Name：Yi Chai

Position：Assistant Professor

E-mail：ychai@szu.edu.cn

Personal Statement:

Dr. Yi Chai received her Ph.D. from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2022. She subsequently joined the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU, as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2022 and was appointed as a Research Assistant Professor in 2024. In the same year, Dr. Chai became an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at Shenzhen University. Dr. Chai currently holds the position of Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at HKU and is a Fellow at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention.

Mental health issues pose significant global challenges. Dr. Chai's research leverages large-scale real-world data to enhance the identification, prevention, and intervention strategies for patients with mental health problems. Utilizing advanced statistical methods, Dr. Chai’s research focuses on: (1) the epidemiology, modifiable factors, and clinical outcomes of mental health issues; (2) the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications; and (3) the multimorbidity patterns among patients with mental health conditions. Dr. Chai has published several papers as the first or corresponding author in prestigious academic journals, including The Lancet Psychiatry, PLOS Medicine, and JAMA Network Open.

Research Interests:

Psychiatric disorders

Self-harm and suicide

Pharmacoepidemiology

Multimorbidity

Research Projects:

1. Investigator, Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF, Hong Kong, No. 22232721), 2026-2028, 817,240 HKD

2. Investigator, Research Grants Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (RGC PDFS, Hong Kong, No. PDFS2324-7S06), 2023-2025, 1,239,180 HKD

3. Co-Investigator, General Research Fund (GRF, Hong Kong, No. 17111523), 2023-2025, 771,680 HKD

Selected Peer-reviewed Publications:

1. Chai, Y., Luo, H., Wong, G. H. Y., Tang, J. Y. M., Lam, T.-C., Wong, I. C. K., & Yip, P. S. F. (2020). Risk of self-harm after the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders in Hong Kong, 2000–10: A nested case-control study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(2), 135-147.

2. Luo, H., Chai, Y.(co-first author), Li, S., Lau,W .C. Y., Torre, C. O., Hayes, J., Lam, I. C. H., Lin, X., Yin, C. et al. (2024). Psychotropic drug prescribing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among people with depressive and anxiety disorders: A multinational network study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 11(10), 807–817.

3. Chai, Y.,Tang, J. Y. M., Ma, C. F., Luo, H. & Chan, S. K. W. (2024) Self-harm and suicide rates before and after an early intervention program for patients with first-episode schizophrenia. JAMA Network Open,7(8), e2426795.

4. Hu, Y., Gao, L., Zhou, L., Liu, W., Wei, C., Liu, B., …, Chai, Y.* (co-corresponding author), Lai, F. T. T. (2024). Rare but elevated incidence of hematological malignancy after clozapine use in schizophrenia: A population cohort study. PLoS Medicine, 21(12),e1004457.

5. Chai, Y., Luo, H., Man, K. K. C., Lau, W. C. Y., Chan, S. K. W., Yip, P. S. F., & Wong, I. C. K. (2022). Antidepressant use and risk of self-harm among people aged 40 years or older: A population-based cohort and self-controlled case series study. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 27, 100557.