Throughout my career, I have been motivated by a strong desire to empower others to reach their full potential. I firmly believe that creating a culture of excellence and growth can benefit individuals, teams, organisations, communities, and societies as a whole.

My journey began in the corporate world, where I gained nearly a decade of experience leading organisational change and IT projects in Fortune 500 companies to improve product design, operational safety, and productivity. This experience taught me the importance of taking a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, which led me to pursue education in multiple fields. I earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a minor in Social Science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, followed by an MSc and PhD in Civil Engineering from The University of Maryland, USA.

In 2017, I joined the University of Manchester as a Lecturer in Project Management and was later promoted to Senior Lecturer and Reader in recognition of my contributions to the department and wider academic community. Alongside my academic roles, I am also certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and an AgilePM® by the Association for Project Management (APM). With over 20 years of international research and work experience in countries including Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, India, and the USA, I was appointed as the Faculty of Science and Engineering Head of Internationalisation for ASEAN, Japan and Korea in 2022, reflecting my commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in academia. In addition, I was appointed as the Deputy Head of Research for the School of Engineering in 2023, and the Group Lead for Engineering Management at the Department of Civil Engineering and Management in 2024. I am also the Digitalisation Theme Lead for the Thomas Ashton Insitute which is a joint venture research institute between The University of Machester and The Health and Safety Executive (The UK health and safety regulator). 

I lead global initiatives to advance workplace safety, health, and well-being by integrating impactful research with strategic leadership. Focusing on high-risk industries, particularly construction, I draw on organisational psychology, computer science, and engineering management to develop effective solutions. Through international collaboration and interdisciplinary research, I ensure that evidence-based approaches drive meaningful and lasting change. My research has been funded by professional bodies, the UK government, charities, and private companies. My contribution to the field was further recognised by being named in the Top 50 Women in Engineering for Safety and Security by Women’s Engineering Society in 2023.

I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way throughout my career, and committed to using these opportunities to make a meaningful impact in the wider community. In addition to my academic work, I have taken on leadership roles outside the university, such as serving as an Associate Editor for of the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering. I also serve as a school governor for Springfield Primary School to promote girls' participation in the STEM fields. I believe that working together can create a better future for everyone.

Examples of Funded Research Projects:

• Streamlining the Adoption of Robotics in Construction through Advanced Human-Robot Collaboration and Safety Simulation (ARCHES - Japan and the UK) (Funded by Royal Society) Principal Investigator

• Synchronising Society 5.0 Innovations with Built Environment for Sustainable Growth and Yield in Japan and the UK (SYNERGY-Japan & the UK) Network (Funded by British Council) - Principal Investigator
• Digital Occupational Safety and Health (D-OSH) Network: Connecting Research, Policy and Practice in Construction Across Continents UK-Canada-South Korea (Funded by Academy of Medical Science) Principal Investigator
• High-Performance Graphene Enhanced Cement: A Revolutionary Innovation in Low Carbon Manufacturing Process (Funded by Innovate UK) - I lead the work package to evaluate the occupational health and safety impact of the newly developed graphene-enhanced cement.
• Occupational Safety and Health - understanding decision making and the role of evidence (Funded by Lloyds Register Foundation and the Department of MACE) - I led the evaluation of the evidence of how occupational safety and health leading indicators have been applied and their effectiveness in high-risk industries.
• Machine learning-powered safety leading indicators for enhancing safety performance in high-risk industries (Funded by EPSRC-IAA - Principal Investigator) - I led a project team to identify the critical health and safety leading indicators of high-risk industries for the business partner by applying various machine learning methods.
• Keep the UK Building Safely Project (Funded by Health and Safety Executive) - I led the work package to simulate and model the COVID-19 transmission risk of construction sites with different protective measures (e.g. social distance, masks, and isolation, etc). The government commission report of the project can be found here: https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/covid19-national-project/2023/01/17/3726/
• Workplace well-being of project professionals (Funded by the Association for Project Management - Principal Investigator) - I led a project team to conduct the first benchmarking study on evaluating the well-being levels of project professionals and recommended ways to enhance it. The APM project report can be found here: https://www.apm.org.uk/news/new-research-finds-more-must-be-done-to-support-project-managers-wellbeing/

• Occupational Safety, Health, and Well-being (OSHW) Performance – Improving workplace safety, health, and well-being while optimising productivity and operational efficiency.
• Digital Transformation and AI-Driven Innovation – Leveraging robotics, AI, and automation to enhance OSHW performance, decision making process and operational efficiency while addressing challenges in change management, workforce adaptation, and skills development.
• Leadership, Policy, Organisational Culture, and Training – Investigating how leadership, regulatory frameworks, organisational culture, and workforce training shape OSHW management, drive operational sustainability, and support the successful adoption of emerging technologies.

Teaching Units:

• Postgraduate Level
  • ENGM 62012 (Project Planning and Control): Unit Lead - teach data analytics and change management.