Calendar 2006–07

362 Part 4 • Research Units and University Extensions Centre for Nutritional Studies Tel.: 2252 8831 Fax.: 2637 3852/2606 3500 The Centre for Nutritional Studies was established under the Faculty of Medicine in March 1997 to conduct research relevant to Hong Kong, to promote awareness of the importance of nutrition among students, health care workers, and the public, and to interact with similar organizations in other countries, especially those in the Asia- Pacific region. Current activities include the assessment of dietary habits and nutritional status of all age groups in the community, recommending optimum dietary practices, investigating the relationship between specific nutrients and health, and designing nutritional support menus for patients in various clinical states. It also plans to launch educational programmes to promote nutritional awareness, and to conduct research projects on over-nutrition in children and adults, obesity, the role of diet in cardiovascular health, the role of calcium in osteoporosis, and institutional undernutrition. Centre for Pharmacoeconomics Research (CPER) Tel.: 2609 6860 Fax.: 2603 5295 E-mail: pharmacy@cuhk.edu.hk Website: http://www.pharmacy.cuhk.edu.hk In face of the global trend towards cost containment, health care providers strive to provide high-quality patient care in the least expensive way. Pharmacoeconomics research aims to measure and compare the costs, risks, and benefits of health care programmes, with a view to identifying the most cost-effective interventions. This increased interest in pharmacoeconomics and the absence of organized systematic activities in Hong Kong led to the establishment of CPER in 1999. Members of this multi-disciplinary centre are drawn from specialists in health economics, epidemiology, medicine, pharmacy, biostatistics, the social sciences, and hospital administration. In addition to undertaking high-quality research in pharmaco- economics, the centre has as its primary objective the provision of continuous education for professionals and those interested in the discipline. Activities of the centre include regular public lectures by internationally renowned speakers, research collaboration with other organizations, and international conferences. Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography Tel.: 2609 6793 Fax.: 2603 5123 E-mail: biochemistry@cuhk.edu.hk The Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography was established by the Department of Biochemistry in 2005. Located in the Mong Man Wai Building, the centre possesses the first x-ray diffractometer for protein crystals in Hong Kong and equipment for crystallization, molecular modelling and biophysical and biochemical analyses of