VOLUME 29 ISSUE 1 JUL 2024 A Big Bang of Growth
Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief Ada Leung Wing-yee Managing Editors Brenda Yau Niki Shek Executive Editor Annie Lam Feature Writer Kathy Griffin Graphic Design Good Morning Design Cover Illustration Serena Yue, MBBS Class of 2025 www.med.hku.hk All rights reserved 2024 Care for the Environment 保護環境 If you would like to opt-out of receiving a printed copy and subscribe to the e-version of HKUMed News, please complete the online form by scanning the above QR code (for alumni), or send us an e-mail: mfedit@hku.hk. 如欲取消訂閲印刷紙本及轉為接收電子版HKUMed News，請掃描二維碼並填寫網上表格（供校友填寫）或電郵至 mfedit@hku.hk。 The information contained in this publication is solely for the purpose of reporting the Faculty’s latest developments. None of such information is intended to be for, nor shall therefore be treated as, dissemination of professional service information of doctors to the public. 本刊物的內容僅為報導學院最新發展，其所提供的內容並非，亦不應被視為向公眾傳播醫生的專業服務的資訊。
02 Figures: The Faculty in 2023 醫學院2023年回顧 04 The 211th Congregation 第211屆學位頒授典禮 06 Feature 專題故事 A Big Bang of Growth - The Ball is Rolling for HKUMed’s Expansion in Every Direction 運籌帷幄 再創高峰 港大醫學院拓展宏圖 28 Pandemic Research Alliance Signing Ceremony 「大流行病研究聯盟」簽署儀式 Quadripartite Collaboration on Healthcare Education 醫療教育四方合作 HKU Health System Clinical Centre and AHA International Training Centre at HKUMed 香港大學醫療系統臨床中心及 港大醫學院美國心臟協會國際培訓中心 30 Feature+ 專題+ Empowering Students as Active Partners of Change – Students in Medical and Health Sciences Education 學生主導 促進創新 ⸺ 師生共策教學 34 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2024 渣打香港馬拉松 2024 The Shaw Prize Lecture on Life Science and Medicine 2023 2023年度邵逸夫生命科學與醫學獎講座 Faculty Prize Presentation Ceremony & Spring Reception 2024 醫學院頒獎典禮及甲辰年新春團拜 36 Feature+ 專題+ 25th Anniversary of the School of Chinese Medicine – Globalisation of Chinese Medicine for the Common Good 扶康惠民譽全球⸺中醫藥學院25周年 45 HKUMed’s Community Services 醫學院社區服務 49 People First @HKUMed 「以人為本」關顧員工身心健康 51 Achievements 獎項與成就 61 Activities and Events 活動紀要 65 People 人物 Hello 新臉孔 Appointments and Promotions 任命與晉升 Thank You and Goodbye 感謝卸任學院成員貢獻 In Remembrance 永遠懷念 Alumni News and Reunions 校友活動及聚會 Student Achievements 學生成就 Student Activities 學生活動 82 Donations 捐贈者名單 1 HKUMed News Summer 2024
Figures ^ incl. MBBS and MBBS(DMS) # incl. BNurs(FT) and BNurs(ALT) Professoriate Staff 教授級人員 318 Postgraduate Students 研究生 1940 Honorary Academic Staff 名譽學術人員 3145 Undergraduate Students 本科生 3338 Postgraduate Education 研究生課程 Undergraduate Programmes (Full-time) and Student Numbers本科生課程（全日制）及學生人數 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery^ Bachelor of Nursing# Bachelor of Chinese Medicine Bachelor of Pharmacy Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Global Health and Development Year 1 309 206 28 35 50 11 26 Year 2 306 205 23 40 60 11 23 Year 3 255 224 25 35 53 - 24 Year 4 289 213 21 37 58 - 21 Year 5 230 223 21 - - - - Year 6 251 - 25 - - - - Total 1640 1071 143 147 221 22 94 • The Faculty offers 12 Taught Postgraduate (TPg) programmes and admitted 597 TPg students in 2023-24. • The Faculty admitted 270 Research Postgraduate (RPg) students in 2023-24. A total of 14 new PhD students have been awarded Hong Kong PhD Fellowships by the Research Grants Council (RGC) and 14 have been awarded the HKU Presidential PhD Scholarships. • A total of 22 postgraduate students were awarded other prizes in 2023, including the Sir Patrick Manson Gold Medal for MD students, Dr KP Stephen Chang Gold Medal for PhD students, KAN Shin Yu Chinese Medicine Postgraduate Research Prize, Chan To Haan Prize for Research Postgraduate Students in Pathology, Hong Kong Genome Institute Prizes, Professor Anthony Hedley Prize for Master of Public Health, BL Wong Memorial Prize in Nursing Studies, Lau Wing Kai Memorial Prizes in Nursing Studies, Best Evidence Based Practice Dissertation/ Clinical Research Project Award for Master of Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing Academic Excellence Award, Master of Science in Nursing Clinical Excellence Award, Mr & Mrs SH Wong Foundation Scholarship and Hou De Charitable Foundation Scholarship for Master of Research in Medicine. The Faculty in 2023 醫學院2023年回顧(as of December 2023) 2
Awarded to Faculty members Awarded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for four large-scale projects RGC General Research Fund/ Early Career Scheme Health and Medical Research Fund (Provisional) Health and Medical Research Fund Commissioned Grant RGC Areas of Excellence/ Theme-based Research Scheme RGC Strategic Topics Grant/ Research Impact Fund / Collaborative Research Fund Innovation and Technology Fund Mainland Research Fund by NSFC, MoST, GDST and SZSTI Others 54 70 2 4 9 14 17 43 projects HK$76.82M projects HK$76.72M projects HK$21.05M projects HK$75.31M (2 projects as PI and 2 projects as Co-I) projects HK$63.1M (7 projects as PI and 2 projects as Co-I) projects HK$25.13M projects HK$19.94M projects HK$38.5M Public lectures/Symposia/Fora 公開講座/座談會/論壇 Regular newspaper columns 報章定期專欄 Media interviews and press conferences 媒體訪問及新聞發布會 Media coverage generated 傳媒報道總計 Health programmes on television and radio 電視及電台醫療健康節目 163 125 121 6287 183 Research Grants 研究資助 Project Grants 項目資助 Research Output 研究成果 • The Faculty’s refereed research output saw 1853.79 items produced in 2022-2023, accounting for 37.6% of the University’s total of 4934.29 refereed items. The output included important publications of impact factors over 50 in recent 5 years: Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, BMJ, Nature Reviews Microbiology, Nature Medicine, Nature Reviews Disease Primers, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, World Psychiatry, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Nature, Cell, Lancet Psychiatry, Science, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Oncology, Cancer Cell, and Lancet Public Health. • As of January 2024, our researchers have published 548 Highly Cited Papers, and 31 staff members are listed as Highly Cited Researchers. According to Clarivate Analytics’ latest update, among 167 HKU scholars in the top 1% worldwide by citations, 65 of them are from HKUMed, making up 38.9% on the list. Public Education 公眾教育 in total HK$397.02M HK$603.17M 3 HKUMed News Summer 2024
