people
Full-time Academic Staff: Teaching Staff
Professor P C Lai (Head)
賴寶珍 教授 (系主任)

Professor
BES, MA, PhD (Waterloo)
Office:
Phone:
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PC Lai is Professor in the Department and Honorary Deputy Director of the Geographical/Land Information System Research Centre. She was Associate Dean of Faculty of Arts (1998-2003). Prior to joining the University, she was affiliated with Department of Geodetic Science and Surveying of the Ohio State University (1989-92) and Department of Geography of the University of Maryland at College Park (1983-89). Dr. Lai specializes in digital/geographic information systems and environmental health. She has served as a technical consultant to various public/government agencies in United States, and more recently in Thailand and for the World Health Organization.
Research Interests
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Geographic Information Systems
(Including Public and Environmental Health Applications) -
Cartographic Modelling and Spatial Analysis
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Transportation Studies and Network Analysis
Courses
selected Publications
2019
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Wong, P. P. Y., Lai, P. C., Allen, R., Cheng, W., Lee, M., Tsui, A., Tang, R., Thach, T. Q., Tian, L., Brauer, M. and Barratt, B. (2019) “Vertical Monitoring of Traffic-related Air Pollution (TRAP) in Urban Street Canyons of Hong Kong.” Science of the Total Environment 670: 696-703. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.224 (IF2018=5.589).
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Zhang, C. J. P., Barnett, A., Johnston, J. M., Lai, P. C., Lee, R. S. Y., Sit, C. H. P. and Cerin, E. (2019) “Objectively-measured Neighbourhood Attributes as correlates and moderators of Quality of life in Older Adults with Different Living Arrangements: The ALECS cross-sectional study.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16(5). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16050876 (IF2018=2.468).
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Cerin, E., Sit, C. H., Wong, S. H., Huang, Y. J., Gao, G. Y., Lai, P. C., Macfarlane, D. J. and Barnett, A. (2019) “Relative Contribution and Interactive Effects of Psychological, Social, and Environmental correlates of Physical Activity, Sedentary behaviour, and Dietary behaviors in Hong Kong Adolescents.” Hong Kong Medical Journal 25: 34-39. (IF2018=1.588).
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Zhang, C., Barnett, A., Sit, C. H. P., Lai, P. C., Johnston, J., Lee, R. and Cerin, E. (2019) “To What Extent Does Physical Activity Explain the Associations between Neighborhood Environment and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults Living in an Asian Metropolis?” Mental Health and Physical Activity 16: 96-104. DOI: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2018.11.005 (IF2018=1.797).
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Lai, P. C., and Low, C. T. (2019) “Provision of Convenient Play Space in a Densely Populated City.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16(4). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16040651 (IF2018=2.468).
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Sun, S., Tian, L. W., Cao, W., Lai, P. C., Wong, P. P. Y., Lee, R. S. Y., Mason, T. G., Krämer, A. and Wong, C. M. (2019) “Urban Climate Modified Short-term Association of Air Pollution with Pneumonia Mortality in Hong Kong.” Science of the Total Environment 646: 618-624. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.311 (IF2018=5.589).
2018
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Zhang, J. J., Wong, P. P. Y. and Lai, P. C. (2018) “A Geographic Analysis of Hosts' Irritation Levels towards Mainland Chinese Cross-border Day-trippers.” Tourism Management 68: 367-374. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2018.03.011 (IF2018=6.012).
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Yang, Y., Tang, R., Qiu, H., Lai, P. C., Wong, P., Thach, T. Q., Allen, R., Brauer, M., Tian, L., Barratt, B. (2018) “Long Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Mortality in an Elderly Cohort in Hong Kong.” Environment International 117: 99-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.034 (IF2018=7.943).
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Lai, P. C., Chen, S., Low, C. T., Cerin, E., Stimson, R. and Wong, P. P. Y. (2018) “Neighborhood Variation of Sustainable Urban Morphological Characteristics.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15(3). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15030465 (IF2018=2.468).
