Sze Yan Cheung

Dr Sze Yan Cheung

Lecturer

School of Psychology

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

I am a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. I am also a health psychologist and have previously worked with people having burn injuries, chronic pain and cardiac issues within a hospital setting, and in private practice. My current research focuses on the relationship between physical and mental health and areas of interest include chronic illnesses (persistent pain, cardiac issues, cancer survivorship) and psychological wellbeing in people from migrant backgrounds.

I am interested to explore how management of chronic diseases are influenced by various biopsychosocial factors and would like to continue working with other healthcare professionals, organisations, and policymakers to develop effective strategies and improve patient outcomes. I am also interested in improving healthcare access and psychological wellbeing of migrants with chronic diseases. Clinical practice has provided me a unique opportunity to witness the influences of social interactions and cultural contexts on migrants’ beliefs, attitudes, and health behaviours. Apart from challenges in acculturation and language barriers, migrants have their unique challenges when accessing healthcare services, which are likely to exacerbate psychological distress and affect chronic diseases outcomes. I am passionate about working with other healthcare professionals and stakeholders in identifying and addressing these challenges to promote health equity.

Research supervision

I am available to supervise Honours and Masters projects and have previously supervised research interns. My main areas of research are described above and I am happy to consider other areas as long as they are broadly related to Health Psychology 

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2024 - ongoing Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2024 - 2024 Course Coordinator University of South Australia
    2023 - 2024 Health Psychologist CALHN Heart Failure Service
    2022 - ongoing Health Psychologist CALHN Pain Management Unit
    2021 - 2023 Psychologist Adult Burns Service
    2020 - 2022 Psychologist Bower Place

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    Chinese (Cantonese) Can read, write, speak and understand spoken
    Chinese (Mandarin) Can read, write, speak and understand spoken
    English Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2019 - 2020 University of Adelaide Australia Master of Psychology (Health)
    2012 - 2017 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy
    2011 - 2011 University of Adelaide Australia Honours Degree of Bachelor of Psychology
    2008 - 2010 University of Melbourne Australia Bachelor of Science

  • Research Interests
    Clinical and health psychology Human pain management Cardiology (incl. cardiovascular diseases) Health Promotion Inpatient hospital care Migrant health

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2016 Cheung, S., & Delfabbro, P. (2016). Are you a cancer survivor? A review on cancer identity. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 10(4), 759-771.
    DOI Scopus64 WoS47 Europe PMC38

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2024 Littlechild, D., & Cheung, S. Y. (2024). Multi-disciplinary interventions preparing Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) patients for heart transplant.. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2024 SA Health Allied Health Advanced Clinical Practice Symposium.
    2021 Robinson, M., Cheung, S. Y., Duigan, J., & Paterson, K. (2021). Technology and family and systemic therapy. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2021 Australian Association of Family Therapy Conference.
    2021 Cheung, S. Y., & Parker, A. (2021). Trial by fire: How do you support people who have a burns injury?. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2021 APS College of Health Psychologists Conference.
    2021 Cheung, S. Y., & Sanders, C. (2021). Supporting an individual with chronic health conditions: The benefits of involving the support system.. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2021 APS College of Health Psychologists Conference.
    2021 Cheung, S. Y., & Oxlad, M. (2021). Knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer screening in young Australian women.. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2021 APS College of Health Psychologists Conference.
    2019 Cheung, S. Y., Delfabbro, P., & Denson, L. (2019). Cancer coverage and portrayal of identity changes in Australian printed news. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2019 APS College of Health Psychologists Conference.
    2015 Cheung, S. Y., & Delfabbro, P. (2015). Who is a cancer survivor? a study into the lay understanding of cancer identity using a crowdsourced population. Poster session presented at the meeting of ANNALS OF ONCOLOGY. Singapore, SINGAPORE: OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
    DOI WoS1

Course Co-ordination:

Date Course Level
OTP2 2025 Psychological Health and Wellbeing (PSYCHOL 6503OL) Undergraduate (GDP)
2024 Health Psychology, Behavioural Medicine and Psychopharmacology (BEHL 6011)  Postgraduate (Masters- UniSA)

 

Teaching/Guest lectures: 

Date Course Level
OTP2 2025 Psychological Health and Wellbeing (PSYCHOL 6503OL) Undergraduate (GDP)
2024 Health Psychology, Behavioural Medicine and Psychopharmacology (BEHL 6011)  Postgraduate (Masters - UniSA)
2023 - Ongoing Health Psychology (PSYCHOL 7134 & PSYCHOL 7234) Postgraduate (Masters)
2022 - 2024 Foundations Health & Lifespan Development (PSYCHOL 2005) Undergraduate (Level II)

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2025 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Understanding Public Perception of Death Doulas: A Mixed-Methods Study of Awareness, Attitudes, and Access in Australia The University of Adelaide Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) Honours Full Time Stephanie Pollifrone
    2025 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Barriers and Facilitators Influencing Access to Tertiary Pain Management Clinics in Australia: A Quantitative study The University of Adelaide Bachelor of Psychology (Advanced) (Honours) Honours Full Time Sanjana Moosapeta
    2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The use of virtual reality in patients with a burn injury The University of Adelaide Bachelor of Psychological Science Other Full Time Lauren Harcourt

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Chair APS SA Committee College of Health Psychologists Australian Psychological Society Australia

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2024 - ongoing Member Australian Association of Psychologists Inc Australia
    2023 - ongoing Member Australian Pain Society Australia
    2011 - ongoing Member Australian Psychological Society Australia
  • Position: Lecturer
  • Email: szeyan.cheung@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Hughes, floor Level Seven
  • Org Unit: School of Psychology
Connect With Me
External Profiles