‘I hope you will view today not as an end, but as the beginning of the next stage of your journey with the Faculty.’ 「我期望剛畢業的同學不會視今天為你和 醫學院的關係『告一段落』，而是大家共 同邁向嶄新旅程的『開始』。」 ⸺ Professor Chak-sing Lau, Dean of Medicine 院長劉澤星教授 The 211th Congregation 第211屆學位頒授典禮 About 600 graduates proudly crossed the stage in the Grand Hall of the HKU Centennial Campus on 2 December 2023, in celebration of their academic achievements at the 211th Congregation, witnessed by their families and friends. Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) was the Presiding Officer and conferred the degrees upon the graduates. Gracing the event as Guest of Honour was Mr Carl Wu, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Frontier Group. In his first major event since his appointment as the 41st Dean of Medicine, Professor Chak-sing Lau delivered The Dean’s Letter, in which he defined success of the Faculty as the cultivation of a sense of belonging among students and staff and continued partnerships with valued stakeholders. 近600位畢業生齊集港大百周年校園大會堂，出席第211屆學位頒授典禮，在親友的 見證下分享畢業的喜悅。 典禮由副校長（教學）何立仁教授主持，並為畢業生頒授學位。新風天域聯合創始人 兼首席執行官吳啟楠先生擔任特別嘉賓致辭。 劉澤星教授首次以第41任港大醫學院院長身分發表《院長親函》，並指出學院「成功」 的定義，在於培養師生的歸屬感，以及與各持分者維持長期的伙伴關係。 Read The Dean’s Letter 閱讀《院長親函》 (只供英文版) 4
‘Success in healthcare is not just about individual accomplishments; it is about working collaboratively and advancing together.’ 「醫療服務的成功，不單取決於個人成就， 更有賴團隊共同努力和進步。」 ⸺ Mr Carl Wu, Co-founder and CEO, New Frontier Group 新風天域聯合創始人兼首席執行官吳啟楠先生 Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), confers a degree upon a graduand. 副校長（教學）何立仁教授為畢業生頒授學位。 5 HKUMed News Summer 2024
FEATURE In research, new facilities are coming online to expand our capabilities, such as the HKUMed Laboratory of Cellular Therapeutics. And in clinical affairs we are reaching out and identifying more partners for things such as →HKUMed leadership team: Professor Chak-sing Lau, Dean of Medicine (seated, centre); (seated, from left) Professor Gilberto Leung Ka-kit, Associate Dean (Teaching & Learning); Professor Eric Tse Wai-choi, Associate Dean (Research); Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, Associate Dean (Partnership & Engagement); Professor Victoria Wong Wing-yee, Associate Dean (Clinical Affairs); (standing, from left) Professor Chan Ying-shing, Senior Advisor to the Dean cum Director of Campus Development and Infrastructure; and Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, Associate Dean (Human Capital) ‘Growth’ has been the buzzword around HKUMed for several years now. The Faculty has announced a succession of plans to expand staffing, programmes, collaborations and our footprint. Now, our plans are starting to bear fruit. The Faculty has successfully recruited numerous top-tier scholars, as part of the ‘140 for 140’ drive to recruit 140 new professoriate staff by our 140th anniversary in 2027. Teaching and learning have been augmented with investment in new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and deeper student involvement in developing the curriculum. We are also preparing for future increases in MBBS enrolments. A Big Bang of Growth The Ball is Rolling for HKUMed’s Expansion in Every Direction 6
clinical placements for students and clinical trials. To support that expansion, the Faculty is also in the midst of a major campus development project that will see several large structures built around Sassoon Road and beyond by the end of the decade. We are also beefing up partnerships for all activities, both in Mainland China and globally, so that we can continue to set benchmarks of excellence and contribute to the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond. The Dean, Professor Chak-sing Lau, enthused about the prospects, ‘I feel very privileged to be leading the Faculty at this time of unprecedented growth, and to be doing it under our theme of “People First”. As I have mentioned on many occasions, our standing and achievements are only as good as the people who are part of the HKUMed family.’ ‘I would like to add one other dimension, which is that our leadership is only as good as the teamwork behind it. So this is one more area of growth – the membership of the Deanery.’ HKUMed now has six subdeaneries, with three supporting core activities (Teaching & Learning, Research, and Clinical Affairs) and three working on areas that cut across all activities (Human Capital, Campus Development & Infrastructure, and Partnership & Engagement). More Assistant Deans have also been brought in to assist the Associate Deans who head each sub-deanery. ‘Having more hands on deck not only enables us to manage the huge tasks on our agenda, but also allows us to groom a new generation of leaders. The next few years will be a hive of activity. I have no doubt that HKUMed will emerge in a tremendous position for future growth and impact,’ Professor Lau said. ‘Our standing and achievements are only as good as the people who are part of the HKUMed family.’ Professor Chak-sing Lau 7 HKUMed News Summer 2024
