BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Kyaw Linn is an Associate Professor, senior consultant pediatrician and consultant pediatric neurologist at Yangon Children's Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar and he is the first pediatric neurologist in Myanmar. He graduated from University of Medicine, Yangon, Myanmar in 1993 and received MRCPCH from UK in 2000 and he was elected as a fellow of Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (FRCPCH-UK) in 2013.

He is currently the General Secretary of Myanmar Pediatric Society, General Secretary of Myanmar Epilepsy Chapter and also an examiner of MRCPCH (UK) clinical examination.

He talked about different pediatric neurology topics in international conferences and meetings.

He is currently doing research on children with encephalitis and also on "viral and host determinants of neurocognitive functions in children with vertically transmitted HIV infection".

His main interests are epilepsy and CNS infections.

Research interests: tropical pediatrics, epilepsy, central nervous system infections, meningitis, encephalitis

BIOGRAPHY

MD

Dr. Suwat Benjaponpitak is a Clinical Professor, senior consultant specialist in paediatric allergy, clinical immunology and rheumatology at Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand.  He graduated from the Prince of Songkla University, Songkla Thailand in 1985 and had received fellowship trainings from Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand and Stanford University, California USA and was elected as a Fellow of both Stanford and Mahidol Universities in 1998 for Paediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology.  He talked about different paediatric allergic and immunologic topics in international conferences and meetings.

Research interests:  Aeroallergen and paediatric asthma, allergic diseases with multiple sclerosis, allergen immunotherapy, recurrent wheezing, bronchial hyper-responsiveness

Professional Organizations
1985 – present: Member of Medical Council of Thailand
1991 – present: Member of Pediatric Society of Thailand
1991 – present: Member of the Royal College of Pediatricians of Thailand
1996 – present: Member of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Association of Thailand
2000 – 2007: Chairman of The Scientific Committee of The Allergy and Immunology Society of Thailand
2002 – 2004: International Program Committee of the World Asthma Meeting 2004
2003 – 2013: GLORIA Local expert of the World Allergy Organization
2004 – 2007: International Program Committee of the World Allergy Congress 2007
2007 – 2010: Vice president of The Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Society of Thailand
2008 – 2015: Associate Dean of education, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
2010 – 2012: President of The Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Society of Thailand
2010 – present: Board of Directors of The Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI)
2011 – 2012: Regional Advisory Committee of WAO International Scientific Conference 2012 in Hyderabad, India
2012 – 2013: President of The Asia Pacific Pediatric Allergy, Respirology, and Immunology Congress 2013 (APAPARI 2013), Bangkok, Thailand
2014 – present: Council Member of Asian Society of Pediatric Research (ASPR)
2014 – present: Board of Directors, World Allergy Organization (WAO)
2014 – 2015:  Scientific Committee of the World Allergy Congress 2015 in Seoul, South Korea
2015 – present: Executive Committee of South East Asian Regional Association for Medical Education (SEARAME)
2016 – present: Vice President for Education, Mahidol University
2016 – Acting Dean College of Management, Mahidol University

BIOGRAPHY

MD, MS, PhD (Seoul National University)

Prof. Sei-won Yang is a Professor, senior consultant specialist in Paediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism and Clinical Genetics at Seoul National University, Seoul Korea.  He graduated from Seoul National University, Seoul Korea in 1978 and had received postgraduate study in Seoul National University and got his PhD degree in 1988.  Prof. Yang worked as visiting assistant professor in Paediatric Endocrinology in the University of South Florida, Florida U.S.A from 1989-1991 and worked as visiting Professor in the University of Kansa Medical Genetics, Kansas U.S.A. in 1996.  He talked about different topics of paediatric endocrinology, metabolism and clinical genetics in international conferences and meetings.

Research interests: Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, Genetics

BIOGRAPHY

Yoichi Matsubara, MD is currently Director of Research Institute at National Center for Child Health and Development (Tokyo) and Professor Emeritus of Tohoku University School of Medicine (Sendai, Japan). Matsubara graduated from Tohoku University School of Medicine in 1979 with a MD degree. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Kanagawa Children's Medical Center and at Tohoku University Hospital. He received postdoctoral training at New York State Institute of Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and Department of Human Genetics at Yale University.

Matsubara served as professor of medical genetics at Tohoku University from 2000 to 2013. He also served as President of International Federation of Human Genetics Societies (2008-2012). Currently he is President of the Japan Society of Human Genetics (2015-).

Research interests: He has conducted research on various rare genetic diseases, including medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency and Rasopathies, for more than three decades. He has been leading a nation-wide research project on rare diseases, Initiative on Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases in Pediatrics (IRUD-P).

BIOGRAPHY

MD (TMDU, magna cum laude), PhD (TMDU)

Prof. Tomohiro Morio graduated from Tokyo Medical & Dental University (TMDU) in 1983. After graduation from TMDU Graduate School, he joined the Division of Immunology of Boston Children’s Hospital in 1991 as a research fellow and then as an instructor from 1994. After returning back to Japan, Prof. Morio has been focusing on basic research and clinical care in the field of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PIDs). He currently serves as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Director of Centre for Cell Therapy, and Dean of Faculty of Medicine at TMDU.

His team has been working on deconstructing the pathogenesis of PIDs, especially focusing on the molecular basis of antibody deficiency and of PIDs that are prone to develop malignancy. His team is also leading in the clinical field, with the largest number of PID patients and hematopoietic cell transplantation cases in Japan.

Research interests:
1. Understanding of molecular and cellular basis of primary immunodeficiency
2. Research on genetic instability and DNA damage response defects in pediatric malignancy
3. Development of novel cell-based therapy for opportunistic infection

Recent topics of research include the characterization of signals that control survival and differentiation of dendritic cells, and of signals that govern development of B cells. This research project focuses on novel gene products that they have recently identified as responsible for these processes (data unpublished). They are also endeavoring to develop novel technologies to detect multiple pathogens, and new systems to detect gene mutations in rare cell populations.

Honors:
1994 - Allen and Hunburys Respiratory Diseases Award (AAAAI)
1994 - Lucille P. Markey Physician-Scientist Award
2013 - TMDU Award for Excellence in Research

Societies:
American Association of Immunologists
European Society of Immunodeficiency
Japanese Society of Clinical Immunology -    Vice President
Japanese Society of Primary Immunodeficiency - Councilor
Japanese Society of Regenerative Medicine - Councilor
Japanese Society of Hematology - Board member
Japanese Society of Pediatrics - Board member

Specialties:
Pediatric hematology, oncology, and immunology
Regenerative medicine and cell therapy

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Sullivan was trained at UCSF and Johns Hopkins and has been with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia since 1993. She is currently the Division Chief of Allergy Immunology, overseeing one of the largest North American clinics for primary immune deficiency. She is the past president of the Clinical Immunology Society and has served in the Basic and Clinical Immunology Committee of the AAAAI and the AAAAI Board. She is also in the steering committee of the USIDNET, the North American registry of patients with primary immune deficiencies.

Research interests: Her basic science research interests include understanding inflammation and the mechanism of regulating gene expression in inflammatory diseases. Her clinical interests include the study of patients with DiGeorge syndrome/Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and understanding the variables related to outcomes of patients with primary immune deficiencies.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Dr. Cheng-Lung Ku received a PhD degree in Immunology from the Paris-Descartes University, France. During his PhD training, he made a series of findings in human immunity against pyogenic bacterial infection, including the description of the first series of patients with IRAK-4 deficiency and the discovery of MyD88 deficiency. After establishing his lab in Taiwan, he has focused on the disorders of anti-interferon-γ (IFN-γ) autoantibodies in humans with mycobacterial infection. He made important contributions to the field with his discovery of the high prevalence of anti-interferon-γ autoantibody disease in the local population. In particular, he discovered that the production of anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies is strongly associated with genetic factors, namely human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules. Additionally. they proposed that the production of these autoantibodies is triggered by the exposure to Noc2 protein from Aspergillosis through the molecular mimicry. They generated an epitope-erased variant of IFN-γ (EE-IFN-γ), which can activate the IFN-γR downstream signaling pathway ex vivo, irrespectively of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies, raising the possibility of developing novel therapeutic approaches treating mycobacterial infected patients with anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies. These finding have high impacts in the field and were highlight by the Editorial of high significant journals, Nature Medicine and Blood. Dr. Cheng-Lung Ku recently (2016) received two important awards of "Ta-You Wu Memorial Award for Young Investigator" from Ministry of Science and Technology (Taiwan) and "Outstanding Immunology Scholar Award" from The Chinese Society of Immunology (Taiwan).

Currently, new molecular biology tools are be developed in his laboratory for digging out the pathogenesis of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies and he broadens lab's focus to other anticytokines autoantibodies. In the other hand, Dr. Cheng-Lung Ku is also interested to understand the role of genetic factor in the children with severe enterovirus infection.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, Dr. med

Hans D. Ochs, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital, is co-director of the Immunodeficiency Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. He earned his MD summa cum laude from the University of Freiburg, Germany in 1961. After a post-doctoral fellowship in Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen, he completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in Immunology at the University of Washington.

Dr. Ochs started the Immunodeficiency Clinic in 1985 at Seattle Children's Hospital, providing evaluation and care for both pediatric and adult patients with immunodeficiency disorders. He has initiated clinical trials for new immunoglobulin preparations for intravenous and subcutaneous infusions and has collaborated with the bone marrow transplant team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in the design of new protocols for hematopoietic stem cell transplant and gene therapy. Dr. Ochs has been the founding principal investigator for the U.S. Immune Deficiency Network (USIDnet) and co-founder and member of the summer school faculty devoted to primary immune deficiencies. He is also principal editor for the medical textbook Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases: A Molecular and Genetic Approach, now in its 3rd edition and co-editor for Stiehm's Immunological Disorders in Infants and Children. Together with Amos Etzioni, he edited the recently published text "Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders: a Historic and Scientific Perspective.

Research Interest: Dr. Ochs' research focuses on the molecular basis of Primary Immune Deficiency Diseases with special interest in the genes that have been linked to the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome, Hyper IgM syndromes, X-linked Agammaglobulinemia, IPEX syndrome, autosomal recessive Hyper IgE syndrome. To improve the long-term outcome of these disorders, he has actively participated in clinical trials to develop immunoglobulin replacement, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and gene therapy.

BIOGRAPHY

Reinhard A. Seger, an Emeritus Professor, served as professor of Paediatric Immunology/BMT at the University Children's Hospital Zürich, Switzerland from 1989 to 2012. Seger received his postgraduate training and MSc degree in UK and completed his residency in Paediatrics at University Children's Hospital Würzburg (DE) + Zürich (CH). Prof. Seger got his fellowships from Hôpital Enfants Malades, Paris (F) + Duke Univ. Med. School (USA) in 1983-84. He worked as Paediatric Immunologist in the University Children's Hospital Zürich from 1985-1989.

Prof. Seger took his Sabbatical from 2002-03 to work in Unite Immunologie at Hôpital Enfants Malades, Paris (F). His research focuses on submyeloablative HSCT strategies and on HSC gene therapy for chronic granulomatous disease. He also teaches paediatric immunology in two Children's Hospitals in Cambodia and in PID training courses in SE-Asia.

Research Interests: Primary immunodeficencies (PID), Defects of innate immunity, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS (Malaya), MRCP (UK), FRCP (Edin), FRCPCH, FAMM, M.D. (Malaya), FAMS (Hons), FASc.

