Research Areas
Department of Surgery
http://www.surgery.hku.hk/
Why are some people more prone to develop cancers?
How can we know the functions of a gene?
How can we trace cancer cells in mice?
How can we study human cancers in animals?
Major Research Areas
Breast cancer:
- Breast cancer genetics, biomarkers and translational research.
- Advanced surgical technologies in management of breast disease and breast cancer.
- Epidemiological and psychosocial studies in breast cancer.
- Bio-engineering research in breast cancer.
- Oncological clinical trials.
Colorectal cancer:
- Transanal total mesorectal excision for low rectal cancer
- Application of robotic surgery in colorectal surgery
- Functional outcomes after rectal resection
- Screening of colorectal cancer
- Novel biomarkers for tumour recurrence and metastasis.
Contact Person(s)
Dr C.C. Foo
Tel: 2255 4389
Email: ccfoo@hku.hk
Endocrine surgery:
- Thyroid cancer and surgery
- Parathyroid disease and surgery
- Functional and non-functional adrenal tumours
- Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours
- Thermal ablation of benign thyroid nodules
- Value-based health care delivery
Contact Person(s)
Professor B.H.H. Lang
Tel: 2255 4232
Email: blang@hku.hk
Esophageal and gastric cancers:
- Animal cancer models.
- Treatment resistance mechanism.
- New biomarkers and treatments.
- Epigenetic studies.
- Bioimaging.
Contact Person(s)
Professor S.Y.K. Law (Esophageal cancer)
Tel: 2255 4774
Email: slaw@hku.hk
Professor K.M. Chu (Gastric cancer)
Tel: 2255 4637
Email: chukm@hku.hk
Head and neck cancers/Plastic and reconstruction surgery/ENT:
- Swallowing dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients
- Robotic surgery in head and nceck area.
Head and neck cancers
- Epigenetics.
- Immune responses.
- Biological therapy.
Liver transplantation and liver regeneration:
- Transplant immunology and oncology
- Fatty liver diseases and NASH
- Biomarker, mechanism and treatment of disease recurrence after liver transplantation.
- Mechanism and therapeutic implication of liver regeneration.
Liver cancer:
- Cancer immunology and tumor microenviornment − mechanism and therapeutics
- Hepatitis B recurrence − mechanism and therapeutics
- NASH and cancer
- Cholangiocarcinoma
Contact Person(s)
Professor K. Man
Tel: 3917 9646
Email: kwanman@hku.hk
Hepatocellular carcinoma:
- Cancer genomics in hepatocellular carcinoma
- Cellular mechanism in associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy or portal vein embolisation
- Biomarkers, mechanisms and assessment of efficacy of immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Contact Person(s)
Dr A.C.Y. Chan
Tel: 2255 3025
Email: acchan@hku.hk
Hepatocellular carcinoma:
- Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of hepatocarcinogenesis and metastasis
- Chemoresistance-associated molecular targets
- Biomarkers for post-operative hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence
Neurooncology:
- Translational laboratory research in molecular biology of malignant brain tumour, focusing on glioblastoma multiforme
- Therapeutics to overcome chemotherapy drug resistance
- The role of tumour microenvironment in malignant phenotypes
- Interference with metabolic function cell death pathways
Cerebrovascular diseases:
- Intracerebral haemorrhages in experimental animals
- Neuroprotective measures to improve functional outcome
- Immunological response to brain haemorrhages and therapeutic opportunities
Contact Person(s)
Professor G.K.K. Leung
Tel: 2255 3368 / 2255 3773
Email: gilberto@hku.hk
Molecular mechanistic study of developmental disorders and cancers commonly found in children:
- Molecular basic study of Hirschsprung's disease and other related neurocristopathies.
- Molecular study of enteric nervous system development in human and mouse.
Translational research of birth defects and related diseases:
- Genetics, stem cell and regenerative medicine: translating disease mechanism discoveries to treatment of biliary atresia
- Towards precision diagnostics and regenerative therapies for Hirschsprung’s disease: from genomics to cells to tissues
- Molecular genetic study of anorectal malformations
- Childhood cancers
Contact Person(s)
Professor P.K.H. Tam
Tel: 2255 4850 / 2255 3536
Email: paultam@hku.hk
Dr V.C.H. Lui
Tel: 3917 9607
Email: vchlui@hku.hk
Stem cells and disease modelling:
- Molecular bases of Hirschsprung's disease and other related neurocristopathies
- Molecular study of enteric nervous system development in human and mouse
- Neural crest stem cells biology
- Human pluripotent stem cell based cell- and organoid- models of genetic disorders
- Tumour stem/initiating cells
Contact Person(s)
Professor E.S.W. Ngan
Tel: 2831 5410
Email: engan@hku.hk
Nanomedicine:
- Nanomedicine in wound healing and regeneration
- Development of new drugs and drug delivery systems using nanotechnology
Thoracic disorders in children:
- Understanding the pathogenesis of congenital pulmonary malformation
- Using lung organoid technology as models for paediatric thoracic disease
Paedaitric solid tumors:
- High throughput new drug screening for cancer using 3D culture
Contact Person(s)
Dr K.K.Y. Wong
Tel: 2255 4850
Study of congenital paediatric conditions with advanced technology:
- Studying congenital hepatobiliary disorders with liver organoid.
- Pathogenesis in biliary atresia.
- Tissue engineering in paediatric surgery.
Urology cancer:
- Mechanisms of tumourigenesis.
- Epigenetic studies.
- Biomarkers for renal cell cancers.
- Treatment for prostate cancer disease.
- Advanced prostate cancer diagnositics.
Other urological diseases:
- Urolithiasis.
- Complex genito-urethral reconstruction.
Vascular disease and surgery:
- Pathogenesis, haemodynamics and endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections.
- Epidemiology and atherogenesis of peripheral arterial and venous diseases.
Contact Person(s)
Professor S.W.K. Cheng
Tel: 2255 4962
Email: wkcheng@hku.hk
Chairman of Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee
Professor K. Man
Tel: 3917 9646
Email: kwanman@hku.hk