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Low, C. T., Lai, P. C., Yeung, P. S. S., Siu, A. Y. C., Leung, K. T. Y. and Wong, P. P. Y. (2018) “Temperature and Age-gender Effects on Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Cases.” Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine 25(2): 83-90. DOI: 10.1177/1024907917751301 (IF2018=0.170).
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Zhang, C. J. P., Barnett, A., Sit, C. H. P., Lai, P. C., Johnston, J. M., Lee, R. S. Y. and Cerin, E. (2018) “Cross-sectional Associations of Objectively-assessed Neighbourhood Attributes with Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults of an Ultra-dense Urban Environment: The Hong Kong ALECS Study.” BMJ Open 8:e020480. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020480 (IF2018=2.376).
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Tang, R., Tian, L., Thach, T. Q., Tsui, T. H., Brauer, M., Lee, M., Allen, R., Yuchi, W., Lai, P. C., Wong, P. and Barratt, B. (2018) “Integrating Travel Behavior with Land Use Regression to Estimate Dynamic Air Pollution Exposure in Hong Kong.” Environment International 113: 100-108. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.01.009 (IF2018=7.943).
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Low, C. T., Stimson, R., Chen, S., Cerin, E., Wong, P. Y. and Lai, P. C. (2018) “Personal and Neighbourhood Indicators of Quality of Urban Life: A Case Study of Hong Kong.” Social Indicators Research 136(2): 751-773. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1579-3 (IF2018=1.703).
2017
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Wong, H. T., Wang, J., Yin, Q., Chen, S. and Lai, P. C. (2017) “The Potential Benefits of Location Specific Biometeorological Indexes.” International Journal of Biometeorology 61(9): 1695-1698. DOI: 10.1007/s00484-017-1343-z (IF2018=2.377).
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Lee, M., Brauer, M., Wong, P., Tang, R., Tsui, T. H., Choi, C., Cheng, W., Lai, P. C., Tian, L. W., Thach, T. Q., Allen, R. and Barratt, B. (2017) “Land Use Regression Modelling of Air Pollution in High Density High Rise Cities: A Case Study in Hong Kong.” Science of the Total Environment 592: 306-315. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.094 (IF2018=5.589).
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Wong, H. T., Lai, P. C. and Chen, S. (2017) “Biometeorological Modelling and Forecasting of Monthly Ambulance Demand for Hong Kong.” Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine 24(1): 3-11. DOI: 10.1177/102490791702400101 (IF2018=0.170).
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Ge, E., Zhang, R., Li, D., Wei, X., Wang, X. and Lai, P. C. (2017) “Estimating Risks of Inapparent Avian Exposure for Human Infection: Avian Influenza Virus A (H7N9) in Zhejiang province, China.” Scientific Reports 7:40016. DOI: 10.1038/srep40016. (IF2018=4.011).
2016
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Cerin, E., Zhang, C. J. P., Barnett, A., Sit, C. P. H., Cheung, M. C. M., Johnston, J. M., Lai, P. C. and Lee, R. S. Y. (2016) “Associations of Objectively-assessed Neighborhood Characteristics with Older Adults’ Total Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in an Ultra-Dense Urban Environment: Findings from the ALECS Study.” Health & Place 42: 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.009 (IF2018=3.202).
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Low, C. T., Lai, P. C., Li, H. D., Wong, P. Y., Chen, S. and Wong, W. C. (2016) “Neighbourhood Effects on Body Constitution - A Case Study of Hong Kong.” Social Science and Medicine 158: 61-74. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.011 (IF2018=3.087).
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Sallis, J. F., Cerin, E., Conway, T. L., Adams, M. A., Frank, L. D., Pratt, M., Salvo, D., Schipperijn, J., Smith, G., Cain, K. L., Davey, R., Kerr, J., Lai, P. C., Mitas, J., Reis, R., Sarmiento, O. L., Schofield, G., Troelsen, J., Van dyck, D., De Bourdeaudhuij, I. and Owen, N. (2016) “Physical Activity in Relation to Urban Environments in 14 cities Worldwide: a Cross-sectional Study.” The Lancet 387: 2207-2217. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01284-2 (IF2018=59.102).
