Newsletter No. 497

04 # 4 9 7 | 0 4 . 0 5 . 2 0 1 7 中大獲巨額資助研究炎症性腸病 CUHK Receives Funding from Helmsley Charitable Trust to Investigate Inflammatory Bowel Disease 紐約赫爾姆斯利慈善基金向中大頒發一百八十萬 美元，資助研究炎症性腸病。該研究項目名為 「ENIGMA研究：探索東半球炎症性腸病腸道微生物 群之謎」，由中大、墨爾本大學、昆士蘭大學及內地的 炎症性腸病研究中心進行跨地域合作。這是中大近年 來獲得最大金額的研究資助之一。 炎症性腸病是一種影響腸道的慢性非傳染病，香港的 發病率在過去二十年內增加了三十倍。ENIGMA研究 團隊由著名臨床醫生、微生物學家及科學家所組成，將 致力找出誘發其中一類炎症性腸病克隆氏症的主要微生物群和相關環境因素。中大的團隊 由黃秀娟教授（圖）、于君教授及沈祖堯教授帶領，黃教授說：「我們腸胃內的微生物、以至 我們的日常飲食，均有可能是誘發克隆氏症的因素。若能掌握到克隆氏症發病的機制，有助 從日常飲食和調節腸胃微生物組合方面著手，研發出合適的治療方法。」 The Leona M. & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust in New York awarded CUHK a US$1.8 million grant for ‘The ENIGMA Studies—Eastern Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Gut Microbiota’ (ENIGMA). This is one of the largest grants received by CUHK in recent years. ENIGMA is a cross-boundary collaborative research project among CUHK, the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland and key IBD partner laboratories in mainland China. IBD is a non-infectious chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine. In Hong Kong, the incidence of IBD has increased by 30-fold in the past two decades. Crohn’s disease, a major sub-type of IBD, is now becoming more common world-wide. The ENIGMA Consortium comprised of leading clinicians, microbiologists and scientists aims to make discoveries about key microbial organisms and related environmental factors that cause or contribute to the development of Crohn’s disease. The CUHK team is led by Prof. Siew Ng (photo), Prof. Jun Yu and Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung. Professor Ng said, ‘The food we eat and the bacteria in our gut are likely to be critical to disease development. Understanding the mechanisms underlying Crohn’s disease pathogenesis will enable us to develop optimal dietary and bacterial modification therapies and bring us closer to finding cures for Crohn’s disease.’ 校長獲頒國際勳章 Vice-Chancellor Receives International Medal 荷蘭烏得勒支大學（烏大）向校長 沈祖堯教授頒發國際勳章，表揚他 對加強兩校合作的貢獻。烏大董事 局主席Marjan J. Oudeman 女士 （左）表示：「沈教授多年來致力 推動中大與烏大之間的合作，促進 兩校成為策略合作夥伴；沈教授獲 頒國際勳章，可謂實至名歸。」 沈教授為烏大九十年代以來第十 位勳章得主。 Oudeman女士於本年4月13日率團訪問中大，兩校代表就公共衞生、移民及城市發展項目展 開會談，冀開拓青少年發展及生命科學等領域的合作機遇。中大與烏大建交於2003年，除 學生及教員交流計劃之外，兩校於骨骼肌肉研究及再生醫藥、語言及神經科學、法律、環境 及氣候改變，以及人文科學研究等範疇均有合作。 Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, was awarded an International Medal by Utrecht University, the Netherlands for his contributions in strengthening cooperation between the two universities. Mrs. Marjan J. Oudeman (left), President of the Executive Board of Utrecht University said, ‘He has been a tremendous promotor in building bridges between our universities which have now grown into a strategic partnership. The International Medal is a fitting and well-deserved acknowledgment of his years of dedication.’ Professor Sung is the 10th recipient of the medal since its introduction in the late 1990s. Mrs. Oudeman visited CUHK on 13 April with a delegation. A roundtable discussion was held to review the progress and plans in three areas of collaborations: public health, migration, and cities. The two universities also took the opportunity to explore other topics of common interest, such as youth development and life sciences. The partnership between CUHK and Utrecht University began in 2003. Research collaborations have been robust in recent years, including musculoskeletal research and regenerative medicine, law, environment and climate change, and the humanities, in addition to active faculty and student mobility. 提高長者及智障人士的法律保障 On Legal Protections of the Elderly and the Intellectually Disabled 法律學院人權與公義研究中心鄒密密教授（上圖左三）及榮 譽訪問學者李霏霏女士（上圖左一）在4月8日舉辦「香港長 者法工作坊」，與安老服務界人士探討影響長者日常生活的 法律與倫理問題。工作坊由中大知識轉移項目基金、聯合書 院基金研究津貼計劃及利希慎基金研究津貼計劃資助。大會 邀得兩名法律專家及一名律師暨精神專科醫生主講，內容包 括設立監護人照顧無心智能力的長者的原則，並探討如何預 防長者受到財務剝削、身體及精神虐待等。 社會工作學系上年底舉辦的「智障人士受性侵害的處理」研 討會引起社會對議題的廣泛關注，學系遂將議題拓展至法律 保障的範疇，並於4月1日與民間法律改革小組合辦了「有關 易受傷害證人/受害者的法律權利報告」研討會（右圖），五 位講者包括學系黃敬歲教授、立法會議員張超雄博士、法政 匯思成員吳宗鑾大律師、臨床心理學家陳雅文女士及風雨蘭 中心主任伍穎琳女士。講者於會上除了向參加者講解現時有 關法律的不足外，還提出改善法律程序和支援服務的建議。 Prof. Mimi Zou (3rd left, left photo), Associate Director, and Ms. Jennifer Lee-Shoy (1st left, left photo), Honorary Visiting Scholar of the Centre for Rights and Justice at the Faculty of Law, organized a workshop on Hong Kong Elder Law on 8 April. The workshop, which drew participants mainly from the elderly service sector to learn about a range of day-to-day legal and ethical concerns affecting their clients, is funded by the CUHK Knowledge Transfer Project Fund and United College’s Lee Hysan Foundation Research Grant and Endowment Fund Research Grant Schemes. The speakers consist of three experts in law and psychiatry. They explored various elder law issues in Hong Kong, including the principle of mental capacity underpinning guardianship, prevention of financial, physical, and emotional abuse of elderly persons. The symposium on ‘How to improve the legal protection and support services for victims of sexual assault who have intellectual disability’ organized by the Department of Social Work last December aroused public awareness. To extend the issue to the area of legal protection, the Department co-organized a seminar on ‘Report on Better Protection of Legal Rights for Vulnerable Victims/Witnesses’ (below) with the Civil Society Law Reform Committee on 1 April. The five guest speakers include Prof. Phyllis Wong from the Department, Dr. Hon Fernando Cheung from the Legislative Council, Barrister-at-law Mr. Chris Ng from Progressive Lawyers Group, Ms. Chan Yawen, a clinical psychologist, and Ms. Tiffany Ng from Rainlily. The speakers explained the current inadequacy of relevant laws. They also proposed some recommendations for improving relevant legal procedures and supporting services. 與會者對現行法例及智障人士權益深表關注 Participants opine on the prevailing laws and ordinances as well as the equity of people with intellectual disability