Research
Highlights


Highlights
  • Developed an oral arsenic preparation to treat leukaemia, a first patented prescription drug developed entirely in Hong Kong
  • Identified and characterised cancer stem cells responsible for metastasis in colorectal cancer, and the development of liver cancer
  • Discovered a new mechanism causing Lynch Syndrome that has become a diagnostic test adopted worldwide
  • Established zebrafish as a model organism for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and identified novel therapeutic regimens for specific AML subtypes that improve patient outcomes
  • Hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma: from diagnosis and treatment of chronic carrier status, mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinogenesis, to development of novel treatment modalities including live-donor liver transplantation
  • Groundbreaking and comprehensive genomic study of gastric and liver cancers
UGC Area of Excellence
UGC Theme-based Research Scheme
Partner State Key Laboratory
Strategic Project
Highlights
  • Leading research on adipokines and adipose-derived hormones
  • Research on metabolic diseases: discovered novel biomarkers for risk prediction and drug development in prevention and management of diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and thyrotoxic periodic paralysis
  • Pioneered cell-based therapy in the treatment of human heart diseases
UGC Area of Excellence
UGC Theme-based Research Scheme
Highlights
  • Discovered the SARS coronavirus in 2003; pivotal in the fight against SARS
  • Leading infectious diseases research and advancing the frontier in the study of human and animal influenzas (poultry, swine, wild birds, and camels), coronavirus (SARS, H5N1, H7N9, MERS, and COVID-19), and other emerging viruses
  • Infectious disease epidemiology: provides critical insights into influenza transmission in the community; effectiveness and impact of control measures; modes of transmission of viruses; vaccination effectiveness; immunity to infections; mathematical models to assess the potential benefits and resource requirement of mitigation and surveillance strategies
UGC Area of Excellence
UGC Theme-based Research Scheme
State Key Laboratory
Collaborative Laboratories
Highlights
  • Areas of focus include: basic and clinical stem cell biology, orthopaedic engineering, blood and cancer stem cells, stem cell immunology and bio-artificial tissue engineering
  • Working towards establishment of stem cells with totipotency features from mammalian species and characterisation of them using molecular and functional approaches including single cell genomics
  • Produced the world’s first two expanded potential stem cells from human embryos and developed new stem cell research technology, improving our understanding of human embryo development and paving the way for novel cell therapy and development of regenerative medicine
  • Critical insights into the disease mechanisms of premature ageing, deafness, and digit development, through functional genomics and genetics
  • Generation of a mouse model for Brachydactyly type A1 by the TCF providing new insights into the development and formation of joints
  • Genetic and sequence analyses in the identification of a novel risk factor linked to degeneration of the spine and back pain
UGC Area of Excellence
UGC Theme-based Research Scheme
Collaborative Centre
FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society

To help build a more harmonious society, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has invited the School of Public Health of LKS Faculty of Medicine to collaboratively launch a project entitled “FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society” with an initial funding of HK$250 million (2007-2014) and a follow-up funding of HK$50M (2014-2017). The project aims to identify the source of family problems, devise suitable preventive measures and promote family Health, Happiness and Harmony (3Hs) through a territory-wide household survey, intervention projects and public education.

Visit their website at: family.org.hk

Jockey Club Early Psychosis (JCEP) Project (2008-2015)

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has supported the Department of Psychiatry of the LKS Faculty of Medicine to launch a 5-year Jockey Club Early Psychosis Project jointly with the Hospital Authority, Caritas Social Work Services and the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. Awarded with HK$68.8M, the objectives of the project are:

  1. Research – to evaluate the effectiveness and health economic implications of early intervention services for psychosis;
  2. Education – to enhance public awareness of psychosis and to develop a trained network of professional gatekeepers skilled in the early detection of psychosis;
  3. Service – early psychosis patients will receive intervention service and community-based group programmes provided by a specialised multidisciplinary team.

An educational website has been set up (www.jcep.hk), providing in-depth information about psychosis for the public, as well as news and developments of the project.