Research Background

About Dr. Cecilia Li Tsang Wai Ping

Professional Background

Prof. Cecilia W. P. Li‑Tsang is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, where she oversees internationalization initiatives and quality assurance. She previously served as Programme Leader of the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy programme (2002–2005). Earlier roles include Scheme Coordinator for the self‑financed MSc Scheme in Rehabilitation Sciences (2000–2001) and Award Coordinator for the MSc in Rehabilitation of People with Developmental Disabilities (1996–2001).

Specializations and Research Interests

Prof. Li specializes in physical and paediatric rehabilitation, with research focused on:

• Burns rehabilitation
• Hand injuries and hand conditions
• Work‑related injuries
• Paediatric hand conditions
• Clinical evaluation and outcomes research

She has secured major competitive grants, including CERG/GRF funding and Innovation and Technology Fund projects totaling over HK$10 million in the past five years.

Global Collaboration and Academic Roles

Prof. Li is actively involved in collaborative research with universities and institutions in China, Israel, Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong. She has served as an adjunct professor at:

• Peking University
• Curtin University of Technology
• Nanjing Medical University

In 2003, she received the K. C. Wong Education Foundation Visiting Scholar Award, supporting academic exchanges at Nanjing Medical University and Fudan University. She was also appointed as a medical consultant by Lang Gang Hospital in Shenzhen.

Awards and Teaching Excellence

Prof. Li has received numerous recognitions for her contributions to education:

• President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching Performance (2001)
• Departmental Outstanding Teaching Award (2000)

She is a pioneer in e‑learning innovations, having developed four WebCT teaching packages and introduced client visits and tele‑learning into the classroom environment. She has led teaching‑learning research projects totaling over HK$3 million and has published multiple papers and book chapters on education methodologies.

Prof. Li also initiated long‑term teleconference lectures with the University of Haifa, enabling real‑time dialogue between Hong Kong and Israeli students. She later expanded clinical learning through tele‑teaching with Prince of Wales Hospital.

Clinical Experience and Professional Services

Prof. Li has extensive clinical experience in:

• Hand injuries
• Arthritis
• Burns rehabilitation
• Developmental disabilities

She remains active in clinical services, consultancy work in hand and burn rehabilitation, and medico‑legal consulting. In 2005, she received the Outstanding Professional Services and Innovation Award for her consultancy project supporting workers with occupational deafness.

Leadership and Editorial Roles

Prof. Li is the Founder and Former President of the Asian Pacific Federation of Societies for Hand Therapists (APFSHT), established in 2008.

She also serves in editorial and peer‑review roles, including:

• Associate Editor of the Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy
• Reviewer for WORK Journal
• Reviewer for multiple international scientific journals