School of Biomedical Sciences
生物醫學學院
The Chinese University of Hong Kong 香港中文大學

Developmental and Regenerative Biology

The Developmental and Regenerative Biology (DRB) Thematic Research Program covers four specific, but complimentary, research areas listed below. Members are interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how embryos, tissues and stem cells are formed, develop, function and degenerate. Also how factors such as signalling molecules, hormones, growth factors and cytokines control these important processes. Outcome of these researches will help how we understand what is needed to recreate tissue and organs, including new drugs that could be used in regenerative medicine.

 

Reproductive Biology

  • Functional genomics and epigenetics in germ cell and gonad development
  • Role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in health and disease
  • Delineating molecular mechanisms underlying germ cell ageing

 

Developmental Biology

  • Using mouse, Xenopus and zebrafish embryos as models to elucidate fundamental development processes
  • Foetal development in health and disease: genetics, genomics and the development of biomarkers

 

Endocrinology

  • Hormone action and signal transduction
  • Pancreatic physiology and diabetes
  • Endocrine disorders : molecular biology and treatment by stem cells and therapeutic agents
  • Intracellular protein trafficking and hypothalamic/pituitary hormone secretion

 

Stem Cells and Regenerative biology

  • Investigating fundamental biological and mechanical factors that regulate stem cell proliferation, differentiation and developmental fate
  • Use of stem cells and 3D scaffold-printing to generate tissues and organs for regeneration such bone fracture healing, cardiovascular and neural tissue repair etc.
  • Reprograming normal and genetically abnormal somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) and using them as models to study human diseases and developmental processes
  • Germline stem cell transdifferentiation for tissue regeneration

Name Contact No. Research Interests
Prof BLOCKI Anna Maria 3943 9797 Tissue Engineering, regenerative medicine,
biomaterials, stem cells, cell-based therapy,
hydrogel, extracellular matrix
Prof CHAN Hon Fai Vivas 3943 3032 Tissue engineering, liver regeneration, stem cell,
microfluidics, biomaterial, biomechanics
Prof. CHAN Pui Barbara 3943 0509 Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, enabling technologies, biomaterials, complex organoid and tumoroids, cell niche engineering, mechanoregulation
Prof CHAN Wai Yee 3943 1383 Genetic diseases, germ cells, differentiation, tumor,
microRNA, epigenetics 
Prof CHAN Wood Yee (Chief) 3943 6895 Stem cell therapy, development of enteric nervous
system, neural crest stem cells, stem cell migration
and differentiation, congenital gut disorders,
cell transplantation, mouse embryonicdevelopment,
Hirschsprung’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome,
neural crest cell induction
Prof CHEUNG Hoi Hung Albert 3943 9796 Stem cell differentiation and aging 
Prof DALTON Stephen 3943 0537 Pluripotent and adult stem cells, Cardiac development,
Brown and beige adipocytes,
Therapeutic development for type 2 diabetes
Prof FENG Bo (Deputy Chief) 3943 1455 Genome editing, Stem cells, Gene and cell therapy,
Inherited hematopoietic and metabolic disorders
Prof FOK Kin Lam Ellis 3943 9986 Infertility, assisted reproduction technologies,
male contraceptive, sperm functions, spermatogenesis,
germline stem cell biology, germ cell transplantation,
testis microenvironment, cancer/testis genes
Prof GAO Bo 3943 6801 Skeletal Biology, Skeletal Disorders, Wnt/PCP signaling in development and disease
Prof GU Shen Linda 3943 5747 Molecular mechanisms of deleterious genetic
alterations in inheritable human diseases
Prof JIANG Xiaohua 3943 1229 Stem cell epigenetics, stem cell therapy,
stem cell microenvironment, aging
Prof JIANG Yangzi 3943 5153 Tissue Degeneration and Tissue Regeneration:
Osteoarthritis
Prof KER Dai Fei Elmer 3943 4497 Muscloskeletal biology, tissue engineering,
regenerative medicine, functionally-graded
biomaterials, artificial intelligence, machine learning,
cell tracking, computer vision
Prof KO Wing Hung 3943 6781 Epithelial transport, Ca2+/cAMP signaling,
purinergic receptors, Heme oxygenase,
carbon monoxide, airway inflammation,
fluorescence imaging
Prof SHAM Mai Har 3943 0415 Molecular mechanisms of mammalian development
and human congenital disorders,
transcriptional regulation, functional genomics,
craniofacial, inner ear and sensory neural
development, neural crest and placode,
stem cells and regeneration
Prof TUAN Rocky S. 3943 5204  
Prof WAN Chao 3943 4494 Bone, cartilage, degeneration, regeneration,
stem cells, small molecules, tissue engineering
Prof WANG Dan Michelle 3943 4497 Bone tendon tissue engineering, extracellular
matrix, stem cells, immunomodulation
Prof XIA Yin 3943 4480 Kidney physiology, injury and repair,
Male reproductive biology,
Metabolic signaling pathways in the liver
Prof ZHAO Hui 3943 1344 Embryonic development, tumorigenesis of
neuroblastoma, tissue regeneration and therapy
Name Contact No. Research Interests
Prof SO Kam Hei Karl 3943 0416 Mammalian development and human congenital disorders,
myogenesis, craniofacial development, transcriptional regulation,
placode, single-cell genomics, epigenetics
Prof WANG Wuming 3943 0570 ESC pluripotency, cardiac development and disease,
genome editing
Name Contact No.
Prof CHAN Chung Ngor Juliana 3505 3138
Dr CHAN Leung Kwok Clement ---
Prof CHENG Chun Yiu Jack 3505 2729
Prof CHOY Kwong Wai Richard 3505 3099
Prof LEUNG Ting Fan 3505 2860 / 3505 2850
Prof LI Gang 3505 3592 / 3763 6153
Prof LI Zhong Alan 3943 5906
Prof POON Wai Sang 3505 2624
Prof TANG Leung Sang Nelson 3505 2320
Prof WANG Huating 3763 6047

 

 

 

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