Our Work
We are experienced and passionate about the study of behavioural health. Our work has uncovered important insights for stakeholders across public, business and non-profit sectors.
What we can do for you
Workshops
Lunchtime talks, seminars, webinars, keynote speeches, panel discussions.
Consulting
Expert insights, problem-solving, strategic planning, market positioning.
Research
Pilot studies, longitudinal assessments, experiments, implicit responses, cluster analyses
Research Highlights
Mapping Asia’s Health Future: A Groundbreaking Multi-City Study
How do urban populations across Asia perceive emerging health technologies and public health initiatives? A pioneering multi-city study aims to uncover the health attitudes and behaviours of residents in Singapore, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This research explores perspectives on vaccinations, genomic screening, and AI-driven healthcare; providing crucial insights into the psychosocial factors – such as media literacy, religiosity, and health information-seeking behaviours – that shape health decisions.
Paper coming soon
Who might be most susceptible to health misinformation?
How can we better detect and prevent the spread of misleading health information? Our research explores why people believe health misinformation and how to measure their susceptibility. By developing a Health Misinformation Susceptibility Scale, this study aims to identify key risk factors and test the scale on a nationally representative sample of Singapore residents. The ultimate goal is to refine and expand the scale for use in other countries, helping to combat misinformation on a global scale.
Paper coming soon
Can behavioural support help reverse diabetes?
Managing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) while dealing with overweight or obesity is more than just a personal challenge - it’s shaped by environment, society, and individual circumstances. Interviews with 21 adults revealed key barriers, including a fast-paced work culture, easy access to unhealthy food, lack of family support, chronic pain, and work-related stress. These factors interact to create a cycle that makes weight management difficult. However, this research highlights a crucial insight: Strengthening psychosocial support systems could help break down these barriers and make sustained behavioural change more achievable for those living with T2DM.
Paper coming soon
How to get consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables?
Results from our household survey found that by simply making fruits and vegetables readily available at home, attitudes towards fruits and vegetables were likelier to improve, and this subsequently increased intention to consume more fruits and vegetables.
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What are some other possible factors that might increase the likelihood of fruit and vegetable consumption?
Lwin, M. O., Malik, S., & Lau, J. (2020). Association between food availability and young people's fruits and vegetables consumption: understanding the mediation role of the theory of planned behaviour. Public health nutrition, 23(12), 2155–2164.
Can public education curb antimicrobial overuse?
How can targeted education reshape public attitudes and improve antimicrobial stewardship? This project examines public misconceptions about antimicrobials and explores strategies to shape more effective educational policies. First, social media data was analysed to uncover public perceptions and misinformation about antimicrobial use in Singapore. Next, in-depth qualitative interviews with the general population and general practitioners provided deeper insights into common misconceptions. Finally, a nationwide survey assessed Singaporeans’ knowledge and practices, guiding future interventions to reduce antimicrobial dependence.
Paper coming soon
Can AI improve antibiotic prescribing and patient outcomes?
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Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern, and AI-driven clinical decision support systems (CDSS) could help optimise prescribing practices. A multi-country study, funded by the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) Grant, explored the barriers and facilitators to adopting AI-enabled CDSS in infectious disease departments. Comparing physicians in a tertiary hospital in Singapore and Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, the study examined their knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about AI in healthcare. These insights will inform the future design and implementation of AI tools, ensuring they align with physician needs and improve patient outcomes.
Huang, Z., George, M. M., Tan, Y. R., Natarajan, K., Devasagayam, E., Tay, E., ... & Chow, A. (2023). Are physicians ready for precision antibiotic prescribing? A qualitative analysis of the acceptance of artificial intelligence-enabled clinical decision support systems in India and Singapore. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 35, 76-85.
How might social norms shape cyberbullying amongst youths?
How can social norms and policy changes create safer digital spaces for young people? Our research explores the development and impact of online threats like cyberbullying, focusing on how social norms influence adolescent behaviour and long-term well-being. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study examines key risk factors, including policy frameworks and platform dynamics. Insights from this research will help academics, policymakers, and educators design more effective interventions to curb cyber-aggressive behaviours.
Paper coming soon
Can digital surveillance enhance dengue control?
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Dengue remains a major public health challenge in Sri Lanka, requiring efficient monitoring and rapid response. Our project developed a digital surveillance system to support health authorities in tracking and managing dengue outbreaks in Colombo. A key feature was a public participatory surveillance application, enabling real-time identification of potential breeding sites. The system also digitised reporting processes, mapped hotspots, provided analytics and educational resources, and integrated machine learning for predictive surveillance.​
Lwin, M. O., Vijaykumar, S., Lim, G., Fernando, O. N. N., Rathnayake, V. S., & Foo, S. (2016). Baseline evaluation of a participatory mobile health intervention for dengue prevention in Sri Lanka. Health Education & Behavior, 43(4), 471-479.