Professor Lee Way Seah is the professor in paediatrics and senior consultant paediatric gastroenterologist and hepatologist at University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Professor Lee graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. He was trained in paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children in London and Diana, Princess of Wales Children Hospital in Birmingham, England. Professor Lee joined the Department of Paediatrics, University Malaya as a lecturer in 1996. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1999 and made a Professor in 2006. He was appointed as the head of department from July 2011.

To date, Prof Lee has supervised eight Malaysian and international fellows in paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology. He is an examiner for MRCPCH clinical examination in the Kuala Lumpur center as well as Master of Paediatrics clinical examination. Prof Lee has been invited as external examiner for undergraduate examination to several local universities as well as the licentiate examination in Hong Kong.

Professor Lee is the immediate-past President of College of Paediatrics, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia. He is also a Commonwealth Scholar and a Fulbright Scholar. He was the Head of Department of Paediatrics from 2011 to July 2016. In April 2016, Professor Lee was elected as a fellow of the Academy of Sciences of Malaysia, becoming the second paediatrician in Malaysia to be elected to this prestigious academy.

Research interests: Professor Lee has more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals, and presented more than 80 abstracts in both local and international scientific meetings. His current research interests include epidemiology, pathogenesis and microbiome of childhood inflammatory bowel diseases, stool microbiota, epidemiology and economic impact of childhood rotavirus infection

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Mulyadi M. Djer, MD, is a Professor in Pediatric Cardiology at the Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia/Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. He obtained his primary medical qualification from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia in 1989. After finishing his paediatric training in the same institution, he did a fellowship training in Interventional Pediatric Cardiology at Institut Jantung Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2002. He has attended numerous international meetings worldwide as an invited speaker. He has published many research papers, particularly in the field of paediatric cardiology intervention, in national was well as international journals. He currently also serves as the Principal Leader of Research Task Force and Paediatric Cardiology Coordinating Working Group of the Indonesian Pediatric Society.

Research interests: Paediatric Cardiology Intervention, General Paediatric Cardiology

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS, FCPS

Dr. Mahbubul Hoque is a Professor of Neonatology at Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital (DSH) and Bangladesh Institute of Child Health (BICH). After MBBS graduation in 1987, Prof. Hoque worked as a Medical Officer in DSH and had post-graduation FCPS, Pediatrics in 1996. In 2001, he worked as Resident Medical Officer at Billasmar General Hospital, Abha under Health Ministry, KSA and later as a Registrar of Neonatology at Dhaka Shishu Hospital (which is the largest pediatric hospital in Bangladesh with 650 bedded tertiary care).

Dr. Hoque was promoted as Professor in 2014. He had special trainings in Advanced Life Support, Supervisory Skill Course in Acute Respiratory Infections and in a six-month International Training Program on ‘Child Survival Reaching the Target’ and was trained in TOT in the Regional Training Workshop on APLS and NLS. Prof Hoque is a National Master Trainer of different training programs of Bangladesh Government like ETAT, IMCI, KMC.

Prof. Hoque is a reviewer of national and international journals who also holds different positions in various professional bodies, such as Immediate Past Secretary General of Bangladesh Neonatal Forum (BNF), Vice-President of Bangladesh Paediatric Association (BPA), Council Member of Asian Society for Paediatric Research (ASPR), Executive Member of Asia Pacific Society for Immunodeficiencies (APSID) and Member of National Advisory Committee for PPTCT of AIDS/STD in Bangladesh.

Prof. Dr. Hoque attends multiple workshops at home and abroad and he has multiple publications in national and international journals. He has participated in the formation of “National Neonatal Health Strategy and Guideline” and acted as a Core member and Editor in the development of the Training module and Handbook of Community-based Newborn care, “Essential Newborn Care - A Guide for Practice”, both in English and Bengali.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Prof. Tahmeed Ahmed is a Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University and an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle. He is Senior Director and Senior Scientist of the Nutrition and Clinical Services Division of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangadesh (icddr,b). He is a clinician with a PhD and has, for the last 30 years, been working on the treatment and public health measures for malnutrition, childhood tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases. While he was a student of Mymensingh Medical College, Prof. Ahmed was an active member and President of the national committee of Sandhani, a voluntary service organization of medical students.

Prof. Ahmed was the Chair of the sub-committee formed by the Government of Bangladesh to draft the National Nutrition Policy of Bangladesh and was actively involved in the development of national guidelines for management of childhood malnutrition as well as tuberculosis in Bangladesh. He also worked with WHO in revising the global guidelines on management of childhood malnutrition and was a member of the writing team for the Lancet series on maternal and child under nutrition published in 2008 and also in 2013. He completed the large World Bank-supported, multi-country project known as Mainstreaming Nutrition Initiative. Prof. Ahmed led the community-based project on diagnosis and treatment of children with TB under which 153,000 children in two rural sub-districts of Bangladesh were screened for TB. Prof. Ahmed was elected as President (2011-2013) of the Commonwealth Association for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (CAPGAN), an association of professionals from the 54 Commonwealth nations.

Research interests:
Prof. Ahmed developed a treatment protocol for management of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and diarrheal diseases, the implementation of which resulted in a 50% reduction in case fatality among children admitted to the hospital with SAM. The team led by Prof. Ahmed has recently developed diets from locally available food ingredients for preventing and treating acute malnutrition in children. He works closely with WHO, UNICEF and the International Atomic Energy Agency in research and training on nutrition. As a prolific author, he has more than 200 papers published in international journals and books.

Currently he is the Bangladesh site principal investigator of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-supported, multi-country Malnutrition-Enteric Diseases (Mal-ED) Project. This study is investigating the association between malnutrition, enteric diseases and cognitive development. His study of microbiota in acute malnutrition has been published in Nature. He has also investigated the microbiome in patients with cholera, results of which have also been published in Nature. He is also working intimately on stunting and environmental enteropathy and leads the Bangladesh Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (BEED) study.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, FAMS, FIAP, DNB, DCH(London)

Dr. Rajeshwar Dayal is presently working as the Professor & Head, Department of Paediatrics at the S.N.Medical College in Agra, India. He graduated with MBBS in 1978,obtained his MD in 1983 from Agra University, Agra, the Diplomate of National Board(DNB) in 1985 and DCH from the Royal College of Physicians,U.K. in 1991. He subsequently trained in neonatology and infectious diseases in the UK.

He has been decorated with numerous State, National as well as International awards for his exceptional contributions, research and publications in the field of paediatrics. He was awarded the coveted Fellowships of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics(FIAP) in 1994 and the National Academy of Medical Sciences(FAMS) in 2008. Dr. Dayal has also served as the National Vice President of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (2011). On July 1st 2016, the Honourable President of India conferred the highest medical award of the Medical Council of India, namely the Dr. B.C.Roy National Award.

He is currently an Elected Member of the Standing Committees of (i) Asian Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases for the seventh consecutive time (2002-2018) and (ii) International Society of Tropical Pediatrics (2002-2017) for the fifth time.

Dr. Dayal has 83 publications in foreign and national journals including 20 chapters in various textbooks including the prestigious ‘Red Book’ of American Academy of Pediatrics.

Over the years, he has made more than 40 oral scientific presentations at International conferences abroad. He was invited as Visiting professor at the University of Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and University of Philippines, Manila in 2003 and 2006 respectively.

Research Interests: Leprosy in children, Childhood tuberculosis, Neonatal sepsis, Seizure Disorder, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Liver Disease in Children.

BIOGRAPHY

Theresa Cole is a paediatric immunologist at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. She trained in the UK, in paediatric immunology & infectious diseases. She has extensive experience of haematopoietic stem cell transplant for primary immunodeficiency and undertook a PhD in the clinical and psychological outcomes of conservative management versus stem cell transplant for chronic granulomatous disease. She is currently the lead immunologist for stem cell transplant in primary immunodeficiency at RCH, Melbourne. She is chair of the Transplant and Primary Immunodeficiency Project (TAPID), an Australia wide initiative to promote sharing of information and experience in HSCT for primary immunodeficiency across centres. Theresa is a member of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and a member of the Australia and New Zealand Children's Haematology and Oncology Group BMT subgroup. She is involved in both the Australian Genomics Health Alliance and Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance Immunology flagships, working on the use of whole exome and whole genome sequencing in clinical practice for primary immunodeficiency. She has published on HSCT outcomes for children with a range of primary immunodeficiencies and infections in the immunocompromised.

BIOGRAPHY

MD; DCH (Lon.); FRCP (Lon.); FRCPCH (Lon.); FAMS

Am currently working as a Professor of Pediatrics and heading the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit at the Advanced Pediatrics Center in PGI, Chandigarh, India. Am also the Principal Investigator for Centre for Advanced Research in Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research, PGI Chandigarh.

Awarded James Flett Endowment Prize and Gold Medal (1985) by Indian Academy of Pediatrics; Zydus Oration (2003) and IRA Oration (2010) by Indian Rheumatology Association; Von Pirquet Oration (2003) and V. Raju Gold Medal (2004) by Indian College of Allergy and Applied Immunology; Chaturvedi Kalawati Jagmohan Das Memorial Awards (2009 and 2011) by Indian Council of Medical Research.

Delivered the Dr. P.R. Dange Orations, Nagpur (2005 and 2015); Dr. Tirumala Rao Memorial Oration, Vishakhapatnam (2008); Dr. H.K. Gaur Oration, Surat (2011); Dr. K.C. Chaudhuri Oration, Kolkata (2013); Dr. Sisir Kumar Bose Oration at Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Institute of Child Health, Kolkata, 2016; Balu Athreya Oration of Pediatric Rheumatology Society, Bangalore, 2016; Roland Levinsky Memorial Lecture, Hong Kong Society for Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hong Kong, 2016.

Convener of National Immunization Committee of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (2003-04); President of Pediatric Rheumatology Society of India (2005-2006); Member of Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices, IAP, 2013-2014; President of Indian Society for Primary Immune Deficiency (ISPID): 2013-2014; Hony. Secretary, Asian Pacific Society for Immunodeficiencies (2016-2017).

BIOGRAPHY

M.Med, Ph.D.

Dr. Yang received his medical education in China and research training in the US, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a PhD in pharmacology and bioinformatics. He then did his postdoctoral training in Medical University of South Carolina before moving to the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong.

Research Interests: His research focuses on genetic studies of complex diseases such as SLE using GWAS and of molecular diagnosis of single gene disorders and population genetic screening using whole exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS), and on developing bioinformatics tools to improve analysis of omics data. He is the author of more than 70 SCI publications.

BIOGRAPHY

Donald B. Kohn, M.D. is a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics (MIMG); Pediatric (Hematology/Oncology); and Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is a board-certified pediatrician with 30 years of experience in clinical bone marrow transplantation. Dr. Kohn’s principle area of research is the development and application of methods for gene therapy of blood cell diseases, such as Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) and Sickle Cell Disease using autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). His lab has investigated methods for optimal gene delivery and expression and, more recently, for direct gene editing with human HSC. He is the Sponsor of six investigator-initiated INDs for clinical trials of autologous transplant/gene therapy for genetic diseases and pediatric HIV/AIDS. Dr. Kohn is a past-President of ASGCT (2004) and the Clinical Immunology Society (2014); and was a member (and Chair) of the NIH OBA RAC (2010-2015).

