Brief introduction:

Since the discovery of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, Professor Yuen and his team have been making preparations for a novel infectious disease. Professor Yuen will deliver a talk titled “Combat against COVID-19 in HKSAR” to review the precautions and response plans in Hong Kong since January this year, and introduce the research on and preventive measures against this highly contagious virus.

About the Speaker:

Yuen Kwok Yung graduated from the Medical School at the University of Hong Kong and was awarded State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Special class), the Justice of Peace by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, and Gold & Silver Bauhinia Star Awardee of the HKSAR. He is also Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Lond, Edin), Surgeons (Glas) and Pathologists (UK). In the outbreak of avian influenza virus H5N1 in 1997 in Hong Kong, Professor KY Yuen was the first to report in Lancet about the unusual clinical severity and high mortality of infected patients which could be identified by the in-house designed molecular test at his laboratory. During the outbreak of SARS in 2003, he led his team in the discovery of the SARS coronavirus successfully. He has also led his team in the discovery of over 60 novel disease agents, 10 bacteria, 4 fungi and 2 parasites. His 982 publications with over 42,000 citations are mainly related to the research of novel microbes or emerging infectious disease agents.

About the State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases
Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong

The State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases at HKU was established by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in recognition of the outstanding contribution made by HKU scientists in response to the SARS outbreak during 2003/2004, both in mainland China and in Hong Kong. Establishment of this State Key Lab was approved by the MOST in July 2005. The State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases embodies the P3 Laboratory and the Virus, Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory. Research will be conducted on emerging viruses, bacteria, fungi and anti-microbial resistance.

Brief introduction:

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Hong Kong with 1800 new cases per year. Liver resection remains the only hope of cure but the treatment is suitable for only 30 per cent of the patients. In his talk titled “Broadening the horizon of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma”, Dr Chan will discuss novel treatment procedures including “Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy (ALPPS)”, and a new multimodality treatment approach to render locally advanced liver cancer operable.

About the Speaker:

Dr Chan is currently the Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery in The University of Hong Kong and Honorary Consultant in Queen Mary Hospital. He is specialized in the surgical management of liver cancer, pancreatic cancer and biliary tract cancer as well as living donor liver transplantation.

He graduated from King’s College London Medical School, University of London in 2001 and attained his fellowship with the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh and the College of Surgeons, Hong Kong in 2008. He acquired his Master of Surgery in 2019.

Dr Chan is renowned for performing complex liver surgery for locally advanced cancer. He is a pioneer for the ALPPS procedure (Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy) for hepatocellular carcinoma with one of the world largest single-center experience to date, as well as having performed the world-first ALPPS in a child with hepatoblastoma on 24 October 2013 (Chan et al. World J Gastroenterol 2014. 20(29): 10208-10211). He is also renowned for expanding the role of liver resection for locally advanced cancer via surgical techniques adopted from liver transplantation as well as using neoadjuvant downstaging treatment. Regarding his contribution to liver transplantation, he was one of the chief surgeons for the first auxiliary living donor liver transplantation, the first dual graft and the first donor interchange liver transplantation in Hong Kong. Last but not least, Dr Chan is an advocate for using innovation and technology to improve patient safety by pioneering the use of 3-dimensional (3D) laparoscopy for major liver resection in Queen Mary Hospital.

Dr Chan is currently the chairman of the Vanguard Committee in International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS). He was the Past President of the Asian Surgical Association (2015-2017). He also holds several academic positions in various international professional bodies including Scientific Committee Member of the International Hepatopancreatobiliary Association (IHPBA); Scientific Committee Member of Asia Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert (APPLE) Association; Councilor, Asian Surgical Association, Council member of Hong Kong Society of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, and Hong Kong Society of Transplantation, as well as Principal Investigator of the State Key Laboratory for Liver Research in the University of Hong Kong.

In terms of scholarly achievements, Dr Chan was recently selected by the American College of Surgeons to be the Dr. Abdol and Mrs. Joan Islami International Guest Scholars (the first named award within the College’s international guest scholarship program) for the year 2018. He was also previously awarded the GB Ong Travelling Fellowship in 2014 for his visit to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in USA, and achieved the Best Research Output in the Department of Surgery for two consecutive years from 2013-14. He has completed 6 book chapters and published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Annals of Surgery, Transplantation, and Liver Transplantation, and delivered numerous invited and plenary lectures in various locoregional and international meetings.