Our People

BM (Sun Yat-sen), MM (PUMC), PhD (HKU)

Email: xqlao@cuhk.edu.hk

ORCID: 0000-0002-2645-0128

Scopus Author ID: 14031637000

ResearcherID: M-5817-2017

Biography

Dr Lao obtained his medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine) from Sun Yat-sen Medical University and then served as a Public Health Physician for many years in the Guangzhou No.12 Renmin Hospital (Guangzhou Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Hospital). He further pursued his Master of Medical Science in Peking Union Medical College and Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Hong Kong, respectively. He then went to the United States and received training in Genetic Epidemiology as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Duke Institute for Genome Science & Policy at Duke Medical Center.

Dr Lao joined The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care as a Research Assistant Professor in 2009.  One of his specialities is the development and coordination of large-scale cohort projects to systematically investigate research questions related to health effects of air pollution and epidemiology of chronic non-communicable disease. He has published his research work in a number of leading medicine journals including Circulation, The Lancet Planetary Health, JACI, EHP, IJE, BJSM, CMAJ, BMC Medicine, Hypertension and Diabetologia. His research work has been widely reported in media and press such as Reuters, Associate Press, Newsweek and South China Morning Post. Dr Lao was invited by Hong Kong government to review and develop the Hong Kong Air Quality Standards. His research work has contributed to the well-being of society by raising public awareness regarding the health effects of air pollution and guiding policy development in terms of air pollution control and physical exercise.

• Air pollution epidemiology 

• Combined health effects of air pollution and physical exercise

• Cohort study of chronic diseases

• Health effects of long-term exposure to ozone on Chinese adults. Research Grants Council-General Research Fund (PI: 01/2022-06/2024)

• Health effects of neighbourhood walkability on Chinese adults. Research Grants Council-General Research Fund (PI: 01/2021-06/2023)

• Joint mortality/morbidity effects of habitual physical activity and long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 air pollution. Research Grants Council-General Research Fund (PI: 01/2020-06/2022)

• Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and intermediate health outcomes: a cohort study with 55,000 Hong Kong residents. Food and Health Bureau - Health and Medical Research Fund (PI: 12/2021-05/2024)

• Effect of long-term exposure to multiple air pollutants on respiratory health in Hong Kong primary school children. Food and Health Bureau - Health and Medical Research Fund (PI: 08/2019-01/2022)

Selected Publications

• Guo C, Zeng Y, Chang LY, Yu Z, Bo Y, Lin C, Lau AKH, Tam T, Lao XQ*. Independent and opposing associations of habitual exercise and chronic PM2.5 exposures on hypertension incidence. Circulation 2020; 142(7): 645-656. (Selected for AHA press release).

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• Guo C, Yu T, Chang LY, Lin C, Yang HT, Bo Y, Zeng Y, Tam T, Lau Alexis KH, Lao XQ *. Does habitual exercise exacerbate the impacts of air pollution on the risk of mortality? A longitudinal cohort study. Canadian Medical Association Journal (Accepted with commentary. Selected for press release).

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• Guo C, Zhang Z, Lau AKH, Lin C, Chuang YC, Chan WMJ, Jiang WK, Tam T, Yeoh EK, Chan TC, Chang LY, Lao XQ*. Effect of long-term exposure to fine particular matter on lung function decline and risk of chronic obstruct pulmonary disease in Taiwan: a longitudinal, cohort study. The Lancet Planetary Health 2018; 2: e114-25. (With commentary)

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• Liu X, Lao XQ*, Wong CCY, Tan L, Zhang Z, Wong TW, Tse LA, Lau APS, Yu ITS. Frequent use of household cleaning products is associated with rhinitis in Chinese children. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology September 2016; 138: 754-760 (Press release by university).

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• Guo C, Bo Y, Chan TC, Zhang Z, Lin C, Tam T, Lau AKH, Chang LY, Hoek G, Lao XQ*. Does Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Affect the Benefits of Habitual Physical Activity on Lung Function in Adults: A Longitudinal Cohort Study BMC Medicine 2020, 18: 134 (2020).

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• Guo C, Tam T, Bo Y, Chang LY, Lao XQ*, Thomas GN. Habitual physical activity, renal function and chronic kidney disease: A cohort study of nearly 200,000 adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020, 54 (20), 1225-1230.

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• Lao XQ *, Deng HB, Liu X, Chan TC, Zhang Z, Chang LY, Yeoh EK, Tam T, Wong MCS, Thomas GN. Increased leisure-time physical activity associated with lower onset of diabetes in 44,828 adults with impaired fasting glucose. British Journal of Sports Medicine January 2019; 53(14): 895-900.

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• Bo Y, Yu T, Chang LY, Guo C, Lin C, Zeng YQ, Huang B, Tam T, Lau AKH, Wong SYS, Lao XQ*. Combined Effects of Chronic PM2.5 Exposure and Habitual Exercise on Cancer Mortality: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. International Journal of Epidemiology (Accepted)

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• Zhang Z, Chang LY, Lau AKH, Chan TC, Chuang J, Chan J, Lin C, Jiang K, Dear K, Zee BCY, Yeoh EK, Hoek G, Tam THW, Lao XQ*. Satellite-Based Estimates of Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter are associated with C - reactive protein in 30,034 Taiwanese Adults. International Journal of Epidemiology 2017; 46: 1126-1136.

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• Guo C, Hoek G, Chang LY, Bo Y, Lin C, Tam T, Huang B, Chan TC, Tam, T, Lau AKH, Lao XQ*. Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Lung Function in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Environmental Health Perspectives 2019, 127(12): 127008.

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• Chan TC, Zhang Z, Lin BC, Lin C, Deng HB, Chuang YC, Chan WMJ, Jiang WK, Tam T, Chang LY, Hoek G, Lau AKH, Lao XQ*. Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and chronic kidney disease: a cohort study. Environmental Health Perspectives 2018, 126(10): 107002.

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• Zhang Z, Guo C, Lau AKH, Chan TC, Chuang YC, Lin C, Jiang WK, Yeoh EK, Tam T, Woo KS, Yan BP, Chang LY, Wong MCS, Lao XQ*. Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter, Blood Pressure, and Incident Hypertension in Taiwanese Adults. Environmental Health Perspectives January 2018, 126(1): 017008.

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• Guo C, Yang HT, Chang LY, Bo Y, Lin C, Zeng Y, Tam T, Lau AKH, Hoek G, Lao XQ*. Habitual exercise is associated with reduced risk of diabetes regardless of air pollution: a longitudinal cohort study. Diabetologia 2021; 64(6):1298-1308. (Selected for press release)

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• Lao XQ*, Guo C, Chang LY, Bo Y, Zhang Z, Chuang YC, Jiang WK, Lin C, Tam T, Lau AKH, CY Lin, Chan TC. Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and incident type 2 diabetes: A longitudinal cohort study. Diabetologia 2019; 62: 759-769. (Cover page article).

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• Bo Y, Guo C, Lin C, Chang LY, Chan TC, Huang B, Lee KP, Tam T, Lau AKH, Lao XQ*, EK Yeoh. Dynamic changes in long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and incidence of hypertension in adults: A natural experiment. Hypertension 2019; 74(3):669-677. (Selected as High Impact Paper in Hypertension).

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• Bo Y, Chang LY, Guo C, Lin C, Lau AKH, Tam T, Yeoh EK, Lao XQ*. Associations of Reduced Ambient PM2.5 Level with Lower Plasma Glucose Concentration and Decreased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Adults: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. American Journal of Epidemiology (Accepted).

Last Updated: 6 August 2021