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Lai, P. C., Choi, C. C. Y., Wong, P. Y., Thach, T. Q., Wong, M. S., Cheng, W., Krämer, A. and Wong, C. M. (2016) “Spatial Analytical Methods for Deriving a Historical Map of Physiological Equivalent Temperature of Hong Kong.” Building and Environment 99: 22-28. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.12.022 (IF2018=4.820).
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Cerin, E., Sit, C. H. P., Zhang, C. J. P., Barnett, A., Cheung, M. M. C., Lai, P. C., Johnston, J. M. and Lee, R. S. Y. (2016) “Neighbourhood Environment, Physical Activity, Quality of Life and Depressive Symptoms in Hong Kong Older Adults: A Protocol for an Observational Study.” BMJ Open 6:e010384. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010384 (IF2018=2.376).
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Wong, P. Y., Lai, P. C., Low, C. T., Chen, S. and Hart, M. (2016) “The Impact of Environmental and Human Factors on Urban Heat and Micro-climate Variability.” Building and Environment 95: 199-208. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.09.024 (IF2018=4.820).
2015
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Ge, E., Lai, P. C., Zhang, X., Yang, X., Lie, X., Wang, H. and Wei, X. (2015) “Regional Transport and its Association with Tuberculosis in the Shandong Province of China, 2009-2011.” Journal of Transport Geography 46: 232-243. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.06.021 (IF2018=3.560).
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Lai, P. C., Chow, C. B., Wong, H. T., Kwong, K. H., Liu, S. H., Tong, W. K., Cheung, W. K., Wong, W. L. and Kwan, Y.W. (2015) “Effects of Geographic Scale on Population Factors in Acute Disease Diffusion Analysis.” Journal of Acute Disease 4(4): 287-291. DOI: 10.1016/j.joad.2015.06.006
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Lai, P. C., Chow, C. B., Wong, H. T., Kwong, K. H., Kwan, Y. W., Liu, S. H., Tong, W. K., Cheung, W. K. and Wong, W. L. (2015) “An Early Warning System for Detecting H1N1 Disease Outbreak - A Spatio-temporal Approach.” International Journal of Geographical Information Science 29(7): 1251-1268. DOI: 10.1080/13658816.2015.1030671. (IF2018=3.545).
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Thach, T. Q., Zheng, Q., Lai, P. C., Wong P. Y., Chau, Y. K., Jahn, H. J., Plass, D., Katzschner, L., Kraemer, A. and Wong, C. M. (2015) “Assessing Spatial Associations between Thermal Stress and Mortality in Hong Kong: A small-area Ecological Study.” Science of the Total Environment 502(1): 666-672. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.09.057 (IF2018=5.589).
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Lai, P. C. and Wong, H. T. (2015) “Weather and Age-gender Effects on the Projection of Future Emergency Ambulance Demand in Hong Kong.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health 27(2): NP2542-NP2554. DOI: 10.1177/1010539512460570 (IF2018=1.743).
Last Update: September 2019
Current Research Projects
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Integrating Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Molecular Epidemiology to Study the Transmission of Tuberculosis in China (Co-I with CUHK: Hong Kong GRF)
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The Geospatial Education Forum (GEF): Resolving the challenges of a New Geospatial Education Curriculum (Co-I with PolyU: Hong Kong GRF Teaching and Learning Related Initiatives)
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Measuring and modelling Quality of Urban Life (QOUL) in Hong Kong – An Asian Perspective (PI: Hong Kong GRF)
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The Hong Kong D3D Study: A dynamic three-dimensional exposure model for Hong Kong (Co-I with King’s College London: US Health Effects Institute)
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A cohort study for effects of environmental thermal stress and air pollution on mortality for the older population in Hong Kong (Co-I: Hong Kong GRF)
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Understanding the relative contribution and interactive effects of psychological, social and environmental correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary behaviours in Hong Kong adolescents (Co-I: Health and Medical Research Fund)
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IPEN adolescent: International Study of Built Environments and Physical Activity (Co-I with San Diego State University: US National Institute of Health)
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Understanding the impact of the neighborhood environment on physical activity, quality of life and depressive symptoms in older adults (Co-I: Hong Kong GRF)