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS (HK), MD(HK), FHKAM(Paed), FHKPaed, FRCPCH, FRCP (Lond, Edin, Glasg), DCH (Lond)

Dr CB Chow is Honorary Clinical Professor of the Department of Paediatrics, The University of Hong Kong, Adjunct Associate Professor of the Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also Honorary Consultant of the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre (HAIDC) at Princess Margaret Hospital and Honorary Consultant Paediatrician at Princess Margaret Hospital. He is the Founding President of The Hong Kong Society of Neonatal Medicine and Inborn Error of Metabolism. He serves on various boards in the community including Chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Chairman of National Verification Committee for Measles Elimination in Hong Kong, Member of Steering Committee on non-communicable diseases, Working Group on Alcohol and Injury Prevention, Task force on code on breast milk substitute, Department of Health. Dr Chow is also Chairman Playright Children’s Play Association, Hong Kong Childhood Injury Prevention and Research, Vice-chairman of Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Right. He is also Director of Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan Safe Community and Healthy City Associations and has been involved in community safety and health promotion at community level. He also pioneered the Comprehensive Child Development Service for high risk pregnancies in Kowloon West Cluster and started a QK Blog project for high risk secondary school students and a GIS injury surveillance system at Kwai Tsing District.

Dr Chow has authored over 150 original articles, abstracts and chapters in books on paediatrics and infectious diseases. He has actively promoted various research works including childhood injury surveillance and intervention, adolescent health, early child development and child abuse, obesity and physical activity; intra-uterine growth in Chinese infants, physical health status of new immigrant children from mainland China, growth parameters in Down syndrome children; safe community and healthy city, child policy and play.

Awards:
Outstanding staff, Hospital Authority 2001
Bronze Bauhinia Star, Hong Kong SAR, China 2003
Justice of Peace 2009
The Asian Outstanding Paediatrician Award 2009

BIOGRAPHY

MD, FPPS, M.A.

Dr. Genesis C. Rivera is Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Humanities at the College of Medicine of New Era University, Quezon City, Philippines and concurrently the Executive Director of the Center for Medical and Allied Health Sciences of the same university. He was president of the Philippine Pediatric Society from 2010 to 2012. Dr. Rivera served as the Department Manager for Training and Research at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center and Head of the Poison Center at the Dr. Fe del Mundo Medical Center. He authored the chapter on Childhood Poisoning for the three editions of the Philippine Textbook of Pediatrics and Child Health as well as the Philippine Pediatric Society Handbook on Childhood Poisoning. He was a former faculty member at Far Eastern University Institute of Medicine and St. Luke’s College of Medicine.

Aside from his medical degree, Dr. Rivera holds degrees in piano and choral conducting from the University of the Philippines College of Music. He is still presently active as church organist, choral conductor and organ mentor. His current interest is the role of medical humanities in medical education and its importance in developing empathy and compassion among future doctors and health workers.

BIOGRAPHY

Professor Tzou-Yien Lin is the Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at the Chang Gung University Medical College and Emeritus Superintendent of Chang Gung Children’s Medical Center. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors at National Health Research Institutes.

After receiving his medical degree from the Taipei Medical College, Professor Lin undertook fellowships in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the State University of New York, Buffalo, and the University of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas, USA.

He had served as the Minister of Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2016 to 2017. President of the Taiwan Pediatric Association from 2005 to 2008, and President of the Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan from 2009 to 2012.

Professor Lin’s main research interests include the safety and immunogenicity of pediatric vaccines, and diagnosis and molecular characterization of pediatric infectious diseases. He has published over 350 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal, Vaccine, The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine.

When Professor Lin was the minister of Ministry of Health and Welfare, he was devoted to Holistic Health System aiming to promote the health and well-being of the people in Taiwan. In order to cope with the aging population, he also promoted the “10 Year- Long-Term Care Plan 2.0” to establish a high quality, affordable, and universal long term health care system which provides diversified and continuous services through family support, community, and institutional care for the local aging population. On the other hand, Professor Lin also pays much attention to children’s healthcare, especially the critical care. He had issued the policies to raise the subsidies for both pediatric clinical and critical care, make sure that there is at least one hospital provides pediatric emergency care in every village and town in Taiwan, and prompt every city government to establish the protection network for children and youths.

Professor Lin has dedicated his whole life to the medical care in Taiwan, and strongly believes that when it comes to medical care, “No one should be left behind.”

BIOGRAPHY

MD, MSc

Dr Samira Aboubaker, Senior Medical Officer, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Development, World Health Organization

Dr Samira Aboubaker is a specialist in international public health working in the World Health Organization's Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development as a senior medical officer.

She is trained in medicine, paediatrics and health systems management. Her expertise is in the areas of newborn, child and adolescent health as well as health systems.

With over 25 years of experience in public health and working at all levels of the health system in different regions and interacting with a wide range of stakeholders from decision makers to academicians and grassroot health workers, Dr Aboubaker has made country action and translation of evidence into action her principal area of focus. As a result she has led the development of a number of key newborn and child health training tools, guidelines and strategies in support of country actions and has supported countries in their application. Her most recent work includes the development and application of the WHO publications Global Action Plan for the Control of Diarrhoea and Pneumonia, Caring for Newborns and Children in the Community and Guideline on Managing Serious Bacterial Infection in Young Infants When Referral is Not Feasible. She co-cordinates the implementation research on an innovative approach to jump-start simplified management of sick young infants with possible serious bacterial infection where referral is not feasible for potential scale up which is currently being implemented in a few countries.

During her career, Dr Aboubaker has gained extensive experience and understanding of country needs and what it takes to make a difference from strategy development to supporting countries translate scientific knowledge into action, working hand in hand with decision makers, programme implementers, the scientific community and other stakeholders at all levels. Her work includes supporting countries to strengthen human resource development through in-service and pre-service training, improving the quality of newborn and child care at the community, primary and referral levels, improving health systems and supporting countries fulfil the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’ Health (2016-2030) objectives of Survive, Thrive and Transform and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Dr Angela GARCIA-CAZORLA is Pediatric Neurologist and Principal Investigator of the Synaptic Metabolism Laboratory in Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (HSJD), and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Barcelona (UB), Spain. She received her MD from the UB and obtained a Pediatrics degree and a PhD (European Doctorate in the field of Inborn Errors of Metabolism: IEM) at the “Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona”. She did her predoctoral training in IEM at Hôpital Necker, Paris, and a postdoctoral research fellowship in the department of Neurology at Columbia University, New York. Currently, she coordinates the Neurometabolic Unit at HSJD and develops translational research in the field of inborn errors of neurotransmitters and mechanisms of synaptic communication in neurometabolic and rare neurogenetic diseases (www.connectingthegrowingbrain.com). She has been granted with more than 20 grants in metabolic and neurotransmitter disorders, is a co-founder of the international network for the study of neurotransmitters I-NTD (www.intd-online.org) and a member of the scientific committee of the Recordati Rare Diseases Foundation (www.rrd-foundation.org/). Over the years she has contributed to neuropediatrics and neurometabolism with more than 130 publications (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=garcia+cazorla).

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Mei-Hwei Chang earned her M.D. degree at the College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU). She received pediatric gastroenterology research fellowship training at UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, U.S.A. She then established the pioneer fellowship training program of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition in Asia.

Internationally, she has been the president of the Federation of International Societiesof Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition from 2008 to 2012, leading the five member societies in the world. She was also the president of the Asian-Pan Pacific Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

She successfully demonstrated that universal HBV vaccination program in Taiwan indeed reduced approximately 70% of the incidence of liver cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Her study proves HBV vaccine as the first cancer preventive vaccine in human. She has been devoted in promoting the concept of cancer preventive vaccine, through her more than 400 original and review articles.

Biliary atresia is the leading cause of liver death and liver transplantation in children. Children with biliary atresia should be operated urgently, otherwise the outcome is very poor. She established the world first universal stool color card screening program for biliary atresia in Taiwan. This program has enhanced the early diagnosis and treatment of biliary atresia and improved the outcome of the children.

She has received many international academic award and honors, such as ISI Citation Classic Award, Sheila Sherlock Award of the International Association for the Study of the Liver, Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award, Canadian Association for the Study of Liver/Canadian Liver Foundation Sass-Kortsak Award, etc.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Chin-Pang Chow is a Senior Medical and Health Officer of Tuen Mun Child Assessment Centre, Child Assessment Service, Department of Health, Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 2002 and received MRCPCH from UK in 2006. He was elected as a Fellow of Hong Kong College of Paediatricians and Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 2009. He got the Diploma of Practical Dermatology from Cardiff University in 2010 and is a Fellow of Developmental Behavioural Paediatric subspecialty since 2016.

Research interests: His main interests are childhood physical impairment conditions -e.g. cerebral palsy.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Lee Bee Wah is an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore. She is a Paediatrician specializing in clinical paediatric immunology and allergy at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre and Visiting Senior Consultant Paediatrician at the Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore.

She was a member of the Board of Directors of the World Allergy Organization from 2005-2009, Past President of the Asia Pacific Association of Pediatric Allergy Respirology and Immunology (APAPARI ) (2006-2008), and Past President of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society (Singapore) (2012-2013). She is also a member of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and a corresponding fellow of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, Allergy and Immunology. She is the past President of the College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Singapore (2007-2009), and a member of the Expert Committee on Immunization, Ministry of Health, Singapore. Her key research interests include paediatric allergic diseases including food allergy, the role of probiotics and stool microbiota in allergic diseases, epidemiology of allergic diseases, and childhood vaccines. She has published over 200 research articles in peer reviewed journals.

BIOGRAPHY

M.D., Ph.D

Dr. Alexander Rotenberg is Associate Professor of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Boston Children’s Hospital Neuromodulation Program.

His laboratory's major focus is on the development of novel methods to treat brain injury, particularly the type of brain injury that leads to epilepsy. Dr. Rotenberg and his team work to identify biological targets which can stop or prevent seizures if manipulated by either brain stimulation or by novel drugs that we are testing in our lab. They have adapted methods for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to rodents, to in vitro brain slice preparations, and more recently to zebrafish (an emerging experimental tool in epilepsy). TMS and tDCS have in common the capacity to safely induce durable changes in neuronal activity. Limited experience with human patients, including those treated at Boston Children's Hospital, shows that TMS and tDCS have realistic prospects in suppressing seizures. Yet whether these techniques can prevent the onset of epilepsy after various forms of brain injury has not been tested. To characterize the cellular mechanisms by which TMS and tDCS exert their effect, and ultimately to optimize their clinical efficacy, we are testing these techniques in rodent epilepsy models, including models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). To determine how best to match the cellular changes induced by noninvasive brain stimulation those of brain injury and epilepsy, the Rotenberg Lab is also studying the molecular changes associated with TBI in rats. A second major focus has grown out of this work: testing novel pharmaceutical approaches to prevent brain injury and seizures after TBI. In parallel to our laboratory experiments, the Rotenberg Lab also runs clinical projects aimed to further develop techniques for noninvasive brain stimulation, particularly TMS and tDCS, as diagnostic and therapeutic tools in child neurology. Dr. Rotenberg is the recipient of the 2016 Dreifuss-Penry Epilepsy Award from the American Academy of Neurology.