FEATURE HKUMed has been able to achieve world-class status because of one crucial factor: its people. In recent decades, the Faculty has recruited highquality talent who produce globally important research and provide rigorous training to future healthcare professionals, all for the ultimate benefit of patients. Moving forward, the challenge is not only how to sustain that success but also take it to a new level as demand for healthcare-related training, research and services increases and new horizons open up, with the advent of AI and other technologies, the accelerated development of the GBA, and the emergence of new priorities such as primary healthcare services in Hong Kong. Leading that effort are Associate Dean (Human Capital), Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, and his team, Assistant Dean (Academic Development), Professor Kelvin To Kai-wang, and two Assistant Deans (Well-being), Professors Chang Wing-chung and Parco Siu Ming-fai. Their efforts are focused on recruiting new talent and, equally, on retaining HKUMed’s current academics and technical and other staff. ‘No matter how much funding we have, no matter how much infrastructure we have, without good people – meaning good academic staff, technical staff, administrative staff – we will go nowhere,’ Professor Poon said. ‘We want to have a strong and loyal team at HKUMed, so we can work together to scale new heights in the years ahead.’ The most pressing task is HUMAN CAPITAL: People First ↑Professor Vivian Lin Kwang-wen, outgoing Executive Associate Dean (centre), Professor Leo Poon Lit-man (2nd from left) and the Human Capital sub-deanery: (from left) Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai, Professor Chang Wing-chung and Professor Kelvin To Kai-wang 8
to recruit enough people to meet expanding needs in teaching and research activities, and address gaps as current staff retire. The ‘140 for 140’ campaign, announced before the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to recruit 140 new professoriate staff by 2027. Although placed on hold during pandemic restrictions, it is now operating at full speed. From August 2022 to May 2024, offers have been made to a number of overseas experts and other candidates, among which 45 academic staff have been hired. ‘Hiring more people is not a problem, but hiring good, capable staff is the challenge. We are only looking for talent, otherwise how can we remain an outstanding institute? We will not compromise on this,’ Professor Poon emphasised. Top and emerging talent around the world are being approached via various channels. Discussions are also underway with the Hospital Authority (HA) to collaborate in the recruitment of clinical staff to meet the demand in hospitals as well as the medical schools in Hong Kong. Alongside that outreach, efforts have been stepped up to nurture and retain talent. The Faculty has communicated clearer pathways of promotion for existing junior colleagues and provided them with mentorship and leadership training. ‘We want to provide better support for our junior faculty members, so they can become our future leaders,’ he said. Well-being programmes are also being developed for staff of all levels and across all units, including individual level, department level and faculty level. ‘We strive to provide a better environment for our colleagues so they can be both physically and mentally healthy. This is not only for academic staff. We want to take care of the needs of other faculty members, administrators, technical staff and so forth, too. We want to have a culture of well-being within the HKUMed family.’ Professor Poon and his team are also working closely with the other sub-deaneries to address their staffing needs. ‘We really want to have collaborations between different domains so that we can have more effective communication and create new opportunities for our staff,’ he remarked. ‘We want to have a strong and loyal team at HKUMed, so we can work together to scale new heights in the years ahead.’ Professor Leo Poon Lit-man 9 HKUMed News Summer 2024
FEATURE EDUCATION: Learning through Change For healthcare educators, the future has never looked more exciting. ‘With technological developments and changing societal expectations, our future graduates will need to be more versatile than the graduates this year and in past decades. The tools they use will be different, what patients want will be different, the whole landscape will be different,’ said Professor Gilberto Leung Ka-kit, Associate Dean (Teaching & Learning). For HKUMed, that means opportunity. The Faculty has thrown itself into the task of embracing future opportunities, and by doing so, will endeavour to lead, not to follow. The EdTech has recently been established to focus on education technology, led by Assistant Dean (Education Innovations) Professor Gary Lau Kui-kai. (Professor Leung is also supported by nine other Assistant Deans and one Senior Advisor, see p.11). For example, it has developed an AI platform where students can converse with a virtual patient and practice essential skills such as taking a medical history. ‘We are not trying to replace real patient encounters, but to take full advantages of these new tools, which are easier to standardise and we can conduct assessments in a more objective fashion,’ Professor Leung explained. Developments in AI are also accelerated by a HK$30 million donation from Mr Li Ka-shing last year to ramp up AI in teaching and learning, and which was matched by a HK$30 million allocation from the Faculty. ↑Professor Gilberto Leung Ka-kit (seated, centre) and the Teaching & Learning sub-deanery (scan the QR code below for the full list) 10
