PhD Trainee Opportunity (Sept 2025):
I am recruiting a PhD trainee with experience working with individuals with bipolar disorder, focusing on psychosocial support. Candidates should have a strong interest in recovery-oriented research and lived experience perspectives.
Samson is Professor of Mental Health at HKU. From 2020 to June 2025, he served as Dean of Student Affairs, and has since returned to the Department to continue his teaching and research. The corpus of Professor Tse’s research and scholarship is on building knowledge for the human services that support people with severe mental illness and those affected by addiction problem and in turn, to improve the well-being of service users, families and caregivers. He pursues two primary areas of inquiry: (1) advance knowledge and understanding of psychosocial issues in bipolar disorder and people with problem gambling; (2) undertake recovery-oriented, action-focused research such as Strengths Model Case Management (SMCM) and Peer Support Intervention (PSI) with a high potential for impact on the quality of life of people with mental illness and caregivers. His work makes substantive contributions to HKU’s efforts of “Internationalization, Innovation, and Interdisciplinarity converging to create Impact” and to local communities and beyond. Professor Tse has been appointed to several governmental committees e.g., Mental Health Advisory Committee (Food and Health Bureau), Health and Medical Research Fund- Mental Health Research (Food and Health Bureau), and Research Advisory Group (Narcotics Division, Security Bureau).
- Tse, S., Johnson, S. L., Yu, C. H., Yuen, W., Lo, I., Clark, L., … & Modavi, K. (2025). Bipolar disorders and creativity: The roles of ambition, effort-based decision-making, and exploration. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1505314.
- Kotera, Y., Ronaldson, A., Takhi, S., Felix, S., Namasaba, M., Lawrence, S (Tse, S. [29th out of 44 authors]) … & Slade, M. (2025). Cultural influences on fidelity components in recovery colleges: A study across 28 countries and territories. General Psychiatry, 38:e102010.
- Zhu, S., Hu, Y., Qi, D., Tse, S., Chan, K. L., Sun, J., & Lee, P. (2025). Effects of web-based single-session growth mindset interventions for reducing adolescent anxiety: Four-armed randomized controlled trial. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 8(1), e63500.
- Brooks, E., Tse, S., Wright, J. Y., & Burdett, E. (2024). Educating future leaders to engage the challenges of a changing world: A blended-learning approach to character and leadership education at the University of Hong Kong. Tertiary Education and Management, 30(2), 111-127.
- Tse, N., Tse, S., Wong, P., & Adams, P. (2023). Collective Motivational Interviewing for Substance Use Problems: Concept and Implications. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 21(4), 2538-2555.
- Tse, S., Yu, C. H., Yuen, W. W. Y., Ng, C. S. M., Lo, I. W. K., Fukui, S., … & Chan, S. K. (2022). Randomised controlled trial evaluating the Strengths Model Case Management in Hong Kong. Research on Social Work Practice, 33(7), 728-742.
- Tsoi, E. W., Tse, S., Canda, E. R., Goscha, R. J., & Lo, I. W. (2021). The meaning of “strengths” for strengths-based mental health practice in Hong Kong Chinese culture: A qualitative exploratory study. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1037/prj0000476
- Lee, L., Tse, S., Blaszczynski, A., & Tsang, S. (2020). Concepts and controversies regarding tolerance and withdrawal in gambling disorder. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 31, 54-59.
- ABC, quest for a mechanism: Ambitious behaviour, Bipolar disorder, and Creativity (funded by General Research Fund, HK) HK$992,408 Jan-2020 June-2022
- Randomized controlled trial of Strengths Model Case Management (funded by General Research Fund, HK) HK$860,000 Jan-2018 Dec-2019
- Knowledge acquisition to support recovery among people with bipolar disorder (funded by General Research Fund, HK) HK$560,000 Jan-2016 Dec-2017
- 5-Steps and Collective Motivational Interviewing (funded by Beat Drugs Fund, HK) HK$1,700,000 Jan-2016 June-2018
- Professor Samson Tse consults actively for several local non-governmental organisations such as Caritas Social Services, Mind HK, and the Christian Oi Hip Fellowship, and provides international expertise in problem gambling, strengths-based interventions, and cross-cultural mental health. He is a founding member of a Canada-based psychosocial research hub focused on bipolar disorder, and a member of a UK-based research collaboration on recovery-oriented practices. Previously, he served as Consulting Editor for the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal (American Psychological Association) and as Regional Assistant Editor for International Gambling Studies (Taylor & Francis), where he continues to serve on the International Editorial Board.
- “Knowledge Exchange Excellence Award Team” category (JC JoyAge – Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness) (The University of Hong Kong, March 2025)
- “Teaching Award in the Collaborative Team” category (University Grants Committee, Hong Kong, October 2024)
- “Mental Health Award in the Social Welfare – Excellence in Care” category (Mental Health Foundation Hong Kong, September 2024)
- “Social Sciences Outstanding Research Output Awards- Applied Research, Strengths Model Case Management in Hong Kong” (Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, 2018/19)
- “HKU Overseas Fellowship Awards 2009/2010” offered by The University of Hong Kong to visit the Program of Recovery and Community Health, at Yale University (Aug, 2010)