BIOGRAPHY

Prof. Kunling Shen, female, pediatric consultant, PhD of Pediatrics, professor of Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University. She is the Head of National Clinical Research Center for respiratory system diseases, the former President of Chinese Pediatric Society of Chinese Medical Association, Chairman of sub-society of Pediatric Pulmonology of Chinese Pediatric Society, and the vice President of Pediatric Institute, Capital Medical University. She is also the Standing committee member of International Pediatric Association and the Standing committee member of Asian Pediatric Association.

Prof Shen got her bachelor degree in the major of medicine and pediatrics in Capital Medical University in 1982, and then got her PhD degree majored in pediatrics and virology in 1993. She has been working in Beijing Children's Hospital and specialized in respiratory, virology and sleep medicine ever since then. She was a WHO clinical fellow in Department of Respiratory Medicine in New Children's Hospital of Australia in 1998 and a visiting scholar in University of Wisconsin in USA in 2000. She has carried out numerous projects and studies in respiratory, virology and sleep medicine and published nearly one hundred papers and books in the above aspects. Prof Shen is the vice chief editors of Pediatric Pulmonology, Chinese Journal of Pediatrics, Chinese Medical Journal (English edition), Chinese Journal of Practical Pediatrics, Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics.

BIOGRAPHY

Mr Frederick Ho is a final year PhD candidate in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. He had extensive statistical training and teaching background before joining the department. His research focused on epidemiology of physical activity, particularly on the environmental determinant and health consequences. Mr Ho is also the coordinator and research representative in the School Physical Fitness Award Scheme – a territory-wide platform to monitor the physical fitness and health or more than 100,000 students each year. In addition to physical activity epidemiology, Mr Ho is also heavily involved in community child health research and has worked for International organisations, such as UNICEF.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS, MD, FHKAM, FHKCPaed, FAAP, FCCM

Dr Hon is a paediatric professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received undergraduate medical education at the University of Western Australia. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatricians (FAAP) and Fellow of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM). His Doctor of Medicine (MD) thesis is on the assessment of eczema. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers, books and book chapters; and his research interests include many paediatric issues. He has performed extensive research on topical emollients, antibiotic, corticosteroid, systemic immunotherapy, food avoidance and dietary supplementation, traditional Chinese medicine and bench research on eczema biomarkers, as well as many paediatric critical care issues (including SARS, respiratory infections, poisoning and injuries). Dr Hon is particularly keen to education parents to dismiss a lot of myths and fallacies that hinder good child health in common allergic diseases.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

After obtained his degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Medicine from Chongqing Medical University in 1989 and 1992 respectively, Prof. Tu worked as a paediatrician for four years in Chongqing Children’s Hospital and then obtained his PhD in immunology from the University of Hong Kong in 1999. Afterward, he completed his postdoctoral training at Stanford University in 2002, and worked at Stanford as a Research Scientist before joining the University of Hong Kong in 1996. He is now a full Professor in the Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, HKU.

One of Prof. Tu’s research interests is to understand the cellular and molecular basis for human immune responses to influenza virus and EBV, and develop novel therapeutic strategies for the control of viral infections. Recently, his group discovered a novel strategy to treat human and avian influenza diseases by using aminobisphosphonate to enhance gammadetla-T cell immunity (J Exp Med 2011). More recently, his team has further demonstrated that targeting gammadelta-T cells by pamidronate can control EBV-induced B cell lymphoproliferative disease (EBV-LPD) (Cancer Cell 2014).

Another research interest of his laboratory is to understand the basic processes that control T-cell-mediated inflammation and tolerance, and develop novel strategies to induce immune tolerance. Recently he had developed the novel ex vivo methods to generate highly efficient human antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ regulatory T cells (Treg) which have great potential for clinical use to treating graft rejection, GVHD and autoimmune diseases (Blood 2008; J Immunol 2009). More recently, they demonstrated that these ex vivo-generated human CD8 Treg can control acute GVHD without compromising general immunity and graft-versus-tumor activity in humanized mice (Sci Transl Med 2013).

The third major interest of his laboratory is to make more relevant animal models for translational medical research. Recently, they have successfully established humanized mice with a complete human immune system. Using humanized mice, they also successfully established human allogeneic GVHD model and EBV-induced tumor model recently (Sci Transl Med 2013; Cancer Cell 2014). Now his group is planning to further establish other immunological disorder models in the humanized mice.

BIOGRAPHY

Professor Yongping Zheng received the BSc and MEng in Electronics and Information Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China. He received PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in 1997. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Windsor, Canada, he joined PolyU as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Professor in 2008. He served as the Associate Director of the Research Institute of Innovative Products in PolyU from 2008 to 2010. He has been serving as the Founding Head of the Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering since 2012. Prof. Zheng’s main research interests include biomedical ultrasound instrumentation, soft tissue elasticity measurement and imaging, 3D ultrasound imaging, and wearable sensors for healthcare. He is a Senior Member of IEEE, a Fellow of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HK), Secretary Elected of World Association of Chinese Biomedical Engineers, and the Chair of Biomedical Engineering Division of HKIE. He has trained over 10 PhD and 8 MPhil students, and over 10 postdoctoral fellows, and many of them are now Professor and Associate Professors in different universities. He also owned more than 30 patents, and number of technologies invented by his team have been successfully commercialized, including Scolioscan, an ultrasound device to provide radiation-free assessment of scoliosis.

BIOGRAPHY

DN, MSc(prehospital and Emergency Care), BN, RN

Mr. Jacky Chun-kit CHAN is an emergency nurse. His research focus on the debriefing and technical issue and management in the healthcare simulation education. He had 14 full paper and abstract published in international peer reviewed medical journal and edited 3 first aid / trauma textbook.

He is full time nurse working in Accident & Emergency Training Centre, Hospital Authority Hong Kong. He working with different teaching team to design and integrate the simulation into clinical training for different specialties, for doctors and nurses, paramedics, and special units in the Hong Kong Police Force. He had 10 international and 12 local instructor qualifications such as BLS, ACLS, ACLS EP, PALS, ASLS, STAT, PHTLS, ITLS, Tactical Medicine, Ultrasound, First aid….etc. Other than teaching, he coordinates the international recognized simulation training for pediatrics included NRP, STABLE and NETS.

In addition, He is also a certified AV system engineer, he had seconded to the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and support the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, in the simulation centre design, construction, AV system and manikin connection design. His setup design included neonatal, pediatric, obstetric, adult, ICU (ECMO sim), trauma, escort, disaster and tactical medicine simulation.

Moreover, Jacky link up with China, Taiwan and Macau, to setup the Greater China Network for Simulation in Healthcare (GCSim) and elected as the Chairman for 2017-2019. He is the council advisor and founding member of the Hong Kong Society for Simulation in Healthcare (HKSSiH). And he is the international Society for Simulation in healthcare (SSH) abstract review taskforce every year since 2012, and accreditation site reviewer since 2016.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Dr. Mao is associate consultant of HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, vice chairman of Chinese society of pediatric immunology youth committee. He provides clinical service for children with primary immunodeficiency and rheumatologic diseases, and those who need stem cell transplantation. He is now working on the use of whole exome sequencing in the clinical practice for primary immunodeficiency. His research focuses on primary immunodeficiency disease and viral immunology. He is granted multiple external peer-reviewed competitive research projects, and published tens of scientific articles and chapters of books with recent years. He also received a couple of academic awards.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. LEUNG Sze-Yin Agnes has major research interest in the field of allergy and immunology, particularly on food allergy. The overarching goals of Dr. Leung’s current research are to analyze the patterns, causes, and effects of food allergy in Asia-pacific regions, in hope to providing effective preventive methods and safe treatment plans for patients with food allergic disorders. Dr. Leung was selected for the Young Investigator Awards to present research works during annual scientific conferences of Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Japanese Society of Allergology in 2015 and Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease in 2017. She was awarded Second Abstract Prize during the Hong Kong Society for Paediatric Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases conference in 2016. Dr. Leung, together with her supervisor Prof. T. F. Leung, run the Paediatric Allergy Clinic in the Prince of Wales Hospital which receives territory-wide referrals for children with all types of allergic diseases. She has been conducting ongoing research on fish allergy in the past two years. In 2016, Dr. Leung has received a research grant from the Hong Kong Institute of Allergy to conduct research on the utility of major recombinant allergens, namely parvalbumin, aldolase, enolase and tropomyosin from Ctenopharyngodon idella (鯇魚) and Larimichthys crocea (黃花魚) for IgE-mediated allergy to freshwater & seawater fishes.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr David Christopher LUNG is Associate Consultant of the Department of Clinical Pathology at Tuen Mun Hospital, and Clinical Associate Professor of the Department of Microbiology at Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong. He is Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (Medical Microbiology) and Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. His main interest is on paediatric infectious disease.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS, MD(CUHK), FRCSE, FRCS(G), FRCSED(ORTH), FACS, FHKCOS, FCSHK, FHKAM (Orthopaedic Surgery)

Professor Cheng is the current Choh-Ming Li Professor and Chairman of Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. After joining The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1983 and had served as Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sub-Dean (Medical Education) and Associate Dean (Education) of the Faculty of Medicine, University Dean of Students and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (2002-2012). He has served as member of University Grants Committee (2007-13) and lately as member of the Research Grant Council (2014-16).

Professor Cheng is a paediatric orthopaedics specialist with special research interests in the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, congenital muscular torticollis, bone mineral and bone health research and biomaterial basic science and applied studies. He is Co-Director of the Joint Scoliosis Research Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Nanjing University.

Professor Cheng has published over 360 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, over 500 conference presentations, contributed to 19 book chapters and received more than 30 research related awards. He serves on the editorial boards of a number of international professional journals. He was president of the Hong Kong Orthopaedic Association and fellow and member of over 20 local and prestigious international professional and medical organisations.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Grace Chiang is a clinical lecturer of Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2002. She got her Master degree in Epidemiology and biostatistics in 2012. She was elected as Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians and Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 2014. She is currently in her second year of clinical fellowship training at the Division of Rheumatology of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (Sickkids). Her research interests are lupus nephritis and lymphadenopathy in rheumatological diseases.

BIOGRAPHY

MD PhD

Dr. Campana obtained his MD and PhD degrees in Italy, where he received his clinical training in hematology. He trained as a scientist at the Royal Free Hospital, University of London, before moving to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, where he was Full Member in the Departments of Oncology and Pathology, and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee.

He is currently Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and the Mrs. Lee Kong Chian Chair in Advanced Cellular Therapy. He is a recipient of a Singapore Translational Research Investigator award, holds several patents and is the scientific founder of three biotechnology companies. Dr. Campana’s main interest is translational research in oncology, focusing on monitoring response to treatment in leukemia, and on immunotherapy of leukemia, lymphoma and solid tumors.

BIOGRAPHY

Prof Leung obtained his medical degree from the University of Hong Kong and a PhD from the Johns Hopkins University. After completing his Pediatric Hematology Oncology Fellowship and serving as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins, he joined St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and University of Tennessee in 1999-2015. He is a diplomate certified in General Pediatrics and in Pediatric Hematology–Oncology by the American Board of Pediatrics. Prof Leung has a major research interest in the biology of human natural killer (NK) cells and T-memory cells, specifically the clinical applications in HLA-mismatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. His research has been funded continually by NIH RO1 awards. Prof Leung serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and as a permanent member in the Protocol Review Committee of the NHLBI Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT-CTN) and in the NIH Study Section. He is an elected Member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

BIOGRAPHY

PhD, RSW

Prof. Edward Chan is a Fulbright Scholar committed to the prevention of family violence through the development of high-impact and socially relevant research. He is an international leading scholar in the field of family violence studies with groundbreaking research on child and family poly-victimization. His major research interests include partner violence, child abuse and neglect, disadvantaged children with poverty and disability, and internal migration in the Chinese mainland.

