Professor POON Wai Sang    
潘偉生

Emeritus Professor & Clinical Professional Consultant
MBChB (Glasgow), FRCS (Glasgow & Edinburgh), FHKAM (Surgery)

Neurosurgery
(852) 3505 2624
wpoon@cuhk.edu.hk
F-1558-2011

Biography

Wai Poon is a Glasgow medical graduate of 1978 and trained in Neurosurgery at Glasgow's Institute of Neurological Sciences [1983-1986]. He did his research fellowship at Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard Medical School in 1990-1991. He has joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)/ Prince of Wales Hospital as a faculty member in academic neurosurgery since 1986 and became Chief in Neurosurgery [1988-2019] and Chair Professor in 2003. He is currently Emeritus Professor and Clinical Professional Consultant, and Director of the CUHK Otto Wong Brain Tumour Centre.

Wai has a strong interest in clinical and experimental head injury, and more recently cell therapy, cell biology in brain tumours and axonal injury in central nervous system. He has the expertise and motivation to do prospective clinical studies as Principle Investigator in brain injuries. He is author of 450 peer-reviewed publications.

Wai is an active participant of college and society activities locally and internationally. He has been doing medico-legal work since 1992. He is active in undergraduate and postgraduate surgical education, and specialist training in Neurosurgery, as Vice President [Internal Affairs] of The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong (CSHK), Chief Examiner for Neurosurgery and Past Chairman of the Neurosurgery Board [2007-2019] of the CSHK.

Research Interests

• Clinical and Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury
• Cell Biology and Cell Therapy in Brain Tumours and Axonal Injuries in the Central Nervous System
• Pituitary Surgery
• Hyponatremia

Additional Information

• Director, Otto Wong Brain Tumour Centre
• Member of the Editorial Boards of Acta Neurochirurgica (2001-2006), Neurosurgery [1997-2018], World Neurosurgery [2009-2017] and Surgical Practice; currently British Journal of Neurosurgery, Korean Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Clinical Neurosciences, Chinese Journal of Neurosurgery [English Edition]
• Professor (by courtesy), Theme of Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK
• Vice President [Internal Affairs] of The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong
• Committee Member of the Neurosurgery Specialty Board of The College of Surgeon of Hong Kong
• Chairperson [From 2018] of China Spinal Cord Injury Network
• Second Vice President [2009-2013] and Committee Member of the Nomination for President and Office Bearers [1997-2001] of World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS); currently Member of Neurotraumatology Committee and Neurorehabilitation and Reconstructive Neurosurgery Committee of WFNS
• Central committee member of The Chinese Neuro-oncology Society
• Founding Member of AO Neuro and Global Neuro
• Founding Member and Vice President of the International Chinese Federation of Neurosurgical Sciences
• Member of German Academy of Neurosurgery, American Academy of Neurological Surgery (AANS), Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS), and The Society of Neurological Surgeons “The Senior Society” of the United States (SNS)
• Visiting Professor of Neurosurgery of The Fourth Military Medical University, Shandong University, Sun Yat Sen University
• State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (SSTPA): second-class award 2010 for a research project on traumatic brain injury, National Chinese Medical Association: first-class award for a research project on acute stroke

