Page 152 - HKU Surgery 110 Anniversary E-Book

Chapter V. Embracing the Modern Age
Pursuing Innovation
Expectations in research have undergone clinical staff has multiplied to more
a dramatic transformation. It is no than 100, from under five in the mid-
longer sufficient to develop new surgical 1990s. Initiatives such as the Tissue
techniques, such as the maxillary swing Bank and the Hereditary Breast Cancer
by Professor William Wei or heroic Family Registry database have provided
liver transplantations by Professor ST important tools for delving deeper into
Fan and Professor Lo Chung-Mau. disease mechanisms and outcomes.
Instead, researchers are expected to Cancer care has also become a priority
produce scientific insights on disease research area. The Department also has
mechanisms, develop technology-based some of the best outcome datasets in the
improvements in treatment that ideally world because of Hong Kong’s small size
can be commercialised, and pursue and patient willingness to return for long-
multidisciplinary collaboration – all term follow-up. All of this has enabled
of which require more scientists and it to publish important studies in high-
funding. Fortunately, the Department impact publications.
had some foresight in this regard and
started recruiting laboratory scientists Clinicians and scientists are working
in the 1990s. The pace has only ramped together to develop new tools to advance
upwards. research. For instance, Professor Nancy
Kwan Man and her team developed the
The Faculty as a whole has invested Bionic Liver-in-Cube, which can be used
in centralised facilities and trained to test treatments and conduct research
technicians to support research. Within and won the special grand prize of “Prize
the Department, the number of non- of the China Invention Association”
The world’s first ‘liver cube’. Interdisciplinary research team of HKUMed develops world’s first
AI model for thyroid cancer diagnosis, with over 90% accuracy
and reduced consultation preparation time.
152 | Department of Surgery 110 Anniversary
th
Urology Team of the Department, introduced and carried Group photo of Department Chairperson, non-clinical
out Asia’s first Water Vapour Thermal Therapy for Benign professoriates, research assistant professors, postdoctoral fellows,
Prostatic Hyperplasia in June 2020 (Left: Dr Wayne Lam.
scientific officers and research officers taken in September 2025.
Right: Dr James Tsu).
at the 2024 International Exhibition often not willing to do such studies when
of Inventions of Geneva. Another they involve surgery. Researchers are also
example is Professor Matrix Fung, Chief expected to be more entrepreneurial with
of Endocrine Surgery, who has been their results. Other jurisdictions, such
collaborating on an AI programme that as Japan and the US, allow professors to
can read and analyse clinical notes and keep the returns from their patents, but
reports and generate a patient’s disease that is still not common in Hong Kong.
stage and risk profile. Recruiting clinician-scientists is also not
easy, especially in competition with other
Challenges still remain, of course. local and regional institutions which may
Randomised control trials must now be offer better packages. Getting people with
multi-centre studies, which are expensive the right skills is a major priority for the
and time-consuming, and patients are Department.
“A key issue has been that we need more people to be more active in research.
Clinicians at the assistant professor level, in particular, have not had the training
so it is difficult to get them to do clinical research. But I see students today who
have a passion to learn in the lab. From now on, junior doctors will have much
more experience in research.”
- Professor Nancy Man -
Department of Surgery 110 Anniversary | 153
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