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Prof. Lui Sai Yu, Simon 呂世裕

MBBS, PhD, FRCPsych (UK), FHKCPsych, FHKAM (Psychiatry)

Clinical Associate Professor

Honorary Consultant, Queen Mary Hospital

Director of Internal Affairs

Department Representative at Committee on Telepresence project, Medical Campus Development

 

Committee Member of the Schizophrenia Interventional Research Society (SIRS) Education Committee (2022 – 2025)

Councilor, Asian College of Schizophrenia Research (2021 – 2023)

Member of Research Committee, Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists (2014 – present)

Honorary Advisor, Castle Peak Hospital (2021 – present)

Medical Member, Mental Health Review Tribunal (2025 – present)


The HKU Scholars Hub Page
http://hub.hku.hk/cris/rp/rp02747

Connecting Research and Researchers ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9360-6244

Email: lsy570@hku.hk

Prospective MPhil and PhD students are welcome to contact Dr Simon Lui in email.  

Short Biography:

Dr. Simon Lui joined the Department of Psychiatry in Oct 2020 as Clinical Associate Professor. He graduated from HKUMed in 2000, and completed his specialist training at Castle Peak Hospital. Before joining the department, he worked as Associate Consultant (2011-2020), and accumulated extensive clinical and administrative experiences. He obtained a doctoral degree in cognitive neurosciences from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2013. Since joining HKUMed, Dr. Lui continued his research, and closely collaborated with local clinical leaders, national and international researchers. As a clinician-scientist, he has published 230 articles (as of Sept 2025). He has been ranked as HKU Scholar in the Top 1% (by Clarivate Analytics in the top 1% worldwide by citations in psychiatry) for three consecutive years from 2022 onwards. His research interests include psychopathology, cognitive markers/endophenotypes, clinical and functional outcome studies, biological and genetic basis of psychosis and related disorders, and population-based research. He has been awarded several competitive grants, and welcomes cross-discipline research collaborations.

Research Interests:

  • Clinical studies in psychosis

  • Neurobiological basis of psychosis and related disorders

  • High-risk populations for developing psychosis

  • Cognitive markers and endophenotype research

  • Prospection

  • Clinical genetics and population-based research

Research Areas:

1.

Clinical research in psychosis

Psychopathology, insight, medication adherence and side-effects are important in clinical managements for people with schizophrenia and related disorders. Schizophrenia is highly heterogeneous, with variable courses and trajectories. Our team attempt to identify useful prognostic factors/intervention targets for improving schizophrenia patients’ clinical and functional outcome. We used different methodological approaches, including naturalistic follow-up design, sophisticated statistical methods, and ‘state-of-the-art’ symptom scales.

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  1. Fung Y, Wong KCY, Leung PMB, Lee BKW, Sham PC*, Lui SSY*, So HC* (2025). Longitudinal Impact of Different Treatment Sequences of Second-Generation Antipsychotics on Metabolic Outcomes: A Study Using Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation. Psychological Medicine, 55, e123, 1–10, doi.org/10.1017/S0033291725000935. (Co-corresponding author).

  2. Lui SSY#*, Wong YL#, Huang YH, Chau BCL, Cheung ESL, Wong CHY, Wong RWK, Leung SK, Lam JPH, Chan RCK (2024). Childhood trauma, resilience, psychopathology and social functioning in schizophrenia: A network analysis. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104211. (Corresponding and co-first author).

  3. Wong KCY, Leung PBM, Lee BKW, Sham PC*, Lui SSY*, So HC* (2024). Long-term metabolic side-effects of second-generation antipsychotics in Chinese patients with schizophrenia: A within-subject approach with modelling of dosage effects. Asian Journal of Psychiatry doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104172. (Co-corresponding author).

