Chemical Pathology focuses on the study and investigation of the biochemical and molecular changes that occur as part of a disease process. The Department was established in 1983, as one of the few independent departments of Chemical Pathology in the world, with the mission to advance the science and practice of chemical pathology by education, research and clinical service.

The Department of Chemical Pathology has academic interests in several fields of studies. Among these are molecular diagnostics, plasma nucleic acid biology and applications, genomic basis of diseases, diagnostic applications of next-generation DNA sequencing, allergic diseases, inborn errors of metabolism, bioinformatics, and stem cell and regeneration. Many pioneering discoveries made in the Department have led to clinical applications and sparked multidisciplinary research with national and international collaborations.

The Department is located in the Prince of Wales Hospital, a 1,650-bed university teaching hospital and is responsible for the provision of a high quality and accredited diagnostic laboratory service to the Prince of Wales Hospital and other hospitals in the New Territories East Cluster of the Hospital Authority. The diagnostic laboratory is extensively automated and electronically linked with the wards. The laboratory receives 4,500 to 5,000 patient samples daily from in- and out-patients and provides routine and 24-hour emergency service.

The Department also has a major commitment in the teaching and training of undergraduates in medicine, graduate students and professional medical staff. Teaching includes lectures, tutorials and practicals to undergraduate medical students, as well as research-based Master and Doctoral degrees in Chemical Pathology. The Department provides vocational training for Chemical Pathologists and Clinical Biochemists. In addition, there are currently around 180 members of staff employed either by The Chinese University of Hong Kong or Hospital Authority (HA) in the department.

With a broad range of research activities, educational programmes and service facilities available, the Department of Chemical Pathology aims to foster scholars at all levels for a professional career and an inquisitive mind for life-long learning.