The technology focus dovetails with another initiative, Students in Medical and Health Sciences Education (SIMHSE), which recognises that students should play a more active role in curriculum development and teaching, especially given the new technologies at people’s disposal, and to learn to become tomorrow’s teachers. ‘The current generation of students has very different learning habits from me or my colleagues,’ Professor Leung said, ‘and we surely need to know what works best for them. We have invited students to join many of our Teaching & Learning committees and working groups, and to participate in developing, revising and implementing curriculum components and be part of our team.’ So far nearly 100 students have been involved at various levels, while others have launched near-peer tutoring programmes and developed technological aids for their classmates. ‘There is a flatter arrangement now between the deanery and the student community. We hope that it will not only improve the quality of education, but also encourage our students to give back to the profession,’ he said. Apart from technology, the other major challenge is demographic. Hong Kong needs more doctors. The Dean has said the Faculty could admit up to 400 medical students annually in the future, from 295 today. However, at the same time, the number of Hong Kong’s secondary school students is decreasing. ‘We need to adapt to a slightly different population,’ Professor Leung added. ‘Inevitably, the academic abilities of each cohort will be more diverse. We have to be mindful of striking the right balance between quantity and quality in designing and implementing our programme.’ The recently introduced ‘core programme’ addresses students’ learning diversity and the ever-expanding amount of medical knowledge by equipping them with knowledge and skills essential for safe and competent medical practice. There is at the same time the ‘advanced programme’ to cater for and recognise students who are capable of going beyond the basics although students must pass the core programme to graduate. In addition, the new Distinguished MedScholar (DMS) track, launched in September 2023, will provide gifted, motivated students with intensive research training to prepare them for higher degrees and potentially a career in academia. They are also encouraged to be more proactive and engage with the wider communities; groups of DMS students have already conducted activities to promote blood donation on the main HKU campus and medical education to their high schools. Student well-being remains a high priority. HKUMed established a dedicated team more than five years ago to promote well-being before crises arise, using peer support among ↑The Students in Medical and Health Science Education (SIMHSE) initiative encourages students to play a more active role in curriculum and teaching. other measures. Overall, Professor Leung’s aim is to help the Faculty stay ahead of the curve during these times of great change. ‘Hopefully HKUMed will do better than just adapt and be a passive recipient to all the changes that are happening. We want to shape the landscape. I am pretty certain that with the work we have done, we will be able to play an active role,’ he said. Professor Leung has Assistant Deans supporting him in seven other areas besides education innovations: Professor Kenny Kwan Yat-hong in MBBS admissions, Professor Chung Pui-hong in health sciences admissions, Professor Esther Chan Wai-yin in health sciences education, Professor Pamela Lee Pui-wah in medical education, Professor Gordon Wong Tin-chun in professional development in medicine, Professor Kelvin Wang Manping in professional development in health sciences, and Professors Julie Chen Yun, Paul Lee Chi-ho and Kendrick Co Shih in student wellness and engagement. He is also assisted by Senior Advisor, Professor Julian Alexander Tanner. ‘We want to shape the landscape. I am pretty certain that with the work we have done, we will be able to play an active role.’ Professor Gilberto Leung Ka-kit 11 HKUMed News Summer 2024
RESEARCH: Translate and Collaborate HKUMed’s research is highly regarded around the globe. Thirty-one of our academics were on Clarivate’s prestigious 2023 Highly Cited Researchers list and 65 are among the top 1% of researchers in their fields globally. Moreover, their excellence is recognised locally through their great success in securing research grants. In 2023/24, the Faculty received a total of HK$76.8 million General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council for 54 medical research projects of global impact, the highest number and funding amount in the medical field in Hong Kong. These remarkable achievements have placed HKUMed in a strong position for meeting new and emerging demands and making a positive impact on global health. Society’s expectations are greater than ever, especially with new technologies that hold much promise for improving patient treatment and care. HKUMed is also expected to contribute to healthcare priorities for the future development of Hong Kong and the GBA. To meet these challenges, the portfolio of Associate Dean (Research), Professor Eric Tse Wai-choi, has been expanded to include five Assistant Deans – Professor Walter Seto Wai-kay in interdisciplinary collaboration, Professor Stephanie Ma Kwai-yee in innovation and technology transfer, Professor Carmen Wong Chak-lui in core platforms and advancement, and Professors