  4. Lui SSY*#, Lam EHY#, Wang LL, Leung PBM, Cheng ESL, Wong CHY, Zhan N, Wong RWK, Siu BWM, Tang DYY, Liu ACY, Chan RCK* (2024). Negative symptoms in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and its relationship with functioning. Schizophrenia Research doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.008 (Co-first and co-corresponding author)

  5. Hu HX, Lau WYS, Ma EPY, Hung KSY, Chen SY, Cheng KS, Cheng EFC, Lui SSY*, Chan RCK (2022). The important role of motivation and pleasure deficits on social functioning in patients with schizophrenia: A network analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbac017. (Corresponding author)

  6. Chan RCK, Wang LL, Lui SSY (2022). Theories and models of negative symptoms in schizophrenia and clinical implications. Nature Reviews Psychology doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00065-9 (Last author)

  7. Wang LL, Tam MHW, Ho, KKY, Hung KSY, Wong JOY, Lui SSY*, Chan RCK (2022). Bridge centrality network structure of negative symptoms in people with schizophrenia. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 10.1007/s00406-022-01474-w. (Co-corresponding author)

  8. Tam MWH, Wang LL, Cheng KH, Wong JOY, Cheung EFC, Lui SSY*, Chan RCK (2021). Latent structure of self-report negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary study. Asian Journal of Psychiatry doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102680. (Co-corresponding author)

  9. Lui SSY, Lam JPY, Lam JWS, Chui WWH, Mui JHC, Siu BWM, Cheng KM, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK. (2021). Cognitive insight is correlated with cognitive impairments and contributes to medication adherence in schizophrenia patients. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102644 (Co-first and corresponding author)

2.

High-risk populations for developing psychosis

Subclinical populations at risk of developing psychosis provide a promising paradigm to study the interplay between protective and aggravating factors for the diathesis–stress model of schizophrenias. Schizotypy is a latent personality organization that putatively harbors the liability for schizophrenia and can result in various schizophrenia-related phenotypic outcomes. The schizotypy framework also illustrates the complex personality-psychopathology connections, unaffected by medications and social adversities associated with schizophrenia. Our research involve both genetic and behavioral high-risk populations.

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  1. Chan RCK, Wang LL, Huang J, Wang Y, Lui SSY (2024). Anhedonia across and beyond the schizophrenia spectrum. Schizophrenia Bulletin doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbae165. (Last author).

  2. Wang LL#, Lui SSY#, Chan RCK (2024). Neuropsychology and neurobiology of negative schizotypy: A selective review. Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100317. (Co-first author)

  3. Lui SSY, Hung KSY, Wang Y, Ho KKY, Yeung HKH, Wang Y, Huang H, Gooding DC, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2018). Clustering of schizotypy features in unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients. Schizophrenia Bulletin 44, S536-S546. (Co-first author)

  4. Lui SSY, Shi YF, Au ACW, L Z, Tsui CF, Chan CKY, Leung MMW, Wong PTY, Wang Y, Yan C, Heerey EA, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2016). Affective experience and motivated behaviour in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Evidence from clinical and non-clinical samples. Neuropsychology 30(6): 673-684. (First author)

3.

Cognitive markers and endophenotype research

Recent advance in cognitive neuroscience has provided useful frameworks and models to bridge the phenotypic heterogeneity and genetic complexity of schizophrenia and related disorders. The transdiagnostic approach is also important to cognitive marker and endophenotype research. We utilize novel experimental paradigms, cross-diagnosis samples and follow-up study design to investigate hot and cool cognition in psychiatric populations.

​

  1. Wang LL, Lui SSY, So JWL, Hu HX, Chu MY, Cheng KM, Li SB, Le BL, Lv QY, Yi ZH, Chan RCK (2023). Range adaptive value representations in schizophrenia and major depression. Asian Journal of Psychiatry doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103880 (Co-first author).