An outstanding scholar with intellectual rigor and passion in his research, Prof. Chan received the Senior Scholar Award, RGC-Fulbright Hong Kong Research Scholar Program in 2013-14, and was awarded as outstanding scholar by the RGC Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme in 2016. His international leadership was recognized by being nominated as the first social work academia board member of the Academy on Violence and Abuse, an international health professional association based in USA. He has also been appointed as Honorary Professor of Yonsei University, Seoul.

Prof. Chan excels in his research, and his academic outputs stand out among his peers. He has authored over 150 research publications, which have been frequently cited by scholars around the globe. Prof. Chan has been sustainably awarded large and competitive research grants from both local and international funding agencies.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Cheuk-wing FUNG graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1995. He obtained his fellowship of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians in 2004. His interest in child neurology started shortly after he joined Queen Mary Hospital in 1996. Dr Fung had a 1-year overseas training in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children (London) from 2003 to 2004, with particular focus on neurometabolic diseases, epilepsy and acute neurology. Currently, he is the Associate Consultant of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital, Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor of the University of Hong Kong, Honorary Secretary of the Paediatric Neurology Association of Hong Kong and Vice-president of the Hong Kong Society for Inborn Error of Metabolism. His main area of interest is neurometabolic, in particular mitochondrial diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases and is now the chief coordinator of the Comprehensive Neurometabolic / Neurodegenerative Programme in Hong Kong West Cluster since 2004. He has just finished a 6-month training in the Radboud Centre for Mitochondrial Medicine, Nijmegen, the Netherlands in 2015 and is having a leading role in the establishment of the `Pilot Programme for Diagnosis and Management of Mitochondrial Diseases in Hong Kong West Cluster’.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Pamela Lee is a paediatric immunologist and transplant physician with special interest in primary immunodeficiencies (PID). She worked as a Clinical Fellow in Immunology and BMT at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and a Research Fellow at the Molecular Immunology Unit of The Institute of Child Health, University College London in 2010-2012. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree under the supervision of Prof Yu-Lung Lau, and produced a thesis entitled ‘Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders in Southeast Asia: Needs, Priorities and Opportunities’, summarizing the collaborative research efforts of the Asian Primary Immunodeficiency (APID) Network. Currently we have collaborations with over 90 hospitals in Asia, North Africa and South Africa. Over the past decade, the APID Network offered genetic tests for more than 1,300 patients referred for suspected PID, and molecular diagnosis was confirmed in nearly 800 patients.

Dr Lee’s research team focuses on inflammasome and type I interferon signaling. Her research interests include inflammasome signaling as host defense mechanisms again Penicillium marneffei, an endemic infection Southeast Asia. Her team also investigates the immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stromal cells on the regulation of type I interferon response in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, which is a major signaling pathway contributing to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Dr Lee has a special interest in medical education and post-graduate training. She designed and implemented three ‘seasonal’ APSID Schools in Hanoi (Winter 2015), Hong Kong (Spring 2016) and Kuala Lumpur (Autumn 2016), creating a structure that facilitates collaborative learning for more than 100 paediatricians from over 15 countries/ regions in Asia. Together with a group of enthusiastic transplant physicians in Asia, she is actively involved in implementing the Educational Initiative of the VABMT Consortium, which aim to empower emerging programs to set up and expand their HSCT service with support from centers of excellence, to drive innovations and nurture the next generation of leaders in pediatric HSCT.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Joanna Yuet-ling Tung is the Associate Consultant in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong. After her graduation from the University of Hong Kong in 2004 and the attainment of Membership from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2007, she underwent paediatric endocrinology training in Queen Mary Hospital under Dr. Pik-to Cheung and Prof. Louis Low. She was awarded the Ho Hung Chiu Medical Education Foundation Scholar in 2014 for her Paediatric Endocrine Fellowship in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in USA.

Research interests: Paediatric Bone Disorders, Childhood Diabetes, Hyperinsulinism

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Ho-Ming Luk obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the University of Hong Kong in 2002. He was trained in Paediatrics in Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong and obtained his specialist qualification in Paediatics in 2009. He is now the Fellow of Hong Kong College of Paediatricians, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK). Since 2010, he worked in Clinical Genetic Service, Department of Health for his clinical genetics and genomics training. He was awarded Master of Science in Genomics and Bioinformatics from Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2013. And in 2013/14, he has been pursed elective training in Guy’s Hospital, UK and obtained the Certificate in Medical Genetics from Royal college of Pathologists (UK) in 2014. For his research on imprinting diseases, he was awarded Doctor of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong in 2017. He is now the Senior medical and health officer in Clinical Genetic Service, Department of Health and Council member of Hong Kong Society of Medical Genetics. His main clinical activities and researches are the usage of cuttingedge technologies including CNV arrays and next generation sequencing in the diagnosis and prevention of genetic and genomic diseases. He has been published more than 40 articles in local, regional and international journals.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Fung obtained her medical degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She was then trained in pediatrics in Prince of Wales Hospital, one of the two teaching hospitals in Hong Kong. She subsequently found her interest in paediatric neurology. She had her subspecialty training in State University of New York- Brooklyn Health Center and had also worked as a clinical fellow in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. After returning to Hong Kong, she was active in the development of subspecialty of Paediatric neurology in Hong Kong and also development of the paediatric neurology service in Prince of Wales Hospital. She is currently in charge of the neurology service in her department. She has special interest in epilepsy. She is currently serving as the board member of subspecialty board of Paediatric Neurology in Hong Kong, Honorary Treasurer of the Hong Kong Epilepsy Society and council member of Paediatric Neurology Association of Hong Kong.

BIOGRAPHY

M.D., Ph.D.

Prof. Kohsuke IMAI is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Pediatrics, Perinatal, and Maternal Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.  He is the Visiting Scientist of RIKEN and the National Center for Child Health and Development.  He graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) in 1992 and received his PhD of Medical Science from Tokyo Medical and Dental University for the study on Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome in 1999. He was a Research Fellow at INSERM U429 (Prof. Anne Durandy and Prof. Alain Fischer’s lab.) of Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris in France from 2001-2004. He studied the molecular mechanism of immunoglobulin class switch recombination of human and found a causative gene (UNG) of  the hyper-IgM syndrome patients.
After he came back to Japan (National Defense Medical College, NDMC), he started the research on the newborn screening for T cell deficiency and B cell deficiency as well as the clinical database of PID (PIDJ) with the centralization of DNA sequencing for known PID genes with the collaboration of RIKEN and Kazusa DNA research institute. He is participated in the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for PID and other hematological diseases in TMDU and NDMC for 25 years.

He is currently the Chair of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapy working group and board member of Asia Pacific Society of Immunodeficiency (APSID).

Research interests:
1. Establishment of newborn screening of primary immunodeficiency (PID) in Japan
2. Genetic diagnosis and clinical database construction of the PID patients
3. Understanding the molecular mechanism of immunoglobulin class switch recombination and antibody production through the genetic analysis of the causative gene of hyper-IgM syndrome, combined immunodeficiency, CVID and B cell deficiency
4. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy for PID

BIOGRAPHY

Albert Li graduated from the University of Wales College of Medicine and received his paediatric training at King’s College Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital, United Kingdom. He joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a lecturer in August 2001. His training took him back to the UK where he worked as a clinical research fellow at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London in 2002, under the guidance of Prof. Andy Bush. His clinical and research interest is in respiratory and sleep medicine. He is the person-in-charge of the Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Service in the Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital. Academically, Albert is currently associate editor of the Frontiers in Paediatric Pulmonology, member of the editorial board for Respirology and Hong Kong Journal of Paediatrics and vice-president of the Asia Pacific Paediatric Sleep Alliance. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBChir, DCH(HK), DCH(International), FRCPCH, FHKCPaed, FHKAM(Paed)

Dr Simon Lam is currently working as Associate Professor at the Department of Paediatrics of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1998 and moved back to Hong Kong in 2000. He practices medicine as a neonatologist at the Prince of Wales Hospital and his research interests are in neonatology, sleep/wake patterns in young children and environmental impact on child health.

Career History

• Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, CUHK, HK (Aug ’11 – present)
• Hon. Associate Consultant, Department of Paediatrics, PWH, HK (Jun ’08 – present)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, CUHK, HK (Jun ‘08 – July ‘11)
• Resident Specialist, Department of Paediatrics, PWH, HK (Jul ‘07 – Jun ‘08)
• Resident, Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, HK (Jul ‘01 – Jun ‘07)

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Kate Chan graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and received her specialist training at the Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital. She joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2014 and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Paediatrics. Her clinical and research interests are in paediatric respirology and sleep medicine.

BIOGRAPHY

(Cardiff), FHKCPaed, FHKAM(Paed), FRCPCH(UK)

David Luk is the Associate Consultant of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of the United Christian Hospital. He is the Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong. Dr Luk has specialized in the field of paediatric skin diseases and his research areas include congenital cutaneous vascular anomalies, laser therapy and dermoscopy. Dr Luk is an Accredited College Trainer of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians and the Honorary Clinical Supervisor of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians. He has co-authored the book on Paediatric Dermatology in Asia, established the Birthmark Laser Centre in Hong Kong, received Scholarship from the British Government to complete his Master training in dermatology and subsequently won the First Prize on his academic achievements. He has received public grants his research in dermatology. He is now the President of the Hong Kong Paediatric and Adolescent Dermatology Society, the Council Member of the Hong Kong Paediatric Society and is the referee of international dermatology journals. From 2004-2013, he was the Honorary Teaching Associate of the Cardiff University and organized the Diploma of Practical Dermatology (University of Wales College of Medicine - teaching and examination) in Hong Kong.

BIOGRAPHY

FCSHK, FRCS (Edin) FHKAM (Surg)

Dr. Xianlun Zhu (朱獻倫) graduated from the medical school of Jinan University in 1984, He obtained the degree of Master of Philosophy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1992. He completed his neurosurgical training by 1998 and acquired the qualification of FCSHK, FRCS(Edin) and FHKAM(Surg). Currently he is a consultant neurosurgeon (part-time) and honorary clinical associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong. His main fields of interests are functional neurosurgery, paediatric neurosurgery and neurorehabilitation. He is also the member of WSSFN, AASSFN and ISPN, council member of Hong Kong Movement Disorder Society and Hong Kong Epilepsy Society.

