 or 4 years which is to be decided by the Graduate School. The monthly stipend ranges from HK$18,725 for pre-candidacy (PGS-1) to HK$19,275 for post-candidacy (PGS-2).
For details, please visit: https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html#award for more
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) from the RGC
Apart from the CUHK regular scholarship, the HKSAR Government offers the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship to full-time PhD students. It offers HK$28,100 per month to the awardees and a conference and research-related travel allowance at HK$14,000 per year. A tuition waiver will be provided to HKPFS awardees during their whole normative study period. Also it provides an award for lodging in the first year of study of HKPFS awardees. The awardees will have guaranteed on-campus accommodation during the normative study period and their on-campus hostel fee will be waived in the first year of study. HKPFS awardees with a normative study period of 4 years, CUHK provides stipend and conference travel allowance at HKPFS level for the fourth year of study.
For details, please visit: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions/scholarships-fees/hkpfs
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) & Annual Summer Workshop
We have been admitting HKPFS awardees to pursue PhD since the year of 2010. Please join our HKPFS Summer Workshop for early preparation. Further details will be announced.
Academic Strengths
Diverse fields of specialisation
- Non-communicable Disease and Aging
- Environmental Health and Infectious Diseases
- Global Health Policy, Health System & Healthcare Delivery
- Mental Well-Being, Social & Health Behavior, Addiction
- Bioinformatics, Machine Learning and Big Data
- Family Medicine and Primary Health Care
Academic exchange and exposure:
Our PhD students have an excellent track record, publishing in high-impact journals such as The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Nature Communications, and Journal of Hazardous Materials. Many have gone on to become professors, researchers, and healthcare professionals in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas. Click here to learn more about our students’ publications with a high impact factor. They also have opportunities to conduct supervised research exchanges at prestigious universities worldwide, including
- Karolinska Institutet
- Utrecht University
- University of Oxford
- Yale University
- Brown University
- University of California Berkeley
- University of Toronto
- University of Sydney
This international exposure enriches their academic experience and expands their professional networks.
Strong faculty
Our academics are renowned experts in their respective fields, dedicated to training the next generation of public health leaders.
- Prof. EK Yeoh – Systems for Health
- Prof. Emily Chan – Disaster and Global Health
- Prof. Joseph Lau – Behavioural Health
- Prof. SS Lee – Infectious diseases
- Prof. Shelly Tse – Occupational and environmental health, cancer epidemiology
- Prof. Martin Wong – Prevention and screening of chronic disease
- Prof. Samuel Wong – Interventional studies for common mental health problems in primary care and Multimorbidity in Primary Care
- Prof. Benny Zee – Clinical trials methodology including pharmaceutical statistics, Public Health issues including infectious disease modelling, Bioinformatics including microarray data analysis, image processing and diagnostic methods
PhD Students and Supervisors
Full- time PhD Students | Supervisors |
Saba ASIM | Prof. Dong Dong Prof. Eng-kiong Yeoh |
Alemayehu Sayih BELAY | Prof. Jean Kim |
Siyu CHEN | Prof. Johnson Wang |
Yujing CHEN | Prof. Jake Chung Prof. Kin-Fai Ho |
Yuzhou CHEN | Prof. Hein Min Tun |
Doug Hoi-cheung CHEUNG | Prof. Johnson Wang |
Elorm DONKOR | Prof. Jean Kim Prof. Dong Dong |
Cyprian Issahaku DORGBETOR | Prof. Jean Kim |
Guanwen HUANG | Prof. Hein Min Tun Prof. Jincun Zhao |
Minhao HUANG | Prof. Marc Chong |
Ying HUANG | Prof. Joey Yang |
William Zhengwei HUANG | Prof. Dong Dong Prof. April Wu Prof. Eng-kiong Yeoh Prof. Menghan Shen |
Yuki ISHIHARA | Prof. Dong Dong Prof. Daisy Zhang Prof. Gary Chung |
Xiaoting JIANG | Prof. Eliza Wong |
Tobey Tsz-yan LEE | Prof. Roger Chung Prof. Dong Dong |
Jasen Kin-fung LEUNG | Prof. Eliza Wong |
Hang LI | Prof. Hein Min Tun |