Can public education curb antimicrobial overuse?
How can targeted education reshape public attitudes and improve antimicrobial stewardship? This project examines public misconceptions about antimicrobials and explores strategies to shape more effective educational policies. First, social media data was analysed to uncover public perceptions and misinformation about antimicrobial use in Singapore. Next, in-depth qualitative interviews with the general population and general practitioners provided deeper insights into common misconceptions. Finally, a nationwide survey assessed Singaporeans’ knowledge and practices, guiding future interventions to reduce antimicrobial dependence.
Paper coming soon
Did you know that the words we use can evoke expectations of sweetness
Words and sweetness that are acquired early in our lives are often associated with pleasantness. Our study showed that early-acquired phonemes are subsequently more strongly associated with sweetness. Businesses might thus make use of early-acquired phonemes to establish taste profiles that they’d like to market
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What other tastes can words evoke?
Pathak, A., Calvert, G. A., Motoki, K., & Park, J. (2022). How early acquired phonemes present in words (or brand names) can evoke the expectations of sweet tastes. Food Quality and Preference, 96, [104392].
Are consumers in Asia open to plant-based and cultured "meats"?
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Alternative protein products are often presented as substitutes for Western animal-based meat products (e.g., plant-based burger patties and nuggets). Our research examines if alternative protein foods will be more palatable to Asian consumers if they were presented as Asian meat substitutes.
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How can producers of alternative protein food products better meet the needs of Asian consumers?
Paper coming soon: Lwin, M., Malik, S., Cayabyab, Y. (2023)
Why are some Singaporean consumers willing to pay more for plant-based meat?
Our study showed the importance of prior beliefs in predicting an individual’s willingness to pay more for plant-based meat. More specifically, environmental and health consciousness in individuals resulted in more attention directed towards media messages on plant-based meat.
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How can businesses leverage consumers’ prior beliefs in communicating about plant-based meats?
Ho, S. S., Chuah, A. S. F., Koh, E. L. Q., Ong, L., & Kwan, V. Q. Y. (2022). Understanding Public Willingness to Pay More for Plant-based Meat: Environmental and Health Consciousness as Precursors to the Influence of Presumed Media Influence Model. Environmental Communication, 16(4), 520-534.
How did our food choices change during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has called attention to inequalities between the rich and the poor. While socioeconomic status affected diets, our study of Chinese consumers found that self-efficacy mediated food choice and eating behaviours. This suggests the importance of psychological support in driving desired dietary behaviours.
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What kinds of messages might spur consumers towards healthy eating – regardless of their socioeconomic status?
Jiao, W.; Liu, M.T.; Schulz, P.J.; Chang, A. Impacts of Self-Efficacy on Food and Dietary Choices during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in China. Foods 2022, 11, 2668.
Leverage the untapped potential of fermentation to improve food systems.
Our paper argues that fermentation can increase food production efficiency, improve yields, and facilitate alternative protein production. It is also noted that consumer demand for fermented food products is on the rise as fermentation increases complexities in taste and texture, and is perceived to be beneficial for health.
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How will innovations in fermentation affect food production and consumption?
Teng TS, Chin YL, Chai KF, Chen W* (2021). Fermentation for future food systems.
EMBO Reports, 22(5):e52680
How might businesses respond as regulations tighten around sugary drinks?
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Our study found that more than half of the non-alcoholic beverages sold in Singapore fared poorly on the country's newly introduced "Nutri-grade mark" label that assigns a grade to beverages based on their sugar and saturated fat content. Might this suggest an uptake of artificial sweeteners in the future?
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Do consumers understand nutrition labels, and should food producers be concerned with these labels?
Tan, R., Chew, S., Cleanthous, X. et al. Assessment of artificial and natural sweeteners present in packaged non-alcoholic beverages (NABs) sold on the Singapore market. BMC Public Health 21, 1866 (2021).
Parents’ mobile media use can substantially impact children’s eating behaviours.
Our study showed that children tended to eat more unhealthily when their parents' mobile phone use is high. Use of mobile media also predicted higher unhealthy food intake and lower healthy food intake for both parents and children.
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What does this mean for the modern family's diet and eating behaviours?
Lu, J., Cayabyab, Y., Malik, S., Lwin, M. (2022): The Associations between Mobile Media use and Food Consumption in Parent-Child Dyads, Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-10
What is behind the appeal of mint and mint-flavoured foods?
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Results from our study found that the "refreshing" and "morally cleansing" associations of mint reduced the guilt associated with the consumption of rich, indulgent foods, such as sweets and confectionaries. Implications of these findings are explored for food policy, production and marketing.
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What are other sensory cues that can affect psychological associations with foods?
Pham, N., Lwin, M., Bublitz, M. (2022). Minty Fresh! Absolving Dieters of Their Consumption Sins. International Journal of Marketing Studies.
