Dr. Fangcao Lu is an Assistant Professor in the Academy for Educational Development and Innovation at The Education University of Hong Kong. She also serves as an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care at The University of Hong Kong. In addition, she is an Associate Editor for Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (Springer Nature; Impact Factor: 3.7).

Before joining EduHK, Dr. Lu earned her Ph.D. in Media and Communication from the City University of Hong Kong and her B.A. in TV and Broadcasting from Nankai University. She previously worked as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2023–2025) and as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care at The University of Hong Kong (2022–2023).

Her research examines how the intersection of social media and artificial intelligence is reshaping public communication processes and outcomes, with a particular focus on health empowerment and policy implications. Dr. Lu has published over 20 SSCI-indexed articles in leading journals including Computers in Human Behavior, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and The International Journal of Press/Politics. She has also developed and taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as Social Data Analysis with Python and Persuasive Communication. Before entering academia, Dr. Lu gained extensive professional experience as a media executive, where she developed expertise in media production using industry-standard tools and collaborated with major media companies in China.

Her research expertise include:

• Media Effects
• Media Psychology
• Health Communication
• Public Opinion
• Social Media
• AI-Mediated Communication
• Body Image