Associate Professor (Physiotherapy)

Office: Room 1001, 10/F, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Ma Kam Chan Memorial Building, 31 Wylie Road, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 3859 8933
Fax: (852) 2783 8635
Email: waynechan@twc.edu.hk

Biography:
Dr. Wayne Chan is an Associate Professor (Research Track) in the School of Medical and Health Sciences at Tung Wah College. A registered physiotherapist in both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, he brings more than a decade of specialized clinical experience in geriatric rehabilitation to his academic work. Dr. Chan completed his doctoral training in the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, supported by the prestigious S.H. Ho Fellowship. Prior to joining Tung Wah College, he held faculty and research appointments across several tertiary institutions, most notably serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Dr. Chan’s research program centers on fall prevention, geriatric rehabilitation, and exercise therapeutics for healthy older adults and individuals living with cognitive impairment or dementia. His scholarly contributions span two primary domains: rigorous psychometric evaluations establishing the reliability and validity of physical performance measures in dementia populations, and clinical trials—including randomized controlled and feasibility studies—evaluating specific exercise, self-management, and community-based rehabilitation interventions.

His research is supported by competitive peer-reviewed external funding, including the General Research Fund (GRF) from the Research Grants Council and the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). Dr. Chan serves as an Associate Editor for the Australasian Journal on Ageing and regularly presents his findings at leading international gerontology and rehabilitation congresses. Across his research and scholarship, his core objective remains bridging mechanistic clinical science with everyday community and bedside practice.

Academic and Professional Experience:
Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Sciences (Division of Geriatrics)
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Master of Science in Clinical Gerontology
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physiotherapy
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Academic and Professional Qualifications:
BSc, MSc, PhD, RPT

Author Identifications:
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6689-3970
SCOPUS Author ID: 57189872868
Google Scholar: Wayne LS Chan

Teaching Areas:
Physiotherapy in Mental Health;
Advanced Technology and Health Informatics;
Exercise Science;
Rehabilitation in Older People;
Rehabilitation Psychology;

Research Interests:
Geriatric and Gerontology
Neuroscience and Neurology
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
Falls Detection and Prevention
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment
Exercise and Physical Activity
Psychometrics of Outcome Measures

Funded Projects (Selected)
1. Effects of an exergaming balance exercise program in community-dwelling older adults with recurrent falls: a randomized controlled trial.
Source: Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), The Food and Health Bureau.
Duration: 1/10/2026 to 30/9/2029.
Total amount: HKD 1,486,350.

2. Investigating the effects of step training and the mediating effects of prefrontal cortex functioning in older adults with mild dementia: a randomized wait-list controlled trial.
Source: General Research Fund (GRF).
Duration: 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2026.
Total amount: HKD 1,664,925.

3. Improving the assessment of physical performance in older adults with dementia.
Source: Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), The Food and Health Bureau.
Duration: 1/10/2022 to 30/9/2025.
Total amount: HKD 721,250.

Publications (Selected):

1. Liu, J. Q. J., Yeung, M. K., Chen, M., Menant, J. C., Lord, S. R., Sturnieks, D. L., Tam, Y. K., Tang, P. M., Wong, K. C., Wong, K. L., Wong, Y. L., & Chan, W. L. S. (2026). The choice stepping reaction task: How prefrontal network topology reconfigures in aging and dementia. GeroScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-026-02534-y

2. Chan, W. L. S., Liu, J. Q. J., Lam, F. M. H., & Cheung, D. S. K. (2026). Feasibility, safety, and effects of a step training program in community-dwelling older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia: A feasibility wait-list controlled trial. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 110(3), 1304–1314. https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877261422508

3. Ho, L. Y. W., Tse, J. H. Y., Chan, W. L. S., & Cheung, D. S. K. (2025). Effects of Exergaming on Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 34(5), 1913–1930. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.17672

4. Cai, Y., Chan, W. L. S., Zhuang, J., Yuan, Y., Cai, J., Chen, M., Li, X., Ouyang, H., Zhou, K., & Pang, M. Y. C. (2025). Effects of different non-invasive brain stimulation interventions on cognitive and functional abilities in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 191, 470–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.072

5. Chan, W. L. S., Tsang, S. M. H., & Ho, L. Y. W. (2024). Reliability and validity of four step tests in older adults with dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 39(12), e70021. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.70021

6. Chan, W. L. S., Pin, T. W., Chan, J. Y. H., Siu, G. C. H., & Tsang, S. M. H. (2024). The Ability of Physical Performance Measures to Identify Fall Risk in Older Adults Living With Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 25(8), 105100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2024.105100

7. Chan, W. L. S., Chan, C. W. L., Lam, F. M. H., Chan, H. H. W., Chan, K. C. K., Chan, J. S. K., Chan, O. L. W., & Cheung, D. S. K. (2024). Feasibility, safety, and effects of a Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure™ balance and strengthening exercise program in community-dwelling older adults with a history of falls: A feasibility randomized controlled trial. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 24(S1), 334–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.14771

8. Chan, W. L. S., & Pin, T. W. (2020). Reliability, validity and minimal detectable change of 2-min walk test and 10-m walk test in frail older adults receiving day care and residential care. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 32(4), 597–604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01255-x

9. Chan, W. L. S., & Pin, T. W. (2019). Practice effect and cueing of 2-minute walk test, 6-minute walk test and 10-meter walk test in frail older adults with and without dementia - Recommendations to walk tests protocols. Experimental Gerontology, 124, 110648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2019.110648

10. Chan, W. L. S., & Pin, T. W. (2019). Reliability, validity and minimal detectable change of 2-minute walk test, 6-minute walk test and 10-meter walk test in frail older adults with dementia. Experimental Gerontology, 115, 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2018.11.001