Assistant Professor at the City University of Hong Kong
My primary research interest is the discursive construction of identities in both public discourse and face to face interaction, particularly in regard to health issues, which I approach from the perspectives of Critical Discourse Analysis and Sociocultural Practice Theory. Recently I have been studying the discourse of HIV/AIDS in both Hong Kong and Mainland China, a long term project involving the analysis of public health education materials, media texts and talk in a number of different social contexts ranging from doctor-patient interaction to the negotiation of risk among men who have sex with men. Related to this project is a more general interest in emerging gay and lesbian identities and communities of practice in China. I am also involved in a project examining the discourse of Hong Kong transition from British to Chinese rule. Other research and teaching interests include phonology and the use of literature in language teaching.