Research interests: Functional neurosurgery, Paediatric neurosurgery, Neurorehabilitation

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Ivan FM Lo is Head of the Clinical Genetic Service of the Department of Health (CGS, DH). The CGS is a government funded tertiary referral centre of clinical genetic service in Hong Kong for over 30 years. Dr Lo was trained in genetics and genomics in the Clinical Genetic Service since 1991, and received training in biochemical and molecular genetics at the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1996. He also received Paediatric training in Hong Kong and became a Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians in 1998. He is in-charge of the overall supervision of genetic counselling service, laboratory genetic service and newborn screening programme since 2015. He is also the Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of the Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong since 2012, playing an active role in providing medical genetic education to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dr Lo is currently President of the Hong Kong Society of Medical Genetics. He sits in multiple important Scientific and Working Committee on Genetics & Genomics Services of the Department of Health and Hospital Authority. He is also co-chair of the Workgroup and Task Force that oversee the expansion of newborn screening programme in Hong Kong to cover inborn errors of metabolism. Dr Lo’s special interests include dysmorphology, neurogenetics, molecular genetics and application of next generation sequencing technology. He has more than 50 publications in international peer reviewed medical/genetic/genomic journals and has been a keynote/symposium speaker at various local, regional and international genetics & genomics symposia.

BIOGRAPHY

Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing), Master of Health Administration, Doctor of Nursing

Tomcy Leung currently works as the Nurse Consultant of Paediatric Intensive Care in one of the regional hospitals in Hong Kong. She has extensive experience in neonatal nursing and paediatric critical care nursing; and is a council member of the Hong Kong College of Paediatric Nursing. Besides the work in PICU, she also contributes to the transitional care program and home parenteral nutrition program in her institution.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBCh, FCPaed(SA), DTM& H, MMED, PHD

Dr. Meyers is the Appointed Assistant Professor teaching infectious diseases in the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care for public health at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, she is the head of international exchange for the Centre of Global Health. Dr. Meyers qualified as a paediatrician in 1995 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto. She established a paediatric HIV outpatient service in early 1997 at the hospital of the Harriet Shezi Children’s Clinic (HSCC) where more than 5,000 children received care and treatment. Dr. Meyers graduated with a PHD in the field of paediatric HIV at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2014, where she holds an honourary associate professorship post.

Dr. Meyers provided technical support to the South African Department of Health and the World Health Organisation in the development of national and international paediatric HIV guidelines. She is an investigator for the NIH funded International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT) where she is co-chair of a protocol to investigate optimal cotreatment regimens for children with TB and HIV infection. Dr. Meyers cofounded services in Johannesburg focused on prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and care and treatment of children with HIV providing outreach support to poorer provinces. She provides technical support in the field of paediatric HIV/AIDS to WHO in the Western Pacific Region (WPRO), updated paediatric HIV treatment guidelines for Cambodia in 2015, and compiled a progress report on elimination of parent-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in the Asia-Pacific. She has recently completed a policy review on chronic viral hepatitis in selected Asian countries for Coalition for the Eradication of Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific (CEVHAP) in press. Dr. Meyers attended The Fifth Hepatitis B Immunization Expert Resource Panel Consultation in Manila, and the Expert Consultation on Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis in the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines, 15-17 February 2017 and 20-21 February 2017 respectively, compiling meeting reports for both meetings.

Research Interests:
Pediatric AIDS, HIV Care, Clinical treatment and Primary Therapy. Dr. Meyers is the co-chair of Protocol P1101 now: Phase I/II Dose-Finding, Safety And Tolerance Study Of A Raltegravir-Containing Antiretroviral Therapy Regimen In Art-Naïve HIV-Infected And HIV/TB Co-Infected Infants And Children ≥ 3 Years To < 12 Years Of Age. Policy review in Asia and the Pacific towards the elimination of MTCT of chronic viral hepatitis.

BIOGRAPHY

PH.D, C.Psychol., FBPS

Nirmala Rao is Serena HC Yang Professor in Early Childhood Development and Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. A Developmental and Chartered (Educational) Psychologist by training, she has been recognised internationally for her research on early childhood development and education in Asian cultural contexts. This research has focused on (i) the development of psychometrically robust and culturally-sensitive measures of both Early Childhood Development and the quality of Early Childhood Education; (ii) early educational policy in the Asia-Pacific; (iii) evaluation of early childhood programmes with the objective of finding out why they have the effects that they do; and (iv) culture, policy and pedagogy in the early years.

Professor Rao is recognized as a leader in shaping the research and policy agenda related to the quality of early childhood education in the Asia Pacific region and has been credited with enhancing the international visibility of regional research in early childhood through her scientific publications. She has participated in international meetings as an expert/specialist, written advocacy materials, and undertaken consultancies for UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, DFID, OECD and the Brookings Institute.

Professor Rao has published widely and serves on the Editorial Board for several journals and is currently an Associate Editor of Child Development. She was a member of the Steering Committee for the 2017 Lancet Series on Early Child Development.

Professor Rao is also actively involved in professional organisations that aim to promote the well-being of children through research and advocacy efforts. In addition, she has had significant administrative leadership roles at the Faculty of Education and the Graduate School at The University of Hong Kong.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Wai-lan Yeung is associate consultant at Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. She is Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor in both the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong.

She started her paediatric and neurology training in Prince of Wales Hospital, the teaching hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, after graduated from medical school. She had her overseas training of neurology in Department of Neurology and Paediatrics, University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, USA, in 1996. She has been a fellow of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians since 1997 and is one of the founding fellows of Paediatric Neurology of the HK College of Paediatricians.

Dr Yeung has diverse interests in various neurological problems especially epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, neuro-metabolic and movement disorders. She has more than 20 publications in different international journals. Among these included DYT1 dystonia, tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency, congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) with choline acetyltransferase mutation and CMS with COLQ mutation, all of which were first reported cases among ethnic Chinese. In 2014, she had completed one year overseas training of neurophysiology in child neurology at BC Children’s Hospital,Vancouver in Canada and Boston Children’s Hospital in USA. She had obtained the certificate of EEG Diplomate issued by Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists in the same year. Currently, she is the vice president of Paediatric Neurology Association of Hong Kong and also actively involved in planning and development of neurophysiology service of the future Hong Kong Children Hospital.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS, DRCOG, MRCPCH, FRCPC, MPH, FHKCPaed, FHKAM (Paediatrics)

Dr. Joseph Ting is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia and Staff Neonatologist at BC Women’s Hospital since July 2013. He completed his Pediatrics Residency at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong in 2006 and obtained his Postgraduate Diploma in Infectious Diseases & Master of Public Health (Medical Statistics) from University of Hong Kong in 2007 & 2009, respectively. In 2010 – 2013 he received his fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine in Vancouver, six months of which was spent at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto to receive further training in Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography (TnECHO).

He is currently a Clinical Investigator at British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute. Apart from actively conducting research on neonatal haemodynamic, in collaboration with other major neonatal centres, he has great interest in neonatal infections, one of the biggest threats to premature infants. He serves on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee of the hospital, and carries out studies on neonatal infections and rational antibiotic utilization. He received the Early Career Investigator Award from Canadian Neonatal Network in 2016 for his work on antibiotic utilization and neonatal outcomes.

http://www.bcchr.ca/our-research/researchers/results/Details/joseph-ting

BIOGRAPHY

MD, MBBS, MRCP, MRCPCH, FHKAM, HKCPaed, FRCPCH

Dr Marco Ho is a Consultant of Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital in charge of the paediatrics allergy service and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of The University of Hong Kong. Dr Ho is a specialist pediatrician in Allergy and Immunology, he received subspecialty training of Clinical Immunology in 2001 and started a Paediatric Allergy and Immunotherapy Clinic. In 2016, Dr Ho completed his MD thesis titled Clinical Care of Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis in Children and he was awarded Sir Patrick Mansion Gold Medal for the best MD thesis of the year. Dr Ho was the Founding Council Member of Hong Kong Paediatric Society for Immunology and Infectious Disease and currently serve as Vice President. He is the council member and the President-elect of Hong Kong Institute of Allergy. He is one of the Founders and immediate-past-chairman of Hong Kong Allergy Association. In the research field, Dr Ho have authored and co-authored over 70 peer reviewed articles in immunodeficiency, clinical immunology, food allergy and general paediatrics.

http://paed.hku.hk/menu/staff/mhkho/mhkho.html

BIOGRAPHY

Prof Yip is a Professor at Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong. Paul Yip is the founding director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong, and a professor at the university's Department of Social Work and Social Administration. He serves as the secretary general of the Asian Population Association and the research chair of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong. He was a part-time member of the Central Policy Unit and a member of the Hong Kong government's Steering Committee on Population Policy.

He has won the Stengel Award by the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP), an outstanding researcher and student supervisor of the University of Hong Kong. Prof Yip also holds various positions at NGO and charity organizations such as Chair at Research Committee Family Planning Association of Hong Kong since 2009, Vice-President of the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) from 2009-2012, Member of Population Policy Advisory Group of the Central Policy Unit of Hong Kong SAR from 2012-2014, Board of Governors for Suicide Prevention Service since 2006, and Associate Member of Central Policy Unit of Hong Kong SAR from 2009-2010 and 2012-2013.

Research Interests:
His research interests focus on suicide research and prevention, semography, biostatistics, population health and poverty studies. He is working on a number of research projects including Chief Executive Community project on Alleviating poverty in Hong Kong, a strategic public policy on population policy.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Thomas Chung graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1988. He joined the then Medical and Health Department as a Medical Officer after graduation. He has been working in various services in the Department of Health and received training in Public Health. Dr Chung got a Master degree in Health Administration and Fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in Community Medicine. He is a registered specialist in Community Medicine under the Medical Council of Hong Kong. Dr Chung is currently the head of Student Health Service of the Department of Health of Hong Kong. He has been actively involved in the promotion on healthy use of Internet in children and adolescents in recent years. Dr Chung was the convenor of the Advisory Group on Health Effects of Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products set up in 2013 which subsequently issued a report with tips and recommendations in 2014.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Dr. Akira Nakagawara was born in 1947 in Tosu City, Saga, Japan. He graduated from Kyushu University School of Medicine in 1972. His life work is “spontaneous regression of neuroblastoma” which he first knew at the clinical lecture in the final grade of medical school in 1971. After graduation, he worked as a general as well as pediatric surgeon in the clinic for 14 years, during which he did a research of neuroblastoma (NB) and hepatoblastoma. In 1990, he decided to go to Washington University in St. Louis to work on molecular genomics of NB with Prof. Garrett Brodeur, where he found TrkA as a key receptor regulating spontaneous regression of NB. The paper was published in NEJM in 1993. Then, he moved together with Dr. Brodeur to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in 1993, where he worked with Drs. Dan D’Angio, Audrey Evans, Alfred Knudson and Anna Meadows, all of whom were world-famous leaders of pediatric oncology. After going back to Japan in 1995, he continued to work on neuroblastoma at the Chiba Cancer Center. He was elected to be the chairman of the Advances in Neuroblastoma Research Association (ANRA) from 2003 to 2006, and held the ANR meeting in Chiba in 2008 as a president. He is a winner of the Princess Takamatsu Fund Prize, the Japan Cancer Association Prize and others according to his tremendous contribution in the field of neuroblastoma research. He was a former chairman of Japan Neuroblastoma Study Group (JNBSG) and largely contributed to found the Japan Children’s Cancer Group (JCCG). In 2014, he moved from Chiba to his hometown, Saga, and was appointed to be the CEOs of both the Saga Medical Center Koseikan, an oldest hospital in Japan with a history of 183 years, and the Saga HIMAT Foundation, an innovative center of heavy carbon ion beam radiation cancer therapy. He also worked as a Continental President of Asia of SIOP (International Society of Paediatric Oncology) from 2010 to 2015, and will hold the 50th Congress of SIOP in November 16-19, 2018, in Kyoto as a President.

