ICFT 2027 SPEAKERS

Alex Gesse is the Executive Director of the Forest Therapy Hub and co-leads the Forest Therapy Institute Lab. Together with a multidisciplinary team, he has developed the FTHub Method, the LIM Model, and the 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions—integrative approaches that combine scientific evidence on nature and health with traditional nature-connectedness practices. He currently co-leads FTHub’s NATURELAB, a European Union-funded research project with a €6 million grant, focusing on the design, implementation, and validation of nature-based therapies. Additionally, he co-leads PHorestAll, a European Union-funded research project with a €1 million grant, which explores the connection between forest health, biodiversity, and human well-being to identify “Healing Forests” and promote forests as nature-based solutions for global health and environmental challenges. Although both projects are funded by the European Union, they are being carried out in Europe, Asia, and America.

M. Amos Clifford is the founder of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, pioneering the introduction of the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (“Forest Bathing”) to North America and establishing it as an evidence-based approach to promoting physical and psychological well-being. With over 40 years of experience in wilderness education, meditation instruction, psychotherapy, and leadership development, Amos has developed a unique approach that integrates contemplative practices with immersive nature experiences. Amos is the author of “Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature,” which has been translated into 22 languages and serves as a foundational text in the field. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, National Geographic, and Time Magazine. As a sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Amos has presented at conferences and retreats worldwide, inspiring audiences with his accessible approach to nature connection and ecological consciousness. He holds a BS in Organization Development and an MA in Counseling from the University of San Francisco. Through his organization, Amos has trained over 2,000 Forest Therapy Guides who now practice in more than 60 countries, creating a global movement for nature connection and environmental stewardship. His work bridges traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary science, creating holistic methodologies for reconnecting humans with the natural world. He introduced the term “Relational Forest Therapy” and continues to develop innovative new directions that are opening the field of Forest Therapy to an expanded range of applications.

Dr. Angelia Sia is Principal Researcher at the Centre for Science of Urban Nature, National Parks Board, Singapore. A public health scientist specializing in nature-based health interventions, she examines how everyday contact with urban nature and a sense of nature connection support mental well-being, social ties, and community health. She leads empirical studies that investigate and evaluate pathways through which nature connectedness can enhance urban liveability, providing evidence to guide nature-based planning and interventions. An ANFT-certified relational forest therapy guide and trail consultant, she brings practice-based insights into her research and collaborations. Dr. Sia holds a PhD from the National University of Singapore and an MBA from Imperial College London.

Bin Jiang is a tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, and Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) programme. Since 2008, his work has consistently focused on integrating research, design, design education, and knowledge exchange to use built environments to safeguard public health and social justice. His scholarship sits at the intersection of landscape architecture, environmental psychology, public health, and data science. As of March 2026, Jiang was ranked 23rd globally in Landscape Architecture, 12th in Nature and Health, and 4th in Landscape Design on Google Scholar. Highlights of his research and teaching include a cover-feature article in Nature Cities (2025) that established a generalized dose-response relationship between greenness and mental health, and his work as the leading author of the Routledge book Healthy Landscapes (2025), which synthesizes theoretical pathways and design approaches through which landscapes promote urban residents’ health and well-being. His nationwide studies in the United States have identified significant positive links between health and safety disparities and environmental disparities. His book Landscape Empowerment, which examined suicide and environmental justice issues at Foxconn factories, was published by Springer Nature, and his related participatory-design talk, “Healing Souls in the City,” has been viewed approximately 350,000 times online. At HKU, Jiang founded and directs the Urban Environments and Human Health Laboratory (UEHH, 2016) and the Multisensory Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (MCAVE, 2025). Internationally, he serves on the Board and as Region Director for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. He is Associate Editor-in-Chief of Landscape Architecture Frontiers and serves on the editorial boards of several journals. He has also reviewed for Nature Mental Health, Nature Cities, PNAS, Landscape and Urban Planning, the Journal of Environmental Psychology, and other major journals. Before joining HKU in 2015, Jiang accumulated more than 12 years of professional practice with firms including Turenscape, EDAW-EADG, and Peter Walker and Partners. He now leads design projects through UEHH and his independent consultancy, connecting empirical research with professional design practice.

