e-Bulletin November 2023
RECOGNITION |
Ten Faculty Members Named Highly Cited Researchers
Showcasing Their Outstanding Research Performance
Ten faculty members from our School have been named by Clarivate in its list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2023” as the most influential in the world. Their works have been highly cited by fellow academics and are hence making a significant impact on ongoing research in their respective fields of study.
Our ten Highly Cited Researchers are:
- Professor Ester Cerin, Honorary Professor
- Professor Ben Cowling, Chair Professor of Epidemiology and Head of Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Dr Eric Lau, Honorary Assistant Professor
- Professor Gabriel Leung, Honorary Clinical Professor
- Dr Kathy Leung, Assistant Professor
- Professor Malik Peiris, Tam Wah-Ching Professor in Medical Science and Chair Professor of Virology
- Professor Leo Poon, Chair Professor of Public Health Virology and Head of Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences
- Professor Joseph Wu, Professor
- Dr Peng Wu, Assistant Professor
- Dr Hui-ling Yen, Associate Professor
Highly Cited Researchers are selected for their exceptional research performance, determined by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in Web of Science. Some 6,849 researchers from 67 countries and regions are named Highly Cited Researchers in 2023.
Professor Ben Cowling Received MBE from King Charles
Recognising His Contribution to COVID-19 Research
Professor Ben Cowling, Chair of Epidemiology, Division Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has been conferred as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contributions to public health and COVID-19 research. Professor Cowling received the award from King Charles III in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in the U.K. on October 25, 2023.
After their research trip to China in January 2020, Professor Cowling, as co-director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre in Hong Kong, provided some of the first official estimates of the transmissibility of COVID-19. He and his colleagues have published more than 200 articles on COVID-19 to date, including some important early reports on pre-symptomatic transmission and the effectiveness of face masks. His current work involves determining optimal strategies for the use of booster vaccinations.
The School extends our hearty congratulations to Professor Ben Cowling for his remarkable achievement.
Dr Nancy Leung, Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, recently completed a year-long fellowship at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. This prestigious fellowship was made possible through the Takemi Program in International Health, offered by the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was one of the ten highly-selective Takemi Fellows last year.
Dr Leung chose Harvard University for its renowned research group, CAUSALab. The group specializes in causal inference and epidemiology. “My goal was to learn more about this rapidly growing field and apply it to my own research on the epidemiology of respiratory viruses,” she said.
During her fellowship, Dr Leung engaged in a comprehensive array of academic exchanges: from weekly seminars and presentations by prominent scientists, public health practitioners, and government officials, and epidemiology courses of the Master of Public Health program, to lab attachments at the CAUSALab and the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, and presentation in a research seminar on her COVID-19 work to the Harvard medical community. In addition, she worked on her proposed research project with a mentor from the CAUSALab. These experiences had enriched her perspectives on infectious diseases, epidemiology theories, and policy-making and implementation.
Dr Leung and her team has established several community-based longitudinal observational cohorts and vaccine trials on COVID-19 and influenza. Recently, the team conducted a randomized trial of third-dose COVID-19 vaccination named the Cobovax study. The study revealed that neutralizing antibodies, commonly used as an immune biomarker, may not always correlate with vaccine efficacy, especially for inactivated vaccines. This finding supports the continued use of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, which are often the only option in many low- and middle-income countries.
“Our team continues to study and monitor vaccine immunogenicity, safety and effectiveness in the Hong Kong population, as well as to investigate the mechanisms of vaccine protection and COVID-19 disease,” she expressed.
Inspired by the vibrant and stimulating atmosphere at Harvard, where students and professors engage on an equal footing, Dr Leung aims to foster a similar collaborative spirit within her team, and to the School at large.
Dr Nancy Leung (front row left) and her Takemi Fellows (2022-23)
Dr Parco Siu was recently promoted to Professor in the School of Public Health for his outstanding achievement and exceptional contributions to public health.
Before joining our School in 2017, Dr Siu received his PhD in exercise physiology from West Virginia University and postdoctoral training from Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on exploring the therapeutic effects of exercise on various health issues. His extraordinary academic achievements placed him among the top 1% cited scholars at HKU from 2019 to 2022.
Dr Siu consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and scholarly excellence as the Head of the Division of Kinesiology. He also actively engages with the local community, serving as the Vice President of the Hong Kong Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Science.
Congratulations to Dr Parco Siu for his well-deserved promotion to Professor.
STUDENT & ALUMNI CORNER |
BASc(GHD) Alumnus Joins Health Committee
Aspiring Bottom-up Approaches to Improve Health for All
Kelvin Cheung, an alumnus of the very first batch of BASc(GHD) graduates and a current Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) student at HKU, has been awarded the Aspiration Foundation Second Chance Scholarship 2023-24.
