– particularly as the Department faces a great challenge in recruiting more staff. Nearly all full-time clinical professors have retired or will do so within the next couple of years. ‘Manpower is a great challenge for us now, but we are opening up various channels to attract people. Graduates still want to do O&G in general, but they are reluctant to do academic O&G. This is something we can change – we can get more people to talk about their research and how excited they are about their project, and this may encourage people to go down the academic track,’ she said. ‘With increased manpower, it becomes possible to have more time and discussion about research and development among our academic staff. That will certainly inspire new insights.’ Dr Chan is encouraging researchers to think big and initiate projects of larger scale involving multiple disciplines, a varied range of collaborators from international partners to nongovernmental organisations, and application of new technologies. ‘I want staff to have an open mind about research, to see it as more than just working in the lab or collecting clinical data. O&G is a very broad discipline with various sub-specialties such as reproduction, gynae-oncology, maternal and fetal medicine and urogynaecology,’ she said. She is also in the process of entering teaching collaborations with more local hospitals to ensure incoming students can have sufficient clinical exposure. While her plate is full, the diverse range of responsibilities suits Dr Chan to a tee. She enjoys trying new things – from dry slope skiing, ballroom dancing and tai chi, to one-on-one Putonghua lessons – while starting each day with prayer, reflection and a short burst of high-intensity exercise to keep her grounded and energised. ‘I believe in embracing challenges because it makes your life more colourful,’ she said. ‘I want staff to have an open mind about research, to see it as more than just working in the lab or collecting clinical data.’ ↑Improving women's health through education, research and clinical excellence has always been a mission shared by members of the O&G Department. 婦產科學系以促進婦女 健康為目標，在教學、 研究與臨床診斷服務等 領域不斷追求卓越。 Dr Karen Chan Kar-loen Chairperson of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 11 HKUMed News Summer 2022
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