BIOGRAPHY

Sharon has dual appointments, as a senior lecturer/research fellow at The University of Melbourne and as a nurse consultant in the Nursing Research Department at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. She coordinates the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice program and oversees the Graduate Certificate programs in paediatrics, paediatric intensive care and neonatal intensive care. Her program of research focuses on improving the safety and quality of care of hospitalised children. She is the nursing lead on the Victorian Children’s Tool for Observation and Response (ViCTOR) projects in Victoria. Through the development, implementation and evaluation of standardised, evidence based, age-specific paediatric observation charts clinicians are supported to recognise and respond to clinical deterioration earlier. Follow up projects in rural health settings resulted in a suite of ViCTOR charts suitable for Urgent Care Centres, and the development and evaluation of two newborn observation charts for use in birth suite/postnatal settings and special care nurseries. ViCTOR charts have been implemented in a minimum of 70 hospitals across Victoria. Other research activities include optimising cardiorespiratory monitoring and alarm safety practices, improving the management of oxygen therapy and medication safety. Sharon is passionate about supporting clinical nurses to engage with evidence based practice and to conduct clinically relevant research where the findings can be readily translated into practice.

BIOGRAPHY

Ms. LEE Suk-yin received her basic nursing education in Hong Kong. She completed her Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Master of Nursing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Meanwhile she is studying the Doctor of Nursing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Along her career, Ms. LEE has been working in the Department of Paediatrics at Prince of Wales Hospital for 30 years and is specialized in Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing. Currently she is the nurse consultant of neonatal care. Ms. LEE had been the course coordinator and lecturer for the Professional Diploma in Critical Care Nursing jointly held by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Department of Paediatrics of Prince of Wales Hospital for 17 years and had been the lecturer and program director for Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing for the Post-registration Certificate Course held by the Institute of Advanced Studies for two years. Ms. LEE is a fellow member of College of Paediatric Nursing since it was founded in year 2012 and currently is the vice president. She is the chairman of the Education committee, the council member and member of the accreditation committee. Ms. LEE has also joined the Paediatric Nurse Association since its founding in year 2000 and currently is a member in the professional development committee.

BIOGRAPHY

MPhil, MPH, BSc(Hons) CHCN, RNT, RSCPHN, RGN

Gill is Professional Lead for Education (Standards and Professional Development) at the Royal College of Nursing. She is passionate about nursing and the delivery of good, high quality patient care. She has a background in community and primary care nursing and started her academic career in 2000 delivering programmes in community and public health nursing with both pre and post registration nurses. She has experienced working for the UK regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council as Education Advisor. Gill has also worked the four UK governments and with international governments in Kuwait and Albania to develop health care professional and education standards. She has spoken widely at national and international conferences and was last in Hong Kong in 2011 to present two research papers at the International School Nurses Conference at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Her role at the RCN is to work with stakeholders to direct the development of professional education standards for nursing that reflect the changing requirements of healthcare provision; and lead and manage the RCN’s framework for professional education, training and career development. This requires taking account of the four country political, policy and regulatory context. Key current projects are leading on the RCN revalidation resource; the Specialist Nurse and Advance Nurse Practice work stream and working with the EU on standards for CPD.

BIOGRAPHY

Lay-Myint Yoshida is a Professor at the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University (NU) and leads the clinical research group of NU-Vietnam research project in Vietnam. His research area covers abroad area including HIV drug resistance, viral and bacterial pathogens on pneumonia (ARI), congenital infection, dengue, etc. He also leads a PCV reduced dosing schedule trial in Vietnam funded by the Bill & Melinda Gated foundation.

Details: http://www.tm.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/pediatric/member/laymyint_en.html

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS (HK), MRCPCH (UK), DCH (UK), DCH (HK), DTM&H (LSTM), FHKCPaed

Resident Specialist in Paediatrics, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong Paediatric Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases subspecialty trainee Honorary Tutor in Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Medical Humanities, University of Hong Kong Bill Marshall Memorial Fund Fellowship awardee 2017

Dr. Kai Ning Cheong obtained her Membership from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK) in 2014, and her Paediatric Fellowship from the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians in 2017. She is currently a paediatric Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases subspecialty trainee at Queen Mary Hospital (University of Hong Kong), with a strong interest in Rheumatology also. She obtained her Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene with distinction from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in 2015.

Dr. Cheong is passionate about the medical humanities, and is an avid public health advocate on combating inequity in universal healthcare access. In 2014 she co-founded a successful partnership program to help offset long waiting times in the free public sector, with charitable donations of urgent imaging services from the private sector, to bridge this gap in Hong Kong. The program continues to grow today, and expand its coverage to more public hospitals and patients.

In 2015, she fought to become the first paediatric trainee in Hong Kong to have the opportunity to interrupt her training for a humanitarian mission. She is the first paediatrician from Hong Kong that the international NGO Médecins Sans Frontiѐres (MSF) has sent into the field, and spent 5 months in South Sudan building up an MSF paediatric field hospital – a veritable ICU in the bush! As she frequently shares with medical students, this incredible experience fully grounded her in the multitude of diseases and complex socio-economic-political challenges that global healthcare delivery faces. She is dedicated to contributing to global solutions for this, and humanity without borders.

She is also the Bill Marshall Memorial Fund Fellowship awardee of 2017, and will undertake further training and research at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, in the fields of Immunology, Infectious diseases, and Rheumatology after this conference.

BIOGRAPHY

BSc, MBChB, PhD, FHKCPaed, FHKAM, FRCPCH, FRCP (Edin, Glasg, Lond)

Dr. Alan Chiang graduated in Medicine from University of Manchester, United Kingdom in 1989. He was trained as a paediatrician and completed his PhD study in lymphoma biology in 1998 at The University of Hong Kong. He is currently clinical associate professor at Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of The University of Hong Kong. He coordinates the treatment protocols for childhood non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) in Hong Kong and participates in international inter-group clinical trials for childhood NHL. He is the chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Hong Kong Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Study Group. He has a long term research interest in the biology of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and its associated diseases. His laboratory focuses on biological and translational research in EBV-related lymphoproliferative diseases and epithelial cancers.

Details: http://paed.hku.hk/menu/staff/kschiang/kschiang.html

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Grace Poon is an Associate Consultant in Paediatrics at Queen Mary Hospital and an Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong. She received her MBBS from the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals, University of London in the United Kingdom and returned to Hong Kong to complete her paediatric training at Queen Mary Hospital. She developed a subspecialty interest in paediatric endocrinology and metabolic medicine and set up the Paediatric Metabolic Service in Queen Mary Hospital in 2003. She completed her overseas training in metabolic medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Currently, she is the President of the Hong Kong Society of Inborn Errors of Metabolism and a Member of the Task Force for the Pilot Study of Newborn Screening for Inborn Errors of Metabolism. She is also a Council Member of The Education Universiy of Hong Kong and is serving on a few public policy advisory and statutory bodies that helps steer the process in new service provision for the socio-medical sectors in Hong Kong.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Yung Tak Cheung is a consultant paediatric cardiologist and electrophysiologist.
He is the Chief of Service of the Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Queen Mary Hospital, which is also the Division of Paediatric Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of The University of Hong Kong.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS, MTM, PhD

Dr. Bhim has been working in the field of global health. He served as a medical doctor for Somali refugees in Djibouti for one year in 2007. After this experience, Dr. Bhim pursued the Master of Tropical Medicine in Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University. Later he did PhD in clinical infectious diseases under the supervision of Prof Koya Ariyoshi. He works in School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health and is involved in teaching as well as researches in Japan, Nepal, Vietnam and Afghanistan. At the time of Nepal Earthquake 2015, he played a major role in vaccinating some 5,000 children against typhoid who were at risk of the infection and living under the temporary shelters.

BIOGRAPHY

Prof YL Lau is the Chair Professor of Paediatrics, Doris Zimmern Professor in Community Child Health, Chief Director of Clinical Trials Centre, President of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians and the Asian Society for Pediatric Research. He is the Founding President of the Asia Pacific Society for Immunodeficiencies inaugurated in 2016.

His interest is in primary immunodeficiencies, lupus, genetics and infectious diseases. He initiated universal pneumococcal vaccination as the Chairman of the Working Group on Pneumococcal Vaccination; and universal screening for HIV infection in pregnant women during his chairmanship of the Scientific Committee on AIDS. He is currently the chairman of the National Committee for Certification of Wild Poliovirus Eradication. He has published over 360 original papers and supervised over 30 graduate students. He received the HKU Outstanding Researcher Award and the Faculty Award on Knowledge Exchange. He was awarded the Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award by APPA.

More details: http://paed.hku.hk/menu/staff/lauylung/lauylung.html

BIOGRAPHY

M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Wen-I Lee, Professor of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and University, is a director of the Primary Immunodeficiency Care And Research (PICAR) Institute. He was the Visiting Scientist in University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) in 2001-2003 (Dr. Hans D. Ochs). He studied the molecular mechanism of immunoglobulin class switch recombination in a cohort of patients with hyper IgM syndromes and cooperated with Dr. Kohsuke Imai to explore a causative gene (UNG).

After he came back to Taiwan (Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, CGMH), he set up a nationwide molecular and genetic diagnosis laboratory (PICAR Institute) for PID since 2003. With Dr. Tang-Her Jaing, the team succeeded in the SCID, WAS and CGD patients grafted by unrelated cord blood stem cell transplantation since 2005. Based on the Eugenic Health Law in Taiwan (EHLT) and Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders (TFRD), the team executes nationwide neonatal screening of TREC in the Guthrie card and pre-natal genetic diagnosis if indicated. In near recent, refractory diarrhea beyond inflammatory bowel diarrhea in PID has been investigated.

Research interests:
1. Exploring immune anomalies in complex syndromes
2. Clinical consultant and candidate gene approach to PID
3. Underlying possible genetic defects in neonates with extremely low TREC

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Dr. Wang is a seasoned scientist with an extensive experience in infectious diseases in China. He combines academic knowledge of epidemiology with the crucial understanding of healthcare systems and infrastructure in the remote area of China. Dr. Wang started his career in China where he distinguished himself through his work on hepatitis. He conducted several outstanding studies on hepatitis control. This was followed by a series of successful projects focussing on enteric diseases. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, and conducted postdoctoral studies at the Key Lab of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University where he started to apply molecular techniques to the study of viral hepatitis. He joined the International Vaccine Institute as an associated research scientist in 2003. During his work in Seoul, Dr. Wang focused on the studies of enteric infectious disease, such as rotavirus, S.typhi, S.paratyphi, and cholera, interacted with a large multidisciplinary team which included social scientists and statisticians in Southeast Asian and Africa countries.

In 2007, Dr. Wang moved back to Fudan University. His research team studies viral hepatitis and enteric infectious diseases with a strong emphasis on epidemiology and vaccinology. He has involved in the development of vaccines against hepatitis A, B and E, rotavirus, EV71 in China. Currently, he is responsible for the evaluation of therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine, and clinical development of the hexavalent rotavirus vaccine.

Dr. Wang was identified as one of the major review experts for new vaccine registration at the Center for Drug Evaluation, China Food and Drug Administration since 2009. Currently, he serves as the member of the Committee of Biological Medicine Products and Quality Research, Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, and member of the Committee of Vaccine and Immunization, Chinese Preventive Medicine Association.