Daniel Fong Yee-tak and Judy Yam Wai-ping in postgraduate studies – as well as Senior Advisor (Policy & Governance) Professor Danny Chan. A new technology transfer unit has also been established within the Faculty to support the sharper focus on translation and collaboration. ‘If we can facilitate our principal investigators to translate their research, both our patients and the general public will benefit,’ said Professor Tse. Towards that end, major new core facilities have recently been established, such as the Li Ka Shing Cryo-EM Laboratory and the HKUMed Laboratory of Cellular Therapeutics. The latter offers leading-edge GMP (good manufacturing practice) capabilities for developing advanced therapy products, such as stem cell therapy for cardiac diseases and CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers, and it is expected to get its operational license from the Department of Health this year. ‘We hope this will enable us to focus more on translational research,’ remarked Professor Tse, who is also leading CAR-T cell therapy development. Researchers are also being actively encouraged to find collaborators across disciplines and at the local, regional and international levels to spur translation and innovation further. ‘We want our staff to step out of silos and promote and facilitate research collaborations between clinicians and nonclinical scientists within HKU and beyond,’ he said. The HKU Clinical Trials Centre is part of the translation conversation, given its strong international reputation and partnership with industry (about one-quarter of drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration are tested there) and support for HKUMed academics – it recently organised a clinical trial for our intranasal COVID-19 vaccine. The Faculty is now trying to expand clinical trials beyond its base at Queen Mary Hospital ↓HKUMed has been ramping up translational research to benefit patients and the general public. FEATURE 12
to other public and private hospitals, so both patients and research can benefit. Societal developments also figure in future plans. The Hong Kong government has earmarked HK$6 billion for multidisciplinary, crossinstitutional life and health technology research institutes. Professor Tse said researchers are exploring joint proposals with other faculties, such as engineering and science, and other institutions in Hong Kong and overseas. ‘Our most immediate priorities are technology transfer and innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. As all our initiatives come into place, we expect to be able to do more research that produces products and results that benefit patients,’ he added. ↑Professor Eric Tse Wai-choi (3rd from left) and the Research sub-deanery: (from left) Professor Carmen Wong Chak-lui, Professor Stephanie Ma Kwai-yee, Professor Danny Chan, Professor Daniel Fong Yee-tak, Professor Judy Yam Wai-ping and Professor Walter Seto Wai-kay ‘As all our initiatives come into place, we expect to be able to do more research that produces products and results that benefit patients.’ Professor Eric Tse Wai-choi 13 HKUMed News Summer 2024
FEATURE CLINICAL AFFAIRS: Growing the HKU Health System HKU Health System, consisting of four hospitals in the private and public sectors in Hong Kong and Shenzhen and a handful of self-governed clinical units, has served the Faculty and Hong Kong as a whole very well, supporting clinical teaching and research endeavours and bringing continuous improvements to patient care. But in recent years, the Faculty’s rapid growth has increased the demand for more clinical venues and opportunities. Professor Victoria Wong Wing-yee, Associate Dean (Clinical Affairs), is now tasked with meeting that demand by collaborating with our clinical partners to equip HKU Health System to accommodate Hong Kong’s evolving clinical needs. ‘We are doing a lot of planning to facilitate clinical research and training needs, especially with the increase in student intake. At the same time, we need to be able to support medical advances and contribute to the strategic development of the University and the government,’ she said. She is supported by two Assistant Deans for health system advancement, Professors Christian Fang Xinshuo and Emily Tse Tsui-yee, and two Assistant Deans for hospital engagement, Professors Rex Lam Pui-kin and ↑Professor Victoria Wong Wing-yee (centre) and the Clinical Affairs sub-deanery: (from left) Professor Christian Fang Xinshuo, Professor Emily Tse Tsui-yee, Professor Pauline Yeung Pui-ning and Professor Rex Lam Pui-kin 14
Pauline Yeung Pui-ning. Several hospital projects will be completed within the next one to two years, such as the Grantham Hospital redevelopment, the new Clinical Block I of Queen Mary Hospital and the future Chinese Medicine Hospital, which will provide opportunities for growth and help to ease the clinical placement challenges. But it is still not quite enough. ‘We are in dialogue with the HA and the Health Bureau to see if there are opportunities to increase the number of designated teaching hospitals. We are also working with Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong to set up a clinical trials unit in the hospital to expand its capacity for conducting industry-sponsored clinical trials,’ Professor Wong said. Recruitment of clinical professoriate is also crucial to expanding capacity and this is happening across several dimensions. HKUMed is recruiting new staff across the board, as mentioned above, and revisiting and enhancing clinical honorary appointments. Discussion is also underway among the HA, the Health Bureau, the