High Contrast
Font Size
Medium
Small
Medium
Large
ENG
ENG
繁體
简体
About TWC
Undergraduate and Sub-degree Programmes
Postgraduate Programme
Programmes
-
Postgraduate ProgrammeBachelor’s Degree Programmes
-
Sub Degree ProgrammesDiploma Programme
-
Certificate Programme
Administration Units
News & EventsSchool of Arts and Humanities
Dr. MA Suk Ling (馬淑玲博士)Associate Professor (副教授)
Office: 6/F, School of Arts and Humanities, 136A, Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Telephone: (852) 3859 8909Email: [email protected]
Biography
Dr Suk Ling Ma is currently the Associate Professor of the School of Arts and Humanities at Tung Wah College. Dr Ma received her undergraduate and postgraduate training at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She further received postdoctoral training at Harvard University. Prior to joining TWC, Dr Ma was an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Over the past years, Dr Ma has obtained 18 external grants (in capacity of Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) or Co-Investigator (Co-I)).
Dr Ma’s key research interest is focused on the development of blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis and personalized intervention of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. In addition, she has been actively collaborating in different areas including autism, depression and sleep disorder.
Academic and Professional Qualifications
BSc., MPhil., MSc., PhDAuthor Identifications:ORCID: 0000-0001-6175-5691
EducationPhD in Medical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong KongMSc in Bioinformatics, The University of ManchesterMPhil in Medical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong KongBSc (Hon) of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Teaching AreasCapstone Project SupervisionAge-related changes
Research Interests:Blood-based biomarkers for early detection of diseasesPersonalized intervention for cognitive declineGenetics of cognitive decline and dementia
Funded Projects (Selected)A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of a Digital Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Platform and a Traditional Exercise Intervention for Weight Control. Donation and Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS). (Principal Investigator, Project No.: RMGS2025_1_11)
Diagnostic accuracy of a combination of near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and plasma biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease screening and prediction in the Chinese population: A three-year longitudinal study. Donation and Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS). (Co-Investigator, Project No.: RMGS2025_1_13)
Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA as marker for early detection of cognitive decline in elderly. Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). (Principal Investigator, Project No.: 6906447)
Loneliness in Chinese older adults: Association with inflammation and cognitive decline. A 2-year longitudinal study. General Research Fund (GRF). (Co-Investigator, Project No.: 15601522)
Effect of a six-week Integrated Attention Training Program on the cognitive functions of older adults with co-occurring anxiety symptoms and subjective cognitive complaints. Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). (Co-Investigator, Project No.: 10211426)
Family-based association study in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a two-phase study using whole exome sequencing. General Research Fund (GRF). (Co-Investigator, Project No.: 14108722)
Multi-modal approaches to determine digital clinical phenotyping, novel proteomic biomarkers, and microbiota-host responses of REM sleep behavior disorder, a prodromal stage of Alpha-synucleinopathy neurodegeneration, in a prospective family cohort. Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). (Co-Principal Investigator, Project No.: C4044-21GF)
Hong Kong Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Epidemiologic Survey: Age 6 to 17. HMRF Commissioned Research. (Co-Principal Investigator, Project No.: MHS-P1(Part1)-CUHK)
The Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey for Older Persons – HKMMSOP. HMRF Commissioned Research. (Co-Principal Investigator, Project No.: MHS-P1(Part3)-CUHK)
Publications (Selected)Lam LCW, Chan WC, Lee ATC, Huo Z, Lin VC, Fung AWT, Ma SL, Cheng CPW, Cheng ST, Lai FHY, Yip BHK, Wong SYS (2026). Prevalence of mild and major neurocognitive disorders in community and residential care homes in Hong Kong: considerations for multidimensional risk factor evaluation and intervention in primary care. Hong Kong Med J. Apr 17. doi: 10.12809/hkmj2412656.
Gao R, Lam LCW, Lee ATC, Tang NLS, Ma SL (2026). Functional significance of NLRP3 polymorphisms in mild cognitive impairment. BMC Geriatr. 8;26(1):173. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06905-6.
Tang NLS, Kwan TK, Huang J, Tang MLH, Ho HY, Wang X, Lai CKC, Lui GCY, Ma SL, Leung KS (2026). Translation of scRNA-seq to a clinical blood test for infection diagnostics. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2:1-14. doi: 10.1080/14737159.2026.2647154.
