Celia Chan

Professor Celia Chan is Professor of Social Work in the Department of Social Work within the Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, where she joined on May 1, 2024, at 0.8 EFT. A social work researcher-practitioner-educator specialized in family and healthcare social work, she previously served as Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. There, she headed the Research and Practice on Integrative Wellness lab, coordinated the Master of Social Work program with a strong emphasis on student wellbeing, and worked closely with interdisciplinary professionals to integrate cutting-edge research evidence with clinical expertise using the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Intervention Model. Her academic credentials include a PhD, MSW, BSocSc, and RSW registration. Professor Chan holds the position of Counselor-in-charge at the Centre of Assisted Reproduction and Embryology at the University of Hong Kong and serves as coordinator for the International Infertility Counselling Organisation (Hong Kong and China region).

Professor Chan's research focuses on health and mental health issues, including fertility challenges, infertility counseling, perinatal bereavement, miscarriage and stillbirth support, IVF treatment outcomes, pediatric chronic conditions such as eczema, and incarcerated parents' family dynamics. She has led significant initiatives, including the Jockey Club Perinatal Bereavement Care Project and the 'Seeing the Invisible' Eczema Management Parent-Child Education Programme. Key publications include 'Efficacy of a Single-Session Intervention for Women Following Unsuccessful in Vitro Fertilization Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial' (2025, Contemporary Family Therapy), 'A Qualitative Study on Incarcerated Fathers' Self-Reflection on Parenting Across Generations' (2025, Journal of Family Issues), 'The Effect of Qigong on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms' (2013, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine), 'Intention of Having a Second Child Among Infertile and Fertile Women' (2018, Human Reproduction Open), and 'Efficacy of the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Group Intervention for Patients with Schizophrenia' (2022, BMJ Open). She contributes to the field as an editorial board member for Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, focusing on psychology and counseling in reproductive medicine, and participates in international conferences and stepped-care model advocacy for bereavement care.

Professional Email: celia.chan@unimelb.edu.au