University and the two medical schools of Hong Kong on possible dual track employment between the HA and the medical schools. ‘We hope a flexible employment mechanism will create synergy in strengthening both the medical education capacity and clinical workforce,’ Professor Wong said. The University has also helped by increasing the cap on overall practice-track professoriate staff who are clinicians from 20 to 50 per cent. ‘This gives us more room to grow our staff size not only for the clinical practice track, but also practice tracks in Nursing, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Chinese Medicine and Public Health to support the continuous growth plan of the Faculty,’ she said. But hospitals and clinical staff therein are not her only foci – primary healthcare is another priority, in line with government developments in this area. The sub-deanery has beefed up the role of the Faculty in several District Health Centres and established a Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Collaboratory (CPHC) to foster primary healthcare collaboration with HKUMed across six domains – clinical, medico-social collaboration, policy, public health, education and health informatics. ‘Currently, various schools and departments are contributing to primary healthcare undergraduate and postgraduate training, and working on community and primary healthcare projects. We envisage that the CPHC will offer a more concerted effort to encourage synergy and collaboration. We will be organising a Primary Healthcare Summit later in the year,’ she added. The sub-deanery’s final interest is in the opportunities in the region. The HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, now in its 12th year of operation, is the ideal springboard into the GBA – it is expanding to 3,000 beds and building a second research block. The Hetao ShenzhenHong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone has also allocated space to the hospital for a translational medicine research centre. ‘We have an advantage because we have got a head start in the region through the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, which served as a pilot for many cross-boundary healthcare initiatives. We will also work with the University in exploring future healthcare initiatives in the Northern Metropolis and the GBA,’ Professor Wong said. ↓Clinical training at HKUMed remains at the forefront of medicine to accommodate Hong Kong's evolving clinical needs. ‘We hope a flexible employment mechanism will create synergy in strengthening both the medical education capacity and clinical workforce.’ Professor Victoria Wong Wing-yee 15 HKUMed News Summer 2024
FEATURE CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT: Making Room to Grow HKUMed’s unprecedented expansion in student and staff numbers will position it well for future growth and impact. But people need places to research and study. The first piece in the Faculty’s ambitious physical expansion plans fell into place in 2022 with the opening of HKUMed Academic Building at 3 Sassoon Road. Now, other projects are starting to accelerate. Professor Chan Ying-shing, Senior Advisor to the Dean cum Director of Campus Development and Infrastructure, is overseeing these works with support from Assistant Dean (Campus Development & Infrastructure), Professor Raven Kok Kin-hang. ‘We are in a major period of growth across all areas of the Faculty and we are hoping within the next few years to have the infrastructure and ↑Professor Chan Ying-shing (left) and Professor Raven Kok Kin-hang 16
facilities for everyone to succeed,’ Professor Chan said. This new building provides fit-for-purpose facilities for the Schools of Nursing and Chinese Medicine, including provisions for new learning technologies and research. The next big project will be the Clinical Training and Amenities Centre (CTAC), expected to start construction across from HKUMed Academic Building in 2025, that will provide much needed residential space and other support for medical students during the clinical years. ‘Medical students require continuous exposure to the hospital ward environment so they can acquire clinical skills and patient contact experience. So, staying close to the teaching hospital will bring immense benefits to senior medical students,’ Professor Chan explained. Currently, the Faculty has fewer than 200 residential beds near Queen Mary Hospital, not enough to accommodate even one cohort of students, whose numbers are now 295 and expected to grow. The CTAC will address that shortfall in two phases. The first will accommodate 440 students, and will comprise a student wellness centre and a clinical training centre where they can brush up on their skills. The second phase, targeted to start construction around 2027, will provide 252 bed spaces. Another major development making progress is a new academic superstructure to be built adjacent to HKUMed Academic Building. This received Town Planning Board approval last year and will house teaching, research and office facilities for the Schools of Clinical Medicine and Public Health. ‘We want to plan our space to create synergy among colleagues of cognate research interests, and to accommodate much needed facilities such as cell therapy facilities, core ←In addition to new infrastructure, existing facilities on Sassoon Road will be refurbished in stages to meet both urgent and long-term needs of training and research. research facilities and a stateof-the-art imaging facility. We are now engaging colleagues to solicit their input on what they expect to need in several years’ time,’ Professor Chan added. Construction is targeted to start around 2025-26. Off-campus, Grantham Hospital’s redevelopment is in good progress and will also provide a university block for HKU scholars to pursue clinical research. Professor Chan said existing buildings will be freed up for possible refurbishment once the new academic block is built, such as refurbishing the Laboratory Block and redeveloping the Patrick Manson Building. The aim for the latter would be to create a new building for integrated Western and Chinese medicine. Preliminary studies are underway for both projects. Professor Chan added that while all these developments promise an exciting future, there is the meantime to attend to. HKUMed has received funding support from the government to refurbish the Estates Building and Pauline Chan Building, as well as for Phase II major remodelling of the William MW Mong Block, all on Sassoon Road. The goal is to meet urgent needs, but with an eye to the future. ‘We want to ensure our colleagues and new recruits have more laboratories and offices but also facilities like Medical Robotics Laboratory,’ he said. ‘We are in a major period of growth across all areas of the Faculty and we are hoping within the next few years to have the infrastructure and facilities for everyone to succeed.’ Professor Chan Ying-sing 17 HKUMed News Summer 2024
FEATURE PARTNERSHIP & ENGAGEMENT: Building Bridges and Networks The success of HKUMed’s academic activities requires engagement and collaboration with the world beyond the campus and beyond Hong Kong. Identifying partners and collaborators has thus become a major area of focus at the Faculty, led by Associate Dean (Partnership & Engagement), Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, who is supported by four Assistant Deans – Professor Yiu Kai-hang who is responsible for Mainland engagement, Professor Jasper Chan Fuk-woo for global engagement, Professor Winnie Tso Wan-yee for community engagement and Professor Patrick Chung Ho-yu for alumni engagement. ‘Partnerships are both germane and extremely important to our work,’ Professor Hung said. ‘Previously, we were doing this through the respective areas, for example, the research or teaching and learning sub-deaneries. But we realise we need a team to build networks and find appropriate and respected partners that can facilitate our work across all areas.’ Education partnerships are essential for providing medical and other students with placements during their enrichment blocks. ‘The Faculty already has arrangements with top institutes in the UK and US for Bachelor or Master intercalation programme, or research attachments, and is now trying to expand the network to other parts of the world to offer our Enrichment Year students an even wider range of choice,’ he said. HKUMed has also solidified partnerships in the Mainland as a member of the China Consortium of Elite Teaching Hospitals. It is now working within the consortium to help harmonise examination requirements and specialty training there, explore opportunities for HKUMedqualified graduates to work in the GBA, and develop postgraduate training programmes. ‘Currently, at the HKUShenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), we offer a PhD programme supervised by HKU professoriate and a very comprehensive specialist training for doctors who graduated in the Mainland. We hope to attract passionate doctors and graduates from our partner institutions to join HKU-SZH,’ he said. Community engagement is also important for student enrichment education. Professor Hung and his team are working with local NGOs, such as the →Education partnerships are being expanded to offer Enrichment Year students an even wider choice for intercalation programmes or research attachments. 18
Hong Kong Red Cross, Mother’s Choice and Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong, to provide placements and support student-initiated voluntary service projects. Alumni are also being engaged to provide more mentorship and other development opportunities for students. Research is the other major focus of partnerships. According to Professor Hung, while alumni and the community can help in this regard through donations and a willingness to be partners in basic and clinical research, it is particularly important to engage with other institutions. ‘Good research nowadays basically needs to be multicentred, especially for clinical trials. Even basic science research has become multicentred. This requires support from the Mainland and the rest of the world. By using the networks that we build, we will be able to facilitate our scientists and clinicians to find appropriate and respected partners for their research,’ he elaborated. ↓Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai (centre) and the Partnership & Engagement sub-deanery: (from left) Professor Winnie Tso Wan-yee, Professor Yiu Kai-hang, Professor Patrick Chung Ho-yu and Professor Jasper Chan Fuk-woo On top of the partnerships established at the department and individual level, Professor Hung and his team aim to solidify support for engagement at the Faculty level and help researchers find the best collaborators in the Mainland and worldwide. They also are assisting with the recruitment of non-JUPAS students and of researchers and clinician scientists from outside Hong Kong and the pursuit of funding support for collaborative research. ‘Our work cuts across almost all areas of the Faculty. We are working to iron out any issues with partners and support our colleagues in their work,’ he said. ‘By using the networks that we build, we will be able to facilitate our scientists and clinicians to find appropriate and respected partners for their research.’ Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai 19 HKUMed News Summer 2024
