Professor Frances YW Law is Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Her research focuses on developing viable community-based solutions accessible to and demanded by vulnerable groups, particularly those at risk of suicide and self-harm and drug abuse, poverty and ill-housing, bullying and cyberaggression. Before becoming an academic, Frances had accumulated extensive experience as a social worker and social service manager in various local and international NGOs. Owing to her unique background in both practice and research, she has been examining the effects of different community-based solutions to fill service gaps for hard-to-reach groups, who often go unnoticed in the existing healthcare and social service systems.

Professor Law employs mixed-methods approach including randomized-controlled trials to investigate the role of social connectedness in addressing at-risk individuals through a combination of intervention components. These include community-based social work interventions, personal human connections and technology-assisted, and competency-based self-help. Her research has demonstrated how social connectedness can drive changes to improve service quality and people’s wellbeing. She is Principal Investigator for a few significant longitudinal research studies. These studies, based in the community, are carried out in strategic collaboration with cross-sectoral stakeholders. Recently, she’s interested in examining human services’ organizational functioning in leading to non-profits’ performance, and their social values.

Professor Law has authored or co-authored about 100 academic peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters, with an emphasis on topics related to evidence-based practice models. She has become Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Social Work in 2024. She now serves as Program Director for the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Social Service Management (SSM), Associate Director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, and Senior Equal Opportunity Advisor, HKU.