Research Areas

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Through the cutting-edge application technologies such as whole-genome and methylome sequencing analyses in clinical samples, which and how the putative driving genes are involved in cancer development and progression?

What are the underlying mechanisms in the tumor-stromal crosstalk network that enhance ovarian cancer metastatic colonization?

How could fertilization, endometrial regeneration, embryo implantation and placentation be regulated?

Is there any in vitro and in vivo model to study fertility, stem cells differentiation and interaction, embryo implantation and post-implantation?

Major Research Areas

Oncology:
Our gynae-oncology research team aims to carry out bench to bedside cancer research. Current areas of basic research concentration on are epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer, genetic/epigenetic alterations in cancer development and progression, cancer stem cells (CSC), cancer cell metabolism, onco-immunology, interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment in tumorigenesis, chemo-resistance, and metastasis of gynaecological malignancies. These studies hope to provide a scientific basis for developing novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for improving treatment outcome of gynaecological cancer patients.

Reproduction:
The Reproductive Medicine Division is recognised by both the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for subspecialty training in Reproductive Medicine. It provides both clinical and basic research opportunities to postgraduate students. The Division is actively collaborating with a number of centres in Mainland China and other countries on various aspects of reproductive medicine. Current research topics includes the Use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Hong Kong Chinese women; menopause and hormone replacement therapy; implantation model and endometrial receptivity; assisted reproduction and pregnancy outcome prediction; interaction between embryo/gamete and female reproductive tract; placental development; miRNA on fertilization and stem cell differentiation; medical abortion and contraception.

Maternal-fetal medicine:
Epidemiology of gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese patients; dietary manipulation in the treatment of diabetes in pregnancy; predictors of preterm delivery; group B Streptococcus screening; ultrasonographic assessment of pregnancies at risk of alpha thalassaemia major; early intrauterine physiological changes of Hb Bart's disease; biochemical and ultrasound screening for fetal Down's syndrome; hematopoietic stem cell culture from umbilical cord blood; 3-dimensional ultrasound for fetal anomalies and growth; use of 3-dimensional/4-dimensional ultrasound in prenatal diagnosis; expression of granulin-epithelin precursor during pregnancy; fetal DNA/RNA in maternal serum.

Chairman of Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee

Professor W.S.B. Yeung
Tel: 2255 3405
Email: wsbyeung@hku.hk