Fung AWT, Ma SL (2025). Efficacy of the Hong Kong-Vigilance and Memory Test Platform on Early Detection of Cognitive Deficits and Promotion of Healthy Behaviors in Older Adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 25(11):1598-1602. doi: 10.1111/ggi.70214.
Ma SL, Bowen MT, Dadds MR. (2025). Functional significance of some common oxytocin receptor SNPs involved in complex human traits. BMC Mol Cell Biol. 26(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s12860-024-00529-1.
Chan SSM, Wong OWH, Hussain S, Tsoi KKF, Ma KKY, Chau SWH, Ma SL, Lai KYC, Chu WCW, Lo HHL, Ho SWS, Leung CC, Yiu KKL, So SHW, Sham PC, Hung SF, Leung PWL. (2025). Twelve-month prevalence of DSM-5 mental disorders and the psychosocial correlates- a child and adolescent psychiatric epidemiologic survey in Hong Kong SAR. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 57:101533. doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101533.
Ma SL, Tang KT, Lau NCT, Chiu CLH, Lin C, Lam LCW, Lee ATC. (2024). Effect of computerized cognitive training on mood, cognition, and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor level in late-life depression - a pilot randomized controlled trial. Front Psychiatry. 14:1287822. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1287822.
Fung AWT, Lee ATC, Ma SL, Lam LCW. (2024). Development and validation of cognitive ageing risk score (CARS) for early detection of subtle cognitive deficits in older people. BMC Geriatr. 24(1):277. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-04879-5.
Lu H, Li J, Chan SSM, Ma SL, Mok VCT, Shi L, Mak AD, Lam LCW. (2024). Predictive values of pre-treatment brain age models to rTMS effects in neurocognitive disorder with depression: Secondary analysis of a randomised sham-controlled clinical trial. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 26(1):38-52. doi: 10.1080/19585969.2024.2373075.
Wan Y, Wong OWH, Tun HM, Su Q, Xu Z, Tang W, Ma SL, Chan S, Chan FKL, Ng SC. (2024). Fecal microbial marker panel for aiding diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Gut Microbes. 16(1):2418984. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2418984.
Yeung SSY, Ma SL, Wang X, Chen Y, Tsui SKW, Tang NLS, Woo J. (2023). Telomere length among Chinese aged 75+ years. Gerontology. 69(12):1414–23.
Lu H, Li J, Yang NS, Lam LCW, Ma SL, Wing YK, Zhang L. (2023). Using gamma-band transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to improve sleep quality and cognition in patients with mild neurocognitive disorders due to Alzheimer's disease: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 18(8):e0289591.
Huang B, Chau SWH, Liu Y, Chan JWY, Wang J, Ma SL, Zhang J, Chan PKS, Yeoh YK, Chen Z, Zhou L, Wong SH, Mok VCT, To KF, Lai HM, Ng S, Trenkwalder C, Chan FKL, Wing YK. (2023). Gut microbiome dysbiosis across early Parkinson's disease, REM sleep behavior disorder and their first-degree relatives. Nat Commun. 14: 2501.
Gao R, Ma SL. (2022). Is mitochondria DNA variation a biomarker for AD? Genes. 13(10): 1789.
Community/ Professional Contributions (Selected)Member of Scientific Committee of HKCPsych International Mental Health Congress (2025, 2020 and 2018)Invited speaker for Hospital Authority Central Academic Course- Clinical Neuroscience Module in Psychiatry. May 2021 & Sept 2024.Invited speaker for The 2018 HKCPsych International Mental Health Congress. Dec 2018.Editors of PeerJ, 2016 – NowGuest Editor: Genes, 2022 - NowGuest Editor: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2022 - NowEditorial Board member: Scientific Reports, 2024 - Now
King’s Park CampusMa Kam Chan Memorial Building,
31 Wylie Road, Homantin, Hong KongMongkok CampusCheung Kung Hai Memorial Building, 90A,
and Cheung Chin Lan Hong Building, 98,
Shantung Street, Mongkok, Hong KongKwai Hing Campus8/F, Tower 1 and
16/F, Tower 2,
Kowloon Commerce Centre,
51 Kwai Cheong Road,
Kwai Chung, Hong KongTsim Sha Tsui Campus136A, Nathan Road,
Kowloon, Hong KongGeneral Enquiries:Admission Enquiries:
©2026 Tung Wah College Limited. All Rights Reserved.