  2. Lui SSY*, Wang LL, Lau WYS, Shing E, Yeung HKH, Tsang KCM, Zhan EN, Cheung ESL, Ho KKY, Hung KSY, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2023). Emotion-behaviour decoupling and experiential pleasure deficits predict negative symptoms and functional outcome in first-episode schizophrenia patients. Asian Journal of Psychiatry doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103467. (First and co-corresponding author)

  3. Wang LL, Lui SSY, Chan RCK (2021). The past and future of mapping the biomarkers of psychosis. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.06.007. (Co-first author)

  4. Lui SSY*, Yip SSL, Wang Y, Hung KSY, Ho KKY, Tsang KCM, Yeung HKH, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2021). Different trajectories of neurological soft signs progression between treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients. Journal of Psychiatric Research doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.018. (Co-first and co-corresponding author)

  5. Lui SSY, Yang TX, Ng CLY, Wong PTY, Wong JOY, Ettinger U, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2017). Following instructions in patients with schizophrenia: The benefit of actions at encoding and recall. Schizophrenia Bulletin 44: 137–146. (Co-first author)

  6. Tin LNW, Lui SSY*, Ho KKY, Hung KSY, Wang Y, Yeung HKH, Wong TY, Lam SM, Chan RCK, Cheung EFC (2017). High-functioning autism patients share similar but more severe impairments in verbal theory of mind than schizophrenia patients. Psychological Medicine 48(8), 1264-1273. (Corresponding author)

  7. Xie D, Lui SSY, Geng FL, Yang ZY, Zou YM, Li Y, Yeung HKH, Cheung EFC, Heerey EA, Chan RCK (2017). Dissociation between affective experience and motivated behaviour in schizophrenia patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives and schizotypal individuals. Psychological Medicine 48(9), 1474-1483. (Co-first author)

  8. Lui SSY, Liu ACY, Chui WWH, Li Z, Geng FL, Wang Y, Heerey EA, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2015). The nature of anhedonia and avolition in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine 46(2), 437-447. (First author)

4.

Prospection

Prospection is the ability to mentally simulate and “pre-experience” the future. This novel cognitive construct encompasses prospective memory, affective forecasting and mental time travelling, and is believed to be related to anticipatory pleasure, motivation and medication management in people with psychosis. Over the years, we have established a solid groundwork on prospective memory (i.e., the ability to remember to perform future intentions), and are now extending our work to affective forecasting as well as relating prospection deficits with functional outcome.

​

  1. Fung ACO#, Zhang RT#, Yip SSL, Poon GKS, Cheng CW, Yang TX, Lui SSY*, Chan RCK* (2023). Prospection deficits in patients with first-episode schizophrenia: A cross-sectional comparative study. Schizophrenia 10.1038/s41537-023-00365-w (co-corresponding author).

  2. Lui SSY*, Zhang RT, Lau WYS, Liu ACY, Chui WWH, Wang Y, Tsang KCM, Yeung HKH, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2021). Prospective memory influences social functioning in people with first-episode schizophrenia: A network analysis and longitudinal study. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry doi.org/10.4088/JCP.21m14114 (Co-first and co-corresponding author)

  3. Lui SSY, Leung SSW, Yang TX, Ho KKY, Man CMY, Leung KHL, Wong JOY, Wang Y, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2021). The benefits of emotionally salient cues on event-based prospective memory in bipolar patients and schizophrenia patients. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience doi.org/10.1007/s00406-021-01235-1 (First author)

  4. Lui SSY, Wang Y, Yang TX, Liu ACY, Chui WWH, Yeung HKH, Li Z, Neumann DL, Shum DHK, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2015). Problems in remembering to carry out future actions in first-episode schizophrenia: primary or secondary impairment? Journal of Psychiatric Research 61, 141-149. (First author)

  5. Lui SSY, Wang Y, Liu ACY, Chui WWH, Gong QY, Shum DHK, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2011). Prospective memory in patients with first-onset schizophrenia and their non-psychotic siblings. Neuropsychologia 49(8):2217-24. (First author).

5.

