Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2006

Chinese University Bulletin Autumn · Winter 2006 10 on clinical epidemiology andoutcome studies; applied genomics and bioinformatics; clinical trials and disease management; and drug recovery and stem cell research. Regenerative Medicine By regenerating tissues for repairing or replacing damaged organs, diseases with limited treatment options today, such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease, can be cured in the future with more sophisticated research development in the area of human stem cells. The University’s stemcell research group investigates different kinds of stem cells including those isolated from the nervous system and from blood or bone marrow. Public Health The first of its kind in the territory, the School of Public Health houses the Stanley Ho Centre of Emerging Infectious Disease. The School is at the frontline of treatment and research on infectious diseases, as evidenced by the University’s efficient response during the SARS outbreak. The school also advises the government and the public on public health issues. Areas of Excellence The Institute of Chinese Medicine is recognized locally as anArea of Excellence by the University Grants Committee (UGC) and worldwide by the US National institutes of Health (NIH) as the first Hong Kong recipient of its Traditional ChineseMedicine grant. The Institute of Plant Molecular Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology is the first science area to be designated an Area of Excellence by the UGC. It has 13 patents filed and over 100 publications in high-impact international journals. Cancer Cancer is the number one cause of death in Hong Kong. The University’s Hong Kong Cancer Institute has its main research facilities housed at the Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Centre at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong’s first cancer centre. Last November, The State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China opened at the centre. Its establishment was formally approved by the State Ministry of Science and Technology and built on the foundation of CUHK’s partnership with Sun Yat-sen University. Its research will span cancer biology, early detection, and novel therapeutics for cancers of high prevalence in Asia. Gastroenterology The Faculty of Medicine has an excellent track record in research on diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the liver with over 20 papers having been published in top international medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet since 1992. Molecular Diagnostics The Faculty of Medicine has an internationally known programme to develop novel diagnostic and monitoring tests for diseases based on the detection and measurement of fundamental molecules of life such as DNA, RNA and proteins. One key area is the study of circulating nucleic acids in the plasma of human subjects. These tests can be done in a safer and less traumatic fashion, and can provide previously unavailable information. Molecular diagnostics is also a catalyst of the promise of personalized medicine. Diabetes Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in Hong Kong due to an ageing population and changing lifestyles. Diabetes can also lead to serious complications such as heart disease and kidney failure, incurring large medical expenses and worsening the quality of life of sufferers. Diabetes research at CUHK focuses