About Professor Richard Fielding

Professor Richard Fielding is a clinical and health psychologist and was until June 2017 Professor of Medical Psychology in Public Health at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) School of Public Health. He received his Doctorate from the University of Sheffield for research on improving rehabilitation of cardiac patients.

Prior to joining HKU in 1982 he worked for seven years in the National Health Service as a Senior Clinical Psychologist. He was Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Professor in the Department of Community Medicine, where he was Head of the Behavioural Sciences Unit until its absorption into the newly established HKU School of Public Health in 2013.

He was early contributor to the development of clinical health psychology, an area in which he has continued to innovate.  His work on health psychology has a particular focus on psychological and behavioural adaptation in a wide range of physical health problems, including heart diseases, cancer, respiratory epidemic behaviour, health-risk behaviour and chronic pain, and lifestyle and behavioural approaches to rehabilitation and health maintenance.

It is not uncommon in these conditions to experience significant intrusive physical and psychological symptoms. These in turn can disrupt sleep, appetite/weight, physical activity, motivation and/or interest.

Over the years Richard has developed integrated interventional approaches to such problems, using a range of behavioural, cognitive and physical activity-based techniques aimed at preventing, managing and overcoming stress, coping with psychological difficulties associated with physical health and lifestyle demands.

Richard has been a prolific researcher with over 200 peer reviewed academic papers and 14 books or chapters in print or press.