Neurobiological basis of psychosis and related disorders

The current diagnostic classification in psychiatry mainly relies on ‘phenomenology’ (symptoms and signs). The aetiology and neural mechanisms for many psychiatric disorders remain unclear. We utilize multimodal investigations to study this important area.

​

  1. Zhou HY, Lai IYS, Hung KSY, Chan MKM, Ho ZTY, Lam JPH, Lui SSY*, Chan RCK (2022). Audiovisual temporal processing in adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia and high-functioning autism. Schizophrenia 10.1038/s41537-022-00284-2. (Co-corresponding author)

  2. Deng Y, Hung KSY, Lui SSY, Chui WWH, Lee JCW, Wang Yi, Li Z, Mak HKF, Sham PC, Chan RCK, Cheung EFC (2018). Tractography-based classification in distinguishing patients with first-episode schizophrenia from healthy individuals. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 88: 66–73.

  3. Chiu PW, Lui SSY, Hung KSY, Chan RCK, Chan Q, Sham PC, Cheung EFC, Mak HKF (2017). In vivo gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate levels in people with first-episode schizophrenia: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Schizophrenia Research 193, 295-303.

6.

Clinical genetics and population-based research

Several forms of schizophrenia, such as early-onset and treatment-resistant schizophrenia, are believed to have more severe neurobiological and neurodevelopment abnormalities, which can be unveiled using clinical genetics. Moreover, many clinical data routinely captured in our healthcare system is highly valuable in population-based, big-data research, which can unveil possible causative agents affecting the onset, course and progression of psychiatric disorders.

​

  1. Leung PBM, Vassos E, Cheung KW, Wong KCY, Zhan N, Di Forti M, Murray RM, So HC*, Sham PC*, Lui SSY* (2025). The effect of prenatal psychotropic drug exposures on obstetric complications: a nineteen-year population-based study. British Journal of Psychiatry doi: 10.1192/bjp.2025.10340. (Corresponding and Co-senior author)

  2. Wong KCY, Leung PBM, Lee BKW, Zheng ZZY, Tsan EMW, Liu MH, Lee KWK, Rao ST, Sham PC*, Lui SSY*, So HC* (2025). Pharmacogenetic Study of Antipsychotic Induced Lipid and BMI Changes in Chinese Schizophrenia Patients: A Genome-Wide Association Study. Translational Psychiatry doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03499-w (Co-corresponding author).

  3. Leung PBM, Liu Z, Zhong Y, Tubbs JD, Di Forti M, Murray RM, So HC*, Sham PC*, Lui SSY* (2024). Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study of differential white blood cell counts and schizophrenia. Brain Behavior and Immunity (accepted). (Co-corresponding and last author)

  4. Zhong YX, Tubbs JD, Leung PBM, Zhan M, Hui TCK, Ho KKH, Hung KSY, Cheung EFC, So HC*, Lui SSY*, PC Sham* (2024). Whole-exome sequencing in a Chinese sample provides preliminary evidence for the link between rare/low-frequency immune-related variants and early-onset schizophrenia. Asian Journal of Psychiatry doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104046 (Co-corresponding author)

  5. Zhan N, Sham PC*, So HC*, Lui SSY* (2023). The genetic basis of onset age in schizophrenia: Evidence and models. Frontiers in Genetics doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1163361 (Co-corresponding and last author).

Competitive Research Grants (as Principal Investigator)

  1. General Research Fund (GRF) 2021/2022 (Project code: 17119021) - Network structure and cognitive trajectories of schizotypy in an epidemiological youth sample. Awarded HK$ 776,736. Role: Principal Investigator

  2. General Research Fund (GRF) 2022/2023 (Project code: 17120622) - The influence of emotion-behaviour decoupling on clinical and functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia: Evidence from two independent longitudinal cohorts. Awarded HK$ 789,055. Role: Principal Investigator

