Knowledge Exchange
Faculty Knowledge Exchange Award

Professor Ian Wong Chi-kei, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), and his team have won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award in 2023 for the project titled “Big-data pharmacovigilance of COVID-19 vaccines shapes public health policies”. The team members include Professor Esther Chan Wai-yin, Professor from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy; Dr Carlos Wong King-ho and Dr Eric Wan Yuk-fai, Assistant Professors from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy and the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine; Dr Shirley Li Xue, Assistant Professor from the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy; Dr Celine Chui Sze-ling, Assistant Professor from the School of Nursing and the School of Public Health; Dr Francisco Lai Tsz-tsun, Research Assistant Professor, and Miss Nicole Fung, Assistant Project Manager from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy.

The team identified rare potential adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, which prompted the HKSAR Government to adapt its vaccination programme in response and the manufacturer to amend its product information. The team were among the first in the world to analyse Bell's palsy and carditis following vaccination. The partnership between the team and the Government significantly enhanced public trust in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines. The project has also established a long-lasting impact on pharmacovigilance in Hong Kong and demonstrated the untapped power of Hospital Authority and Department of Health (DH) databases. The team engaged effectively by directly reporting their findings to DH, holding press conferences to send reassurance to the public, and offering training courses for public health policy-makers. Based on this COVID-19 Vaccines Adverse Events Response and Evaluation programme, the Drug Office of DH is developing a new system in pharmacovigilance and will continue to work with the team to create the next generation pharmacovigilance system.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Dr Wang Man-ping, Associate Professor of the School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), and his team have won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award in 2022. On the team were: Professor Lam Tai-hing, Emeritus Professor and Dr Daniel Ho Sai-yin, Associate Professor from the School of Public Health; Dr Derek Cheung Yee-tak, Assistant Professor, Dr Kevin Luk Tzu-tsun, Research Assistant Professor and Dr Socrates Wu Yongda, Postdoctoral Fellow from the School of Nursing.

The team’s project, “Saving Our Next Generation from Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction”, has provided significant empirical evidence to support the HKSAR Government’s amendments to the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance for a total ban of alternative tobacco products (ATPs), which were passed by the Legislative Council on 21 October 2021. The amended legislation came into effect on 30 April 2022, marking a significant milestone for the advancement of public health in Hong Kong. The team has been working closely with the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) to push for the total ban of ATPs by boosting public awareness and support through a multi-pronged media campaign. Health information was disseminated through press briefings and conferences, health hazards of smoking and ATPs explained on TV programmes, radio and newspaper interviews, as well as online platforms to maximise public exposure.

The team’s evidence on ATPs epidemiology and hazards have also produced influence beyond Hong Kong. Their research findings have been cited by World Health Organization’s seventh and eighth reports on the scientific basis of tobacco product regulation and the US National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine report on public health consequences of e-cigarettes. Overseas tobacco control agencies, including one of the most famous organisations in the United States, Tobacco-Free Kids, have also cited the HKUMed team’s evidence on the harmful effects of ATPs.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Dr Kris Lok Yuet-wan, Assistant Professor of the School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award in 2021 for her project, “Baby-Friendly Community Initiative Program – Development of a new breastfeeding GPS app”.  Under the three-year Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) programme, the research team led by Dr Lok has reached out to 2,000 mothers and 2,000 staff and management in public venues to collect feedback and suggestions about breastfeeding in public venues.  This knowledge was subsequently shared with Government working groups and professional bodies, which in turn provided guidance for business and strategic planning on breastfeeding promotion.  Such efforts included providing educational tips on breastfeeding via Facebook and Instagram pages, and organizing breastfeeding workshops for mothers.  The research team also raised public awareness of and promoted the breastfeeding mobile app by giving interviews to the local media.  In addition, training workshops for shopping mall staff were offered to help enhancing their knowledge of and attitude towards breastfeeding.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Professor Keiji Fukuda, Director and Clinical Professor of the School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), and his team won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award in 2020. On the team were: Ms Bernadette Tsui, Associate Vice-President (Development & Alumni Affairs) of Development and Alumni Affairs Office, Professor Chan Yuen-Ying, Honorary Professor of Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative, and Mr Laurence Tang Yat-long, Project Manager (HKU Fight COVID-19 website) of Development and Alumni Affairs Office.

