Kenneth Ka Shu Lee

I have a broad interest in understanding how people understand others' minds and affective states, and how those underlying psychological and neurobiological processes become disrupted in developmental psychopathology, in particular, Autism Spectrum Disorders. My proposed DPhil research will focus on how individuals with ASD regulate emotional distress via interoceptive inference (breathing) and whether comorbid alexithymia may contribute to their emotional struggles. With my research, I hope to build a computer-/mobile-based programme that coaches affected individuals in emotion regulation skills.  

Prior to my studies at Oxford, I completed my Master's at UCL and Yale Child Study Center researching various topics related to childhood irritability (supervised by Dr Wan-Ling Tseng), such as the functional neural correlates of body movement perception and frustrative nonreward, negative parenting, and pre-/perinatal risk factors. I am also very passionate about promoting children's welfare and youth mental health, and am currently addressing the "toxic stress" effects of COVID on marginalised children and families with international collaborators. Academic work aside, I am interested in translating and communicating youth mental health research to parents, teachers, and the general public. I also volunteered to provide pivotal response training to children with ASD.            

My DPhil research is funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, where I serviced as an undergraduate researcher in the Autism Support Network.