  3. Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) 2021 (Project code: 2021234) - The interplay between prospective memory and psychopathology and its effects on functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia: Network analysis of two longitudinal cohorts. HK$ 995,184. Role: Principal Investigator

  4. General Research Fund (GRF) 2023/2024 (Project code: 17119423) - Characterizing clinical and functional outcomes of neurological soft-signs in first-episode schizophrenia: A 10-year follow-up study. Awarded HK$ 535,368. Role: Principal Investigator

  5. General Research Fund (GRF) 2024/2025 (Project code: 17119625) - The important role of negative symptoms in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: An 18-month prospective study. Awarded HK$ 1,378,930. Role: Principal Investigator

Selected publications

  1. Leung PBM, Vassos E, Cheung KW, Wong KCY, Zhan N, Di Forti M, Murray RM, So HC*, Sham PC*, Lui SSY* (2025). The effect of prenatal psychotropic drug exposures on obstetric complications: a nineteen-year population-based study. British Journal of Psychiatry (accepted). (Co-corresponding and last author)

  2. Lui SSY*#, Lam EHY#, Wang LL, Leung PBM, Cheng ESL, Wong CHY, Zhan N, Wong RWK, Siu BWM, Tang DYY, Liu ACY, Chan RCK* (2024). Negative symptoms in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and its relationship with functioning. Schizophrenia Research doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.008 (Co-first and co-corresponding author)

  3. Leung PBM, Liu Z, Zhong Y, Tubbs JD, Di Forti M, Murray RM, So HC*, Sham PC*, Lui SSY* (2024). Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study of differential white blood cell counts and schizophrenia. Brain Behavior and Immunity (accepted). (Co-corresponding and last author)

  4. Lui SSY*, Wang LL, Lau WYS, Shing E, Yeung HKH, Tsang KCM, Zhan EN, Cheung ESL, Ho KKY, Hung KSY, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2023). Emotion-behaviour decoupling and experiential pleasure deficits predict negative symptoms and functional outcome in first-episode schizophrenia patients. Asian Journal of Psychiatry doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103467. (First and co-corresponding author)

  5. Hu HX, Lau WYS, Ma EPY, Hung KSY, Chen SY, Cheng KS, Cheng EFC, Lui SSY*, Chan RCK (2022). The important role of motivation and pleasure deficits on social functioning in patients with schizophrenia: A network analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbac017. (Corresponding author)

  6. Lui SSY*, Zhang RT, Lau WYS, Liu ACY, Chui WWH, Wang Y, Tsang KCM, Yeung HKH, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2021). Prospective memory influences social functioning in people with first-episode schizophrenia: A network analysis and longitudinal study. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry doi.org/10.4088/JCP.21m14114. (Co-first and co-corresponding author)

  7. Lui SSY*, Yip SSL, Wang Y, Hung KSY, Ho KKY, Tsang KCM, Yeung HKH, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2021). Different trajectories of neurological soft signs progression between treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients. Journal of Psychiatric Research doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.018. (Co-first and co-corresponding author)

  8. Lui SSY, Hung KSY, Wang Y, Ho KKY, Yeung HKH, Wang Y, Huang H, Gooding DC, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2018). Clustering of schizotypy features in unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients. Schizophrenia Bulletin 44, S536-S546. (Co-first author)

  9. Tin LNW, Lui SSY*, Ho KKY, Hung KSY, Wang Y, Yeung HKH, Wong TY, Lam SM, Chan RCK, Cheung EFC (2017). High-functioning autism patients share similar but more severe impairments in verbal theory of mind than schizophrenia patients. Psychological Medicine 48(8), 1264-1273. (Corresponding author)

  10. Lui SSY, Yang TX, Ng CLY, Wong PTY, Wong JOY, Ettinger U, Cheung EFC, Chan RCK (2017). Following instructions in patients with schizophrenia: The benefit of actions at encoding and recall. Schizophrenia Bulletin 44: 137–146. (Co-first author)

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