The impact of the team’s project, “Combating COVID-19 through Knowledge Exchange”, has been evidenced by the HKSAR Government and professional bodies drawing on the research from the team and expert advice to guide their pandemic policy formation and interventions. The team helped influencing individuals’ risk perception, discerning rumours, raising public awareness and in turn shaping the evolution of the outbreak through different ways, including sharing knowledge in seminars, webinars and private consultations, press conferences, press releases and media interviews, organising KE workshops and webinars, and active KE online communications (websites, live dialogues, videos, Q&As), etc.. The timely public awareness campaign helped the general public acquire necessary knowledge about the coronavirus, and contributed to the high level of public awareness and compliance with public health measures in Hong Kong. Preventive measures were enforced spontaneously based on social norms with local or personal context considered. This bottom-up approach played a major role in Hong Kong’s success in keeping the number of infected cases low.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Professor Danny Chan, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, and his team members Dr Brian Chung Hon-yin, Associate Professor of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Dr Wilson Chan and Dr Vivian Tam, Postdoctoral Fellows of the School of Biomedical Sciences, and Dr Michael To Kai-tsun, Assistant Professor of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award in 2017. Their project, “Little People Care Alliance”, aims to raise awareness among the general public that little people and other individuals with rare bone and other diseases are fully capable of achieving meaningful lives, just like others, despite their differences. The team promoted awareness and the importance of respect in the community and the next generation by organising public symposia, exhibitions, lectures, school talks, and more.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community.  This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Professor Kenneth Cheung Man-chee, Clinical Professor and Head of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, and Professor Keith Luk Dip-kei, Chair Professor of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, won the 2016 Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award. Their project, “Internet based guide to the management of spinal deformities: The AO Surgery Reference”, provides an internet-based resource for the management of spinal deformities based on current clinical principles, practices and available evidence. The entire management process, from diagnosis to aftercare, is described in a practical manner to allow doctors to use it by the bedside. The AO Surgery Reference allows surgeons and surgeons in training to better plan for surgical procedures, ultimately benefitting all patients undergoing complex spine surgeries. The app is being accessed over 7,000 times a month, via the internet and mobile phones, in all regions of the world.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Dr Angela Leung Yee-man, Assistant Professor of the School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award this year with the project “Health Literacy and Communication Training Series in Diabetes (Helico – D)”, which advocates health literacy in diabetes and enhances the relevant communication in the population.  Dr Leung and her team had employed a variety of initiatives to reach out to the public, including the Diabetic Risk Score Application (DRS App), the Health Enhancement and Pedometer-determined Ambulatory (HEPA) Programme, collaboration with community partners, and a pictorial story book with rich characteristics of the Chinese culture.  The project has benefitted a considerable number of citizens, making important impacts on the changes of health education practices, public education of risk awareness and the social support networks to patients with diabetes.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community.  This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Dr Chan Lap-ki, Associate Professor of the Department of Anatomy and the Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award this year with the project “Life and Death Education through the HKU Body Donation Programme”, which encourages body donation in the community and prompts the public to re-examine the topics of life and death. This programme has received enthusiastic response from the public, as manifested by the dramatic increase of registered and actual donors, as well as the strong support from the media and community organisations which unanimously initiated different events and activities to spread the message to the public.

The Faculty KE Award was established in 2011 with the aim to encourage Faculty members to share the fruits of their research and teaching with the wider community. This annual award accords recognition to Faculty members who have made distinguished KE achievements and promotes knowledge exchange between the Faculty and community members, businesses, industries and partner organisations for the benefit of the society.

Established in 2011, the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award aims to recognise our Faculty Members’ outstanding KE accomplishments through exchanging quality knowledge on their research or in teaching and learning of the University with the community, business/industry or partner organisations and thus, benefitting the society at large. The Haematology Protocol Handbook, under keen competition, won the Faculty KE Award 2013. Led by Professor Kwong Yok-lam, Chui Fook-Chuen Professor in Medicine and Chair Professor of the Department of Medicine, the project was jointly developed by the Haematology Team of the HKU Department of Medicine and Queen Mary Hospital.

In view of the seriousness of blood cancers and diseases and the complication of drugs, theHaematology Protocol Handbook features the most up-to-date investigation strategies, treatment protocols, drug dose and side effects. It serves as an excellent exchange of new experience and reference for medical practitioners and patients. To ensure that these protocols can be widely available, the protocol book has also been converted into an iPhone/ iPad app as well as an online website (http://www.hpshk.com/).

In 2011, the Medical Faculty launched the inaugural Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Award. The Award aims to recognise our Faculty Member’s outstanding KE accomplishments that have made a significant impact to benefit the community, business/industry, or partner organisations. Such impact should have been achieved through an effective engagement process to transfer or exchange quality knowledge that was based on excellence in research or in teaching and learning of the University.

A series of books under the overall title of “The Paediatric Disease You Must Learn”, authored by Professor LAU Yu-lung（劉宇隆）and his team members Dr LEE Tsz-leung（李子良）, Dr HO Hok-kung （何學工）and Dr LEE So-lun（李素輪）from the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine won the Award in 2011. The books, featuring important or common paediatric diseases in Hong Kong through the sharing of experiences of paediatric patients, serve to enhance public awareness and promote the health of children by using a layman-friendly approach. Income and donations from book sales will go to the Department Fund to finance the production of and publicity for forthcoming books and works related to the promotion of child health.