HKUMed is now ready to ramp up its growth. Expansion plans are consolidating and new partners are being secured, as fresh talent joins the Faculty and the new 37-member leadership team settles in. ‘With their depth and breadth of expertise and immense enthusiasm, I am extremely confident that my team has the capabilities and competencies needed to take forward the development of the Faculty on all fronts, and deepen our engagement and collaborations with various stakeholders and the community,’ remarked Dean Lau. ‘They are also in a strong position to advance the Faculty’s central theme of interdisciplinary collaboration. Already, they are communicating and interacting closely with each other to maximise the synergistic benefits of partnership and teamwork on our common goals, driving the Faculty to greater heights.’ Those heights are also closely intertwined with the future development of medical and healthcare services of Hong Kong and the GBA. ‘We are very eager to boost up research and clinical collaborations with the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital and other hospitals in the GBA, and participate in the proposed development of the Northern Metropolis, which will open new horizons for future development of medicine and Hong Kong,’ he said. FEATURE READY TO GO ‘I am extremely confident that my team has the capabilities and competencies needed to take forward the development of the Faculty on all fronts.’ Professor Chak-sing Lau 20
學院透過「140 for 140」全球招 聘計劃，已成功羅致頂尖學者加入或 即將加入醫學院大家庭，正積極邁向 2027年學院成立140周年之際增聘 140名世界級學者的目標，以全面提 升教學與科研實力。教學方面，學院 致力將人工智能（AI）等嶄新科技融入 課程，並讓學生在課程設計與發展中 擔當更重要的角色，此舉不僅大大提 升學習成效，師生合作設計的教學項 目更獲國際認可。與此同時，學院亦 為未來醫科生人數的增長作好準備。 學院各項嶄新研究設施，包括香 港大學細胞治療實驗室，亦相繼投入 運作，以推進科研及成果轉化與應用。 臨床事務方面，學院亦就學生臨床實 習和臨床試驗等範疇，積極尋求更多 合作機遇和支持。 同時，學院現正進行重大校園擴 建工程，以應付未來的發展需要。多 座大型建築將於未來數年在沙宣道一 帶及周邊地區落成。學院亦致力加強 與內地以至全球的合作夥伴關係，在 持續追求卓越的同時，亦冀為大灣區 及其他地區的發展作出貢獻。 院長劉澤星教授對學院前景充滿 信心：「我非常榮幸能夠在這個前所未 有的快速發展時期帶領學院，堅持以 人為本，海納百川。正如我曾多次強 調，學院之所以能出類拔萃，取決於 港大醫學院大家庭的每一位成員。」 劉教授補充：「『眾志成城』是成 功的關鍵。要發揮領導力，也端賴團 隊的通力合作。新領導團隊的人數適 度增加，並且由不同學科背景的成員 出任，冀藉此推動跨學科合作，發揮 協同效應，創造最大價值。」 新的領導團隊由六位副院長組 成，分掌學院六大範疇，包括三大核 心項目（教與學、研究和臨床事務）， 及三個跨院務領域（人力資本、校園 發展及基建、以及夥伴拓展及協作）， 各個範疇亦增設助理院長職位以支援 有關工作。 劉教授指出：「擴大領導團隊不單 讓我們有足夠人手處理日漸繁重的院 務，更可藉此培育新一代領袖。未來 數年，領導團隊的工作將繁忙而充實。 我深信學院將會在堅實的基礎上持續 發展，造福社會。」 港大醫學院早前公布了一系列發展宏圖，包 括增聘教研人員、革新課程、拓展合作版圖 等。經過學院仝寅的不懈努力，我們現已開 始取得實質成果。 運籌帷幄 再創高峰 港大醫學院拓展宏圖 ↑港大醫學院領導團 隊: 院長劉澤星教授 （中）、（左起）副院長 （人力資本）潘烈文 教授、副院長（臨床事 務）黃穎兒教授、副院 長（教與學）梁嘉傑教 授、副院長（研究） 謝偉財教授、院長資深 顧問兼校園發展及基建 總監陳應城教授，及 副院長（夥伴拓展及協 作）孔繁毅教授 21 HKUMed News Summer 2024
學院的非凡成就之所以獲全球認 可，人才乃關鍵因素。數十年來，學 院成功吸納優秀人才，為國際間的重 要研究作出貢獻，並為未來的醫護專 才提供嚴謹的培訓，一切皆以病人的 利益與福祉為依歸。 為迎接未來挑戰，我們不僅著眼 於如何繼續保持過往的佳績，更要再 接再厲，不斷求進。人工智能和其他 科技日新月異、大灣區加速發展與融 合及本港強化基層醫療服務等策略， 為醫療健康發展開拓了新視野。 學院廣納人才的同時，亦積極挽 留現職的學術、技術和其他成員。副 院長（人力資本）潘烈文教授及其團隊 將肩負起「選賢任能」的重任。團隊成 員還包括助理院長（學術發展）杜啟泓 教授，以及兩位助理院長（員工福祉） 張頴宗教授和蕭明輝教授。 潘教授表示：「無論我們擁有多 少資源及基礎設施，如果沒有專業的 人才⸺即優秀的學術、技術及行政 人員，我們將無法實現理想。學院需 要一支強大而盡心盡力的團隊，在未 來的日子共同努力，開創新的高峰。」 人力資本團隊目前最迫切的任務 是招募足夠人才以滿足教研活動不斷 擴大的需求，及填補現職員工退休後 的空缺。「140 for 140」全球招聘計 劃在新冠疫情前已經展開，目標是在 2027年招聘140名新的教授級人員。 由2022年8月至2024年5月，學院 已積極向多位海外專家和學者發出聘 約，期間已羅致45名學術教研人員。 潘教授強調：「招聘更多人手不 是問題，但要吸納優秀、有能力的人 才方為真正的挑戰。任何優秀的機構 都求才若渴，否則難以保持卓越的水 平，這方面我們絕不妥協。」 學院正循多種渠道接觸世界各地 頂尖和具潛力的人才，亦正與醫院管 理局（醫管局）商討聯合招聘臨床人 員，以滿足本港公立醫院和醫學院的 人手需求。 除對外招聘，學院同時加強培育 和保留人才的措施，包括向現職初級 教研人員更清晰闡明晉升途徑，並為 他們提供指導和領導力培訓。潘教授 補充：「我們希望為初級教員提供更多 支持，讓他們成為學院未來的領袖。」 此外，學院積極提升員工福祉， 涵蓋個人、部門及學院多個層面，所 有職級和部門的職員均可參與。「我 們致力為同事營造更好的工作環境， 關顧學術人員，以及其他教職員、管 理人員、技術人員等的需求，促進他 們身心健康。我們亦希望在學院的大 家庭中建立關顧員工福祉的文化。」 同時，潘教授及其團隊亦與負責 其他院務範疇的成員緊密聯繫，了解 不同團隊的招聘需要。他表示：「我 們確實希望在不同領域之間加強協 作，進行更有效的溝通，並為員工創 造新的機會。」 FEATURE人力資本：以人為本 ↑（左起）潘烈文教授 與人力資本領導團隊 成員：蕭明輝教授、 張頴宗教授及杜啟泓 教授 22
對於提升未來的醫學教育水平， 負責教學範疇的副院長梁嘉傑教授滿 腔熱誠，他指出：「隨著科技發展和社 會期望的轉變，未來的畢業生將要比 目前及過去幾十年的畢業生更加靈活， 更加懂得裝備自己，才能夠與時並進。 因為無論是所需的專業知識與技能， 或是病人的期許乃至整個醫療發展的 境況皆在不斷改變。」 對於學院來說，轉變帶來機遇。 我們已作好充分準備，把握機會，全 力帶領醫學教育的未來發展。 學院最近成立的教學科技團隊， 由助理院長（教學創新）劉巨基教授帶 領。（梁教授亦獲另外九名助理院長和 一名資深顧問的支持，詳見下文）。團 隊成功開發了一個人工智能平台，供 學生與虛擬病人交談，藉以練習記錄 病史等基本技能。 梁教授解釋：「我們並非要取締 學生與真實病人的接觸，而是充分運 用這些嶄新科技，協助我們以更客觀 的方式和標準進行評核。」學院去年 獲李嘉誠先生捐贈3,000萬港元，以 加強人工智能在教學方面的應用，我 們也相應配對同額撥款，促進了有關 教學科技方面的發展。 學院加強教學科技的策略，亦正 正配合現行的「師生共策教學」計劃， 我們鼓勵學生積極參與課程設計和教 學，尤其是在嶄新教學科技方面的應 用，藉此培育他們成為未來醫學教育 界的精英。 梁教授指出：「學生的學習模式在 過去幾十年間起了翻天覆地的變化， 我們必須找出對學生最有效的教學策 略。為此，我們邀請學生加入不同的 教學委員會和工作小組，參與課程發 展、修訂和實施方面的工作，讓他們 成為教學團隊的一分子。」 到目前為止，已有近百位學生在 不同層面參與這項計劃，其他學生則 加入朋輩輔導，有的則開發技術平台 以協助同學學習。梁教授說：「領導團 隊和學生教學相長，不但有助提高教 育質素，同時鼓勵學生與朋輩砥礪同 行，在學習路上彼此扶持、互相幫助， 也是培育他們對自身專業作出回饋的 一種方式。」 除了配合日新月異的科技發展之 外，人口結構的變化亦導致社會對醫 護人手需求急劇增加。面對這項重要 挑戰，院長劉澤星教授曾表示學院未 來可將醫科招生名額由目前的每年295 名增加至400名。然而，本港中學生 人數卻正在減少。 梁教授補充：「學生人數多年來時 有升跌，不同學生的學習能力亦有差 別，學院必須有能力去應對。最重要 的是我們要在教學的質與量之間取得平 衡，確保每位學生都能夠吸收到多元 的知識並發揮所長。」 因應學生多元化的學習需要，以 及醫學知識量不斷增加，學院新推行的 「核心課程」旨在培育學生掌握必備的 醫學知識和專業技能，確保本港醫療 服務安全可靠。當學生符合上述學習 要求，學院亦提供「進階課程」讓學生 發揮潛能。大前提是所有學生必須在 「核心課程」取得合格成績，方可順利 畢業。 此外，學院於2023年9月推出「傑 出醫科學人」修讀途徑，成績優異且 有志於醫學研究的學生將得到導師及 其研究團隊的充分指導，為未來攻讀 博士學位，以及從事學術研究作好準 備。學院亦鼓勵他們積極參與社區活 動，部分「傑出醫科學人」學生早前在 大學本部校園舉辦捐血活動，亦向高 中學生推廣醫學教育。 在致力保持教學質素的同時，學 院視維護學生的福祉為首要工作，在 五年多前已成立專門團隊，透過進行 朋輩支援及其他措施，全面關顧學生 的身心健康。 總括而言，梁教授的目標是協助 學院在醫學教育急變的洪流中，繼續 保持領導地位，他說：「學院應當矢志 主導未來，而不只是被動地接受或隨 意地跟從當前的變化。憑著團隊一直 以來的努力不懈，我深信學院將繼續 在醫學教育與科研方面擔當重要角色。」 同時，多名助理院長協助梁教授 負責另外七大教學範疇，分別為醫科 入學事務的關日康教授、醫療衞生科 學入學事務的鍾沛康教授、醫療衞生 科學本科教育的陳慧賢教授、醫科本 科教育的李珮華教授、醫科學生專業 發展的黃田鎮教授、醫療衞生科學學 生專業發展的王文炳教授，學生福祉 及拓展的陳芸教授、李智豪教授和 施愷廸教授﹔唐柱霖教授則擔任資深 顧問。 教與學：從轉變中學習 ↓梁嘉傑教授（第二排 中）及教與學領導團 隊成員，請掃描以下 二維碼瀏覽成員名單 23 HKUMed News Summer 2024
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