Selected Publications

1. Loong HH, Wong AM, Chan DT, Cheung MS, Chow C, Ding X, Chan AK, Johnston PA, Lau JY, Poon WS*, Wong N*. Patient-derived tumor organoid predicts drugs response in glioblastoma: A step forward in personalized cancer therapy? J Clin Neurosci. 2020 Apr 24:S0967-5868(20)30604-4. (*Corresponding author)
2. Zheng ZV, Cheung CY, Lyu H, Chan HY, Li Y, Bian ZX, Wang KKW, Poon WS*. Baicalein enhances the effect of low dose Levodopa on the gait deficits and protects dopaminergic neurons in experimental Parkinsonism. J Clin Neurosci. 2019; 64:242-251. (*Corresponding author)
3. Jiang R, Zhao S, Wang R, Feng H, Zhang J, Li X, Mao Y, Yuan X, Fei Z, Zhao Y, Yu X, Poon WS, Zhu X, Liu N, Kang D, Sun T, Jiao B, Liu X, Yu R, Zhang J, Gao G, Hao J, Su N, Yin G, Zhu X, Lu Y, Wei J, Hu J, Hu R, Li J, Wang D, Wei H, Tian Y, Lei P, Dong JF, Zhang J*. Safety and Efficacy of Atorvastatin for Chronic Subdural Hematoma in Chinese Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2018 July 30;75(11):1338-1346. (*Corresponding author)
4. Hu T, Kumar Y, Shazia I, Duan SJ, Li Y, Chen L, Chen JF, Yin R, Kwong A, Leung GK, Mat WK, Wu Z, Long X, Chan CH, Chen S, Lee P, Ng SK, Ho TYC, Yang J, Ding X, Tsang SY, Zhou X, Zhang DH; International Cancer Genome Consortium, Zhou EX, Xu L, Poon WS, Wang HY, Xue H*. Forward and reverse mutations in stages of cancer development. Hum Genomics. 2018 Aug 22;12(1):40. (*Corresponding author)
5. Tsang KS, Ng CPS, Zhu XL, Wong GKC, Lu G, Ahuja AT, Wong KSL, Ng HK, Poon WS*. Phase I/II randomized controlled trial of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for chronic stroke. World J Stem Cells 2017 Aug 26;9(8):133-143. (*Corresponding author)
6. Lam PK, Wang KKW, Lo AWI, Tong CSW, Ching DWC, Wong K, Yang Z, Kong T, Lo KKY, Choy RKW, Lai PBS, Wong GKC, Poon WS*. Interactome and reciprocal activation of pathways in topical mesenchymal stem cells and the recipient cerebral cortex following traumatic brain injury. Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 10;7(1):5017. (*Corresponding author)
7. Li Y, Li J, Woo YM, Shen Z, Yao H, Cai Y, Lin MC, Poon WS*. Enhanced expression of Vastatin inhibits angiogenesis and prolongs survival in murine orthotopic glioblastoma model. BMC Cancer. 2017 Feb 13;17(1):126. (*Corresponding author)
8. Zhu H, Poon W, Liu Y, Leung GK, Wong Y, Feng Y, Ng SC, Tsang KS, Sun DT, Yeung DK, Shen C, Niu F, Xu Z, Tan P, Tang S, Gao H, Cha Y, So KF, Fleischaker R, Sun D, Chen J, Lai J, Cheng W, Young W*. Phase III Clinical Trial Assessing Safety and Efficacy of Umbilical Cord Blood Mononuclear Cell Transplant Therapy of Chronic Complete Spinal Cord Injury. Cell Transplant. 2016 Nov;25(11):1925-1943. (*Corresponding author)
9. Xia H, Cheung WK, Ng SS, Jiang X, Jiang S, Sze J, Leung GK, Lu G, Chan DT, Bian XW, Kung HF, Poon WS*, Lin MC*. Loss of brain-enriched miR-124 microRNA enhances stem-like traits and invasiveness of glioma cells. J Biol Chem. 2012 Mar 23;287(13):9962-71. (*Corresponding author)
10. Liu AM, Lu G, Tsang KS, Li G, Wu Y, Huang ZS, Ng HK, Kung HF, Poon WS*. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells with forced expression of hepatocyte growth factor enhance remyelination and functional recovery in a rat intracerebral hemorrhage model. Neurosurgery. 2010 Aug; 67(2): 357-65. (*Corresponding author)
11. Wong GK, Poon WS*, Chan MT, Boet R, Gin T, Ng SC, Zee BC; IMASH Investigators. Intravenous magnesium sulphate for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (IMASH): a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicentre phase III trial. Stroke. 2010 May;41(5):921-6. (*Corresponding author)
12. Wong HT, Poon WS*, Jacobs P, Goh KY, Leung CH, Lau FL, Kwok S, Ng S, Chow L. The comparative impact of video consultation on emergency neurosurgical referrals. Neurosurgery. 2006 Sep;59(3):607-13; discussion 607-13. (*Corresponding author)
13. Ke C, Poon WS*, Ng HK, Lai FM, Tang NL, Pang JC. Impact of experimental acute hyponatremia on severe traumatic brain injury in rats: influences on injuries, permeability of blood-brain barrier, ultrastructural features, and aquaporin-4 expression. Exp Neurol. 2002 Dec;178(2):194-206. (*Corresponding author)
14. Hsiang JN*, Yeung T, Yu AL, Poon WS. High-risk mild head injury. J Neurosurg. 1997 Aug;87(2):234-8. (*Corresponding author)
15. Zhu XL, Chan MS, Poon WS*. Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage: which patients need diagnostic cerebral angiography? A prospective study of 206 cases and review of the literature. Stroke. 1997 Jul;28(7):1406-9. (*Corresponding author)
16. Poon WS*, Lolin YI, Yeung TF, Yip CP, Goh KY, Lam MK, Cockram C. Water and sodium disorders following surgical excision of pituitary region tumours. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1996;138(8):921-7. (*Corresponding author)