The scholarship rewards HKUMed MBBS students who have demonstrated extraordinary resilience to pursue a career in the medical profession. Each year, a maximum of 7 awards per cohort will be awarded. Kelvin is grateful for the teaching and guidance from all teaching staff, colleagues, and peers of the School of Public Health, and the mentorship by Dr Chung Pui Hong, Programme Director of BASc(GHD).
Furthermore, Kelvin has recently taken up a role on the Health Committee of the Medical Society of HKU. His passion for promoting health consciousness and addressing health disparities led him to actively serve in various humanitarian and community service groups throughout his academic journey. He is particularly committed to delivering health education workshops for ethnic minority groups in Hong Kong. This unique commitment deepened his understanding of the health challenges faced by marginalised communities.
Recognising the importance of both top-down policy approaches and community-driven efforts in public health, Kelvin is determined to make a difference from the bottom-up. He firmly believes that students of HKUMed can contribute to the protection and improvement of health for all. “I am confident that by fostering compassion and sociocultural sensitivity, our services will continue to better the overall wellbeing of our community,” he expressed.
Adrian Pang, Year 2 BASc(GHD) student, participated in the Laidlaw Conference 2023 “Conversations: The Art of Transformative Dialogue”. The conference was hosted by Trinity College Dublin and University of Toronto on October 20 – 23, 2023.
The event was attended by 400 scholars from 17 universities worldwide, with conference sessions in Trinity College Dublin and University of Toronto. Adrian took part in the poster presentation session with research titled “Menstrual cycle phase and biomechanics in female footballers: a pilot study”. “Meeting other scholars allowed us to learn about their research and leadership projects, and exchange ideas about leadership in a complex and globalized environment,” he said.
Adrian also had the opportunities to learn from speakers of diverse backgrounds, such as Clover Hogan, climate activist and founding Executive Director of Force of Nature; HKU senior leadership team; members of the Laidlaw Foundation; and Oxford Character Project staff etc.
The experience was eye-opening and unique. “I have built many new relationships during the conference, and I look forward to the second summer when my Leadership-in-action project will be completed!”
Adrian is among the 25 scholars chosen for the distinguished Laidlaw Scholars Programme in HKU in 2023. This programme supports undergraduate students in conducting research projects and applying their leadership skills to address real-world problems as well as working with disadvantaged communities over two consecutive summers.
EVENT SNIPPETS |
SPH Members in Action
From Knowledge Exchange to Leisure
On November 12-15, 2023, the School of Public Health participated in the American Public Health Association (APHA) Expo, the largest annual gathering of public health professionals, in Atlanta, US. The School sent a delegation led by Dr Wendy Lam, Associate Professor and Head of Division of Behavioural Sciences, to join the peers of international schools and programmes accredited by the USA’s Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Dr Lam, together with Honorary Professors Keiji Fukuda and Richard Fielding, were excited to reunite with old friends, make new connections and celebrate the progress in advancing health through science and advocacy.
The School of Public Health took part in the HKU Information Day for UG Admissions on October 28, 2023. SPH Faculty, staff and student helpers shared information on the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Global Health and Development [BASc(GHD)] Programme to prospective students and their parents. The admissions talk was well-received with standing-room only, and we had the honour to have Professor CS Lau, Dean of the LKS Faculty of Medicine speak to our audience.
Dialogues with Professor Dame Sally Davies
On October 25, the School welcomed Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University, to the School of Public Health (SPH). Our BASc(GHD), MPH and RPg students were privileged to learn from Dame Sally her personal experience and inspiring insights on topics such as AMR and agenda setting in Global Health.
Prior to this enlightening event, Professor Dame Sally Davies delivered a captivating presentation titled “Saving our planet from the grand pandemic of AMR” as part of the Inaugural Gabriel Leung Lecture on October 24, 2023.
On October 16, 2023, students from BASc(GHD) , MPH, MPhil/PhD attended Career Skills Development Day organised by HKU Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS). Students seized the opportunity to enhance their employability and job readiness through three workshops: Your role in a group: Communication; Teamwork & Leadership, Workplace & Intercultural Communication; as well as The Art of Job Offers Evaluation, Workplace Etiquette and Communication.
SPH Hiking organizers arranged an autumn hike to Lai Chi Wo on October 14, 2023. The participants explored the breath-taking scenery and enjoyed Hakka cuisine. The event concluded in laughter!
More than 20 students and staff of SPH welcomed Charlotte, the Therapy Dog on October 31, 2023. Her owner, Dr Wendy Lam, Associate Professor and Head of Division of Behavioural Sciences, explained how Therapy Dog is trained, and how Charlotte helps reduce stress in children with special education needs, while enhancing their attention and engagement.
CALENDAR |
Mark Your Diary
Join SPH Events
| SPH 20th Anniversary | |
| Date/Period | Events |
| December 4, 2023 | Lecture by Dr Victor Dzau, President of National Academy of Medicine, USA |
| January 19, 2024 | MPH Alumni Sharing |
| January 27, 2024 | Public Health Forum 2024 |
Follow our webpage and social media to stay tuned!