Kehang LI | Prof. Marc Chong |
Qian LI | Prof. Sherry Yang Prof. Samuel Wong |
Yingxin LI | Prof. Kin-fai Ho |
Xin LIU | Prof. Hein Min Tun |
Xue LIANG | Prof. Johnson Wang |
Caiqi LIU | Prof. Maggie Wang Prof. Zhongfang Wang |
Yufei LIU | Prof. Shelly Tse |
Tianwei LONG | Prof. Dong Dong Prof. Jin Chen |
Jingzhi LOU | Prof. Maggie Wang |
Jiajun LYU | Prof. Shelly Tse |
Charlotte Sze-nok NG | Prof. Eric Lee Prof. Benjamin Yip |
Lihua PAN | Prof. Nelson Yeung |
Taihang SHAO | Prof. Eliza Wong |
Shimin SU | Prof. Maggie Wang |
Yinghui SUN | Prof. Phoenix Mo |
Margaret Ting-fong TSOI | Prof. Kin-On Kwok |
Betty Huan WANG | Prof. Eliza Wong Prof. Daisy Zhang |
Shuqi WANG | Prof. Eric Lee |
Shuyi WANG | Prof. Joey Yang |
Sherry Xueqiong WENG | Prof. Shelly Tse Prof. Wenzhen Li |
Agassi Chun-wai WONG | Prof. Sherry Yang Prof. Samuel Wong |
Xueqi WU | Prof. Hein Min Tun |
Gailin YANG | Prof. Hein Min Tun Prof. Nan Qi |
Xiaochen YANG | Prof. Eliza Wong |
Toby Zehuan YANG | Prof. Jason Huang Prof. Claire Zhong Prof. Martin Wong |
Sarah Tsz-yui YAU | Prof. Eng-kiong Yeoh Prof. CT Hung |
Xinchen YE | Prof. Phoenix Mo |
Faustina Fu YIP | Prof. Dong Dong Prof. Kailu Wang |
Shanshan YU | Prof. Kin-fai Ho |
Siyue YU | Prof. Eliza Wong |
Qianying YUE | Prof. Marc Chong Prof. April Wu |
Rui ZHANG | Prof. Candy Wong Prof. Shui-shan Lee |
Tianhang ZHANG | Prof. Kin-fai Ho |
Yusong ZHANG | Prof. Dong Dong Prof. Samuel Wong |
Zhihui ZHANG | Prof. Maggie Wang |
Hong ZHENG | Prof. Maggie Wang |
Part- time PhD Students | Supervisors |
Baker Kwok-kwan BAT | Prof. Martin Wong Prof. Kelvin Tsoi |
Kylie Kai-yi CHAN | Prof. Sherry Yang Prof. Phoenix Mo Prof. Nelson Yeung |
Shaz Sha-ron CHENG | Prof. Roger Chung Prof. Jeam Kim |
Alison Pui-ying CHOI | Prof. Eliza Wong Prof. Kin-Fai Ho |
Isaac Chun-kin CHOW | Prof. Chris Mok |
Sharon Ka-wong CHOW | Prof. Emily Chan Prof. Kevin Hung |
Caroline DUBOIS | Prof. Emily Chan Prof. Samuel Wong |
Hugo Pak-yiu FONG | Prof. Regina Sit |
Yunxin HE | Prof. Kin-On Kwok |
Mary Tsun-kwan IP | Prof. Phoenix Mo |
Joyce Tik-sze LI | Prof. Benjamin Yip |
Xinxin LI | Prof. Benny Zee |
Hermione Hin-man LO | Prof. Regina Sit |
Veeleah Yi-chun LOK | Prof. Jean Kim Prof. Roger Chung |
Katherine Yuk-ping SZE | Prof. Jean Kim |
Ka-tsun TING | Prof. Samuel Wong |
Vivian Wan-in WEI | Prof. Kin-On Kwok |
Ho-yan WONG | Prof. Eliza Wong |
Elvin Tsz-fung WONG | Prof. Eric Lee Prof. Phoenix Mo |
Timothy Chung-ming WU | Prof. Samuel Wong Prof. Wai-tong Chien |
Zheng WU | Prof. Dong Dong |
Accomplishments of our PhD graduates
Many of our PhD graduates are currently employed in academia, research, and healthcare-related sectors, including positions as faculty members at local and international institutions.

Dr. Francisco LAI
Besides the facilitation of access to a wide variety of data during my study, I was given great flexibility on the choice of research topics…In recognition of my scholarly contributions, I received the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship 2018/19 as well as the CUHK 2019 Outstanding Students Award.

Dr. Lirong CAO
I feel so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to pursue my PhD at CUHK. All the professors, schoolmates and colleagues are very professional, friendly and generous in giving help…They have supported, and modelled me into the best scholar and leader I could be, and truly care about who you are and who you become.

Dr. Yawen WANG
Purusing a PhD in the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. The unwavering support and guidance from my superivisors and professors have played a critical role in propelling my research forward.

Dr. Steven POON
JCSPHPC does an excellent job of offering quality postgraduate education programme over the years, with well-rounded courses, expert guidance from academic staff, resourceful research environment and overseas exchange opportunities. The learning experiences at JCSPHPC were fruitful for developing my career in public health field.

Dr. Huwen WANG
Studying PhD at CUHK’s JC School of Public Health and Primary Care has been an incredible experience. With supportive supervisor and an innovative, collaborative research environement, I have gained valuable insights into producing high-quality research work. I highly recommend the programme to potential students who seek to enhance their research capabilities.