Dr Lam’s research is focused on family systems (marital, parent-child, and sibling relationships), child and adolescent adjustment, and gender dynamics and processes.

Dr Lam has published his work in top-tier international journals. Since joining the Institute in 2012, Dr Lam has published nine articles in refereed journals, including Archives of Sexual Behavior, Child Development, Child Development Perspectives, Journal of Family Psychology, and Journal of Marriage and Family. In 2014, he secured Early Career Scheme funding from the Research Grants Council to investigate the joint effects of parenting practices and child temperament on the emotional competence of preschool children.

Dr Lam is very keen to share his knowledge with the non-academic community. He has been engaging in research collaborations with different local community organisations, such as the Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service and Po Leung Kuk. He also disseminates his research findings through local newspapers, promotes research-informed parenting on Facebook, and offers free talks on parenting and child development for parents and teachers in local schools.

Dr Lam also plays a leading role in promoting collegial research within the Institute. He co-chairs the Research and Development Committee of the Department of Early Childhood Education and, in 2014, he was appointed as the leader of an ‘Area of Strength’ by the Faculty of Education and Human Development. In collaboration with colleagues in the Faculty, he facilitates the formation of interdepartmental research teams, organises workshops on research methodology and grant-writing, and invites world-class scholars to speak in the Institute.

Over the past two and a half years, Dr Lam has actively conducted his own studies, and has received wide recognition for his work in community-based knowledge transfer and Institute-wide research development.