Prof. Chengzhao Wu is a distinguished scholar and leading authority in landscape architecture and sustainable planning. Currently serving as a Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor at Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning, he holds dual leadership roles as Director of the National Park and Protected Area Planning Research Center and Lead Professor of the National Park and Healthy Landscape Academic Team. His extensive research encompasses biodiversity conservation, park management planning, landscape architecture theory, healthy landscape design, forest wellness development, and ecotourism planning, demonstrating a multidisciplinary approach to environmental planning. As an influential figure in his field, Professor Wu serves in multiple advisory and decision-making capacities, including as an Advisory Committee Member for the NbS Asia Center under China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, and as an Expert Committee Member for the National Park Research Institute jointly established by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His technical expertise is further recognized through his memberships in the National Park Standardization Technical Committee and Ecotourism Standardization Technical Committee, both under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Additionally, he contributes to professional societies as Vice Chair of the Landscape and Environmental Planning Professional Committee at the Urban Planning Society of China and Vice President of the Shanghai Society of Ecology. Professor Wu’s substantial academic contributions include leading over 20 major research projects funded by national programs such as the National Key Technology R&D Program, National Social Science Fund, and National Natural Science Foundation, alongside provincial-level initiatives and international collaborations. His practical experience is equally impressive, having completed more than 160 landscape planning and design projects. A prolific scholar, he has authored 18 books and published over 200 peer-reviewed papers, including numerous SCI-indexed articles. His outstanding work has been honored with more than 10 national-level planning and design awards, culminating in the prestigious 2020 Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) International Award for Excellence, a testament to his global impact in the field.

Professor Ching-Fei Huang is a Professor and Director of the Graduate Institute of Science Education and Environmental Education at National Kaohsiung Normal University (NKNU), Taiwan, China. She also serves as President of the Chinese Association for Brain Potential Exploration and Education. Her research focuses on neuroscience, environmental education, forest therapy, and science education, with particular emphasis on applying EEG and neuroscience methods to investigate learning, human cognition, and human–nature interactions. She is also actively involved in University Social Responsibility initiatives and environmental education projects in China. Professor Huang has published 45 journal articles and 50 conference papers over the past five years, in addition to authoring book chapters and editing academic books. She has established international research collaborations with universities in the United Kingdom and Vietnam and serves as a reviewer for international research funding agencies and peer-reviewed journals. Her research and academic service have made significant contributions to neuroscience, environmental education, and science education at both national and international levels.

Dr. Cynthia Chen is an Associate Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on healthy ageing, health economics, causal inference, and population health, with a particular interest in evaluating nature-based and preventive health interventions that promote physical, mental, and social well-being. She leads multidisciplinary research programmes examining the health and economic impacts of urban farming, physical activity, and other community-based interventions using real-world data. Her work integrates epidemiology, health economic evaluation, and microsimulation modelling to inform public health policy and healthy ageing strategies. Working closely with government agencies, she has contributed to the evaluation of national health promotion initiatives. Dr. Chen has secured over US$5 million in competitive research funding and has published extensively in leading international journals.

Dr. Wang directs UBC’s Multidisciplinary Institute of Nature Therapy and works at the intersection of forests, nature-based interventions, and human health. His research advances forest therapy through science, traditional knowledge, and applied practice.

Professor Hui Xie is Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Director of X-scape Lab at Chongqing University. He has been recognized as a National Young Talent in China and holds a PhD in Architectural Acoustics from the University of Sheffield. His work focuses on soundscape therapy, restorative environments, and multisensory design. He has led a project under China’s National Key Research and Development Program and received four grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has published more than 90 academic papers, authored two English monographs, delivered 15 invited presentations at international conferences, and led the development of 14 national and association standards. He is Executive Director of the Chongqing–Uzbekistan Joint Laboratory of Urban Science, Vice Chair of the Architectural Acoustics Committee of the Acoustical Society of China, an Executive Member of the Noise Committee of the European Acoustics Association, and an Editorial Board Member of Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. He has also received the Chongqing Innovation and Excellence Award and curated several major soundscape exhibitions.