The naming ceremony of the Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was held today (15 April). Officiating guests included Dr. the Honourable Lui Che Woo, GBM, Founder and Chairman of K.Wah Group; Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, Chairman of the Council, CUHK; and Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK. In 2012, the Lui Che Woo Foundation made a generous donation of HK$100 million to CUHK for the establishment of the Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine which integrates multiple disciplines in clinical medicine and combines the strengths of basic research and clinical studies, with the aims of exploring innovative methods of diagnosis and treatment, and bringing new hopes to patients. In appreciation of Dr. Lui's munificence and long-term support to CUHK, the Clinical Sciences Building at the University's teaching hospital (the Prince of Wales Hospital) is named Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building.

(From left) Prof. Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK; Dr. and Mrs. Lui Che Woo; and Dr. Vincent Cheng, Council Chairman, CUHK unveil the plaque of the Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building.

Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung said, 'The Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine is a significant platform for CUHK and overseas experts from various disciplines, including medicine, bioengineering, psychology and linguistics, to collaborate and create innovations in basic science, translational medicine and clinical medicine, contributing to the well-being of mankind. I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Lui for his continuous support to the University, and I sincerely wish that the Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine and the Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building will become a premier hub of clinical research and bring positive impact to the world.'

Dr. the Honourable Lui Che Woo said, 'My contributions to the establishment of this institute will only help in terms of the hardware and resources needed. It is up to our faculty members, students and other medical experts to ensure the intelligent use of these facilities. Through their efforts, teaching and research will be enhanced and new frontiers opened up. They will carry on the endeavours of their predecessors to pursue new knowledge, investigate new approaches and embrace new challenges for the common good. The medical advances they make will further improve our quality of life in a manifestation of the true spirit of the medical profession.'

Prof. Joseph Sung delivers a speech.

Dr. Lui Che Woo delivers a speech.

 

Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine

In recent years, the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK has been actively developing the Innovative Medicine project to provide the highest quality of clinical service and patient care in the region. Innovative Medicine emphasizes inter-disciplinary collaboration and joint research to develop innovative diagnostic or therapeutic methods and devices, to advance clinical service through translational research and to promote health through community and professional education programmes. The Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine is dedicated to the advancement of three focused initiatives, namely BRAIN (Brain Research And Innovative Neuroscience), SMART (Sports Medicine And Regenerative Technology) and CARE (Cardiovascular Advancement, Research and Education).

BRAIN (Brain Research And Innovative Neuroscience)
The Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine has been developing novel interventions against neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases including stroke, dementia, neurocognitive disorders, language impairments, dyslexia and autism. The novel techniques include counterpulsation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, robotic arm therapies, as well as innovative behavioural interventions. Animals and human models will be used to conduct researches in identifying biomarkers and to evaluate novel compounds for these diseases. The Institute will also employ state-of-the-art multi-modal imaging and electrophysiological techniques, coupled with genetic testing and the study of new peripheral biomarkers, to unravel the mechanisms of these diseases.

SMART (Sports Medicine And Regenerative Technology)
The Institute pioneered the introduction of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment for sports injuries, especially applied to the knee joint, shoulder joint arthroscopy, expanding to a more narrow hip, ankle, and elbow surgery. Combining computer navigation technology and operation, the treatment brings out the best results. The application of regenerative technologies on some challenging sports injuries, such as cartilage and ligament repair, will enable tissue healing after surgery and athletes can regain performance quickly.

On the prevention of sports injuries, CUHK is the first to apply biomechanical technology to the predication of foot and ankle sprains, and develop an intelligent system for micro-current stimulation of muscle in response to correction of excessive distortions in the joints. It is expected that the intelligent equipment to prevent ankle sprains can be developed in the near future.

CARE (Cardiovascular Advancement, Research and Education)
The Institute will focus on heart failure, coronary heart diseases and cardiac arrhythmia in developing innovative treatment. It aims to improve technology of ultrasonic imaging of the heart and major blood vessels, so that predictive markers in heart failure could be detected at an early stage to raise the survival rate of patients. It also actively optimizes coronary angioplasty, with the introduction of innovative optical coherence tomography scan to assist in coronary artery intervention therapy, and assist in stent implantation in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans. The Institute will also continue to improve the 'hybrid' operating room, so that minimally invasive interventional treatment and traditional open heart surgery can be done in the same operating room.

Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine

The Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building located at the Prince of Wales Hospital is equipped with comprehensive research, administrative and teaching facilities for students, staff and teachers. The building houses the Li Ping Medical Library which provides round-the-clock access to a rich collection of biomedical resources, as well as a collaborative learning space and individual study areas to accommodate students of different learning styles. The lecture theatre and seminar room in the building have recently been enhanced with advanced clinical teaching and audio-visual facilities to cater to the flexibility needed under the new 3+3+4 curriculum reform.

Dr. Lui's Distinguished Contributions to CUHK

Dr. Lui has been very supportive of the development of higher education in Hong Kong, and has been an ardent benefactor of CUHK. He has been on the Board of Trustees and the Endowment Fund Committee of United College since 1995, and played a vital role in the establishment of CUHK's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. In 2002, the Dr. Lui Che Woo Awards for CUHK/ Cornell Student Exchange Programme in Hospitality Management was established to facilitate academic exchanges between the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at CUHK and Cornell University. With the generous support of K. Wah Group, CUHK organized the 'K. Wah Hotel and Tourism Forum' in 2005 for professionals and scholars to exchange their expertise and views. Dr. Lui has also participated in the forums and talks organized by CUHK's Business School and shared his business management insights with all students, alumni and the public.
 

Dr. Vincent Cheng (right) presents a CUHK 50th anniversary souvenir to Dr. Lui Che Woo.

About K. Wah Group

K. Wah Group was founded in 1955 by Dr Lui Che-woo, who transformed the company into a multinational corporation. Core businesses include property development and investment, entertainment and leisure resorts, hospitality and construction materials. The Group has a business presence in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia and major cities in the US. The Group includes two Hong Kong-listed flagships: K. Wah International Holdings Limited ("KWIH"; HK stock code: 0173) and Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited ("GEG"; HK stock code: 0027). Other major subsidiaries include Stanford Hotels International Limited and K. Wah Construction Materials Limited and, in the US, Stanford Hotels Corporation and Cresleigh Homes. To date, the Group has over 200 subsidiaries and 20,000 staff worldwide.