Olga Zayts-Spence
About Me
I arrived in Hong Kong back in 2003 and have been teaching and researching in this beautiful city ever since. I am the Founding Director of the Research and Impact Initiative for Communication in Healthcare (HKU RIICH: www.hkuriich.org) hosted by the School of English, Faculty of Arts, the University of Hong Kong. Rallying under HKU RIICH, our research team investigates cutting-edge topics in healthcare through interdisciplinary lenses of (socio-)linguistics, social sciences and public health. This research emphasizes inter-professional dialogue, multicultural and multilingual awareness and real-world impacts.
Over the years, I have researched in different healthcare settings: genetic/ genomic medicine and counselling, dental education, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), cancer clinics, end-of-life care, and most recently mental health. I am passionate about advancing the understanding of high-priority societal issues (e.g. social determinants of health and illness; mental health; gender and other health (in)equalities, etc.) through research and education. My projects are conducted in close collaboration with public and private healthcare institutions, non-profit voluntary groups, and local and international business organizations.
I am the Founding Editor of the "Routledge Studies in Language, Health and Culture" (https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-in-Language-Health-and-Culture/book-series/RSLHC). The book series aims to bring together impactful evidence-based interdisciplinary research on multicultural and multilingual healthcare encounters, especially on cases outside of the mainstream English-dominant healthcare contexts. The series connects academic research and professional practice, offering a platform for trans-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration.
For prospective research postgraduate students, see information about project supervision under TEACHING.
"Effective health communication across social domains is a key factor in ensuring patient safety and improving healthcare outcomes. It is instrumental in addressing and ameliorating negative impacts of any healthcare emergencies and their social consequences. For any discoveries or technological advances in medicine to impact patients, clinicians and other stakeholders, they need, first and foremost, to be communicated effectively to these groups of stakeholders."