BIOGRAPHY

Carl Kirkwood, PhD, is a Senior Program Officer in the Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases program, of the Global Health Division, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and leads the rotavirus initiative.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr Kirkwood was group leader of the Enteric Virus Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, which is co-located at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia. He is an Associate Professor at La Trobe University, Department of Microbiology, and an honorary Fellow at Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne. He was director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Child Health (rotavirus), the WHO Western Pacific Regional Reference Laboratory, and the Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program. He completed a PhD in virology at The University of Melbourne, then was a post-doc scientist at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, with Dr Roger Glass and Dr Jon Gentsch.

Dr Kirkwood’s research program investigated infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically diarrhoeal disease caused by rotavirus and norovirus; and microbial and genetic involvement in the development of Crohn’s disease in children. The Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program studied patterns of rotavirus genotypes causing disease in Australian children. This research was focused to understand the mechanism underlying viral evolution, including genetic and antigenic changes induced by vaccine introduction. As director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Child Health, and Regional Rotavirus Reference Laboratory, he played a lead role in surveillance studies to understand rotavirus disease. He is co-developer of a human neonatal rotavirus vaccine, which is currently undergoing clinical evaluation.

Dr Kirkwood’s research has been recognised by substantial competitive research funding from national and international governments, NGO’s and philanthropic organizations. He has been a recipient of prestigious national fellowships, and has been a NHMRC Senior Research fellow, NHMRC CDA II Fellow, RD Wright Fellow and Phillip Bushell Fellow of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia. He serves on several national and international committees to promote child health research and vaccine development, including roles with WHO, PATH and NHMRC. He has authored more than 150 peer reviewed publications and 5 book chapters on rotavirus research and other infectious disease related topics.

BIOGRAPHY

Since 2006, Jacqueline Tate has been an epidemiologist with the Viral Gastroenteritis Team, Division of Viral Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While working with this team, she has collaborated with many Ministries of Health and academic institutions globally on studies examining rotavirus disease burden, cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines, and the effectiveness, impact, and safety of rotavirus vaccines in routine use. She also monitors the impact of the rotavirus vaccine program in the United States. She received her MSPH in epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, her PhD in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and trained with the Epidemic Intelligence Service at CDC.

BIOGRAPHY

M.D. (Ped), F.I.A.P.

Dr. Naveen Thacker, a well-known Child Specialist of Gandhidham, is the President of Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA). He has received the Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award 2012, at APPA Congress in Sarawak, Malaysia.

He is also a recipient of Rotary International Regional Award for Polio-free World 2010, Rotary Ratna Award District 3050 in 2010 and the best Rotarian Award for outstanding services in Polio-plus program.

He is the CSO representative to GAVI Alliance Board, and also the Coordinator of Development of International Pediatric Association (IPA).

He was the National President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics in 2007 (www.iapindia.org).

He is the Director of Deep Children Hospital & Research Centre.

His work on Polio eradication is recognized internationally. Presently he is the member of Indian Expert Advisory Group on Pneumococcal Vaccines and Measles & Rubella.

He has also served as a member of many committees of Government of India and ICMR like Immunization Action Group, ICMR Subcommittee on Polio Vaccine, ICMR Expert committee on Vaccines, Indian expert Group on Polio.

BIOGRAPHY

Takao Takahashi is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan, and Chief of the Paediatric Neurology Service at the same institution.

Professor Takahashi received his bachelor of science and his doctor of medicine from Keio University in 1978 and in 1982, respectively. After obtaining his residency, he accepted a position as an Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA in 1992 – a position which is still active today. He also maintains a position with the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School as an Assistant in Neurology. Professor Takahashi is the former Vice-President of Keio University Hospital (2006–2015) and is currently Vice-Dean of Keio University School of Medicine.

Aside from his clinical and academic roles, Professor Takahashi is the incumbent President of the Japanese Paediatric Society (since 2016), President of the Japanese Society of Child Neurology (since 2014) and a current Executive Board Member of the International Child Neurology Society (since 2010). He is also a Past-President and National Delegate for Japan at the Asian Society for Paediatric Research and a current National Delegate for Japan at the Global Paediatric Education Consortium (since 2010).

Professor Takahashi’s primary areas of clinical practice and research encompass general paediatrics, paediatric neurology and developmental neurobiology.

BIOGRAPHY

Prof. Chi-kong Li graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1981, and obtained Doctor of Medicine from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2002. He received general paediatric training in Hong Kong, and then specialised in paediatric Haematology/oncology/BMT with further training at United Kingdom and USA. He is now the Director of Lady Pao Children’s Cancer Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital and Professor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He had been Chief of Service of Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital from 2004 to 2014. His main research interest is in childhood leukaemia, haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and thalassaemia. Dr Li has extensive international research collaboration with IBFM, CIBMTR and China institutes. He is now the vice chairman of the Chinese Children Cancer Group, and also member of haematology section of The Chinese Pediatric Association. He also takes up the Continental President of Asia, International Society of Pediatric Oncology in 2015. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers, written chapters in 3 books and editor of one book.

Link: http://www.pae.cuhk.edu.hk/en/professor-li-chi-kong

BIOGRAPHY

Currently Dr. Liu is a faculty member at Department of Pathogen Biology in Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He is mainly working on the coordination between BCR signaling and actin cytoskeleton during B cell activation. Additionally, the role of mTOR on B cell development and function is also another direction he is exploring. His research area mainly includes: 1) The pathogenesis of Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome. 2) The coordination of BCR signaling and actin cytoskeleton during BCR activation. 3) The development and function of regulatory T cells and iNKT. 4) The dysregulation of BCR signaling in leukemia. 5) The metabolism of lymphocytes.

Dr. Liu got his PhD from University of Maryland, College Park. During his graduate study, he was mainly working on the regulatory functions of actin cytoskeleton in BCR signaling under the supervision of Dr. Wenxia Song. One of the important findings in his Phd research is that N-WASP keeps B cell and autoimmunity in check. After finishing the Phd, he joined St. jude Children’s Research Hospital as a research fellow. He was working on the mTOR signaling in T cells in Dr. Hongbo Chi’s lab. He has published 14 papers as the first-author and corresponding-author papers, such as Plos Biology, Blood, Blood Advances, Journal of Immunology, and co-authored 24 papers, such as Journal of Experimental Medicine and Cell Reports. He is also the reviewer for several journals such as Scientific Report, Plos One and Archive of Virology.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Chunfu Li is the Chair and Professor of Department of Paediatrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, China from 1999 to the present. He earned his Medical Degree and Master of Medicine from the First Military Medical University (renamed as Southern Medical University in 2004) in 1978 and 1985, responsively, and then, was trained in the Centre of Children Cancer, Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, in 1999; twice in St. Jude Research Children’s Hospital in TN, USA, responsively, in 1999 and 2007. He was also invited as Visiting Scholar to visit the Children’s BMT Centre of MD Anderson, Houston, USA, in 1999, the Pesano BMT Centre, Italy, in 2001 and twice in the Kansai Medical University, Japan, responsively, in 2002 and 2004.

Dr. Chunfu Li engaged paediatrician and specialist on haematology and oncology since 1985. He has especially been studying the childhood hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for thalassemia major and malignance diseases. He and his team performed more than one hundred transplantations annually and thalassemia case accounted for more than half. He published his representative study paper about thalassemia transplant from unrelated donor in Blood in 2012, which was a plenary paper of Blood.

Dr. Chunfu Li is currently honorary Chairman of Thalassemia Federation of Guangdong-Province China from 2012-present, Member of HSCT subcommittee, Haematology committee, Chinese Medical Association and member of Viva Asia BMT committee.

BIOGRAPHY

Tony has published widely on rotavirus and other vaccines, vaccine preventable disease surveillance, infant and child nutrition, and the sudden infant death syndrome. He is a member of the ROTA Council (2012- ) and was a member of the Asian Rotavirus Surveillance Network (1999-2008). He has conducted studies on rotavirus disease surveillance; rotavirus vaccine clinical efficacy; rotavirus vaccine effectiveness; and rotavirus vaccine economic evaluations. He participated in WHO's SAGE Working Group on Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination and Broader Tetanus Control (2015-2016), WHO's Expert Advisory Group on Quantitative Immunization and Vaccines Related Research (2007-2012) and was a technical advisor for the Supporting Independent Immunization and Vaccine Advisory Committees Initiative (2008-2011). Tony graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa in 1978 and obtained his doctorate from the University of Otago in New Zealand in 1989.

BIOGRAPHY

MBBS, MRCP (UK)

Ada Yung is currently an Associate Consultant at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital in Hong Kong.

Dr Yung received her MBBS from the University of Hong Kong in 1991 and subsequently attained membership with the Royal College of Physicians (UK). She has completed fellowships in the US, including a Clinical Fellowship at the Department of Neurology in the Medical College of Georgia (1998–1999), and a Research Fellowship at Havard Medical School Division of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy in Boston (1999–2000). She is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine and the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians and is an Accredited Trainer in Paediatrics at numerous institutions in Hong Kong, including the Queen Mary, Grantham and Tsan Yuk Hospitals, and at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital. Prior to her current appointment, she was a Clinical Lecturer at The University of Hong Kong’s Department of Paediatrics (1992–1995) and was a Medical Officer of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital (1995–2007).

Dr Yung has authored and contributed to numerous research articles which have been published in leading journals including Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Research and Journal of Attention Disorders. She has also written 2 book chapters in the Manual of Child Neurology and Casebook of Neurology. Aside from her clinical roles, Dr Yung currently serves as the incumbent President of the Hong Kong Epilepsy Society and maintains active memberships with various professional bodies, including the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.

BIOGRAPHY

MD, PhD

Professor Kazunobu Ouchi (KO) is currently the president of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases and the president of the Japanese Society of Travel and Health since 2016. He gained MD from Yamaguchi University School of Medicine in 1980 and PhD from Graduate School, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine mentored by Professor Teruko Nakazawa in 1996. He was trained as an intern and a resident at Department of Pediatrics, National Okayama Hospital in 1980-1986 by Dr. Itsuro Yamanouchi and as Research Fellow at Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA in 1986-1988 by Professor Philip J Rettig. He was appointed a professor, Department of Pediatrics, Kawasaki Medical School in 2002 and has been as a chairman since 2006. His major interest is Pediatric infectious diseases, especially bacterial infections, antibiotics, and vaccines. He has contributed to publish several guidelines, especially Guidelines for the Management of Respiratory Infectious Diseases in Children in Japan.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Chow is the Associate Consultant of Paediatrics at the Prince of Wales Hospital and has also been worked at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital. Currently, he still provides paediatric GI services for these 2 hospitals. He received his undergraduate training from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and obtained his paediatric fellowship in 2006. He also obtained the H. M. Lui Memorial Fund Fellowship in 2008 with oversea training in hepatology at Paediatric Liver Centre, King’s College Hospital, London. Afterwards, he had actively participated in the Hong Kong Society of Paediataric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition since 2009. Currently, he is the President of the society. Dr Chow’s interests are not just limited in paediatric gastreoenterology. In 2014 -2016, he also joined the council of Hong Kong Paediatric Society and actively involved in the promotion of community paediatrics.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Chow is the Associate Consultant of Paediatrics at the Prince of Wales Hospital and has also been worked at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital. Currently, he still provides paediatric GI services for these 2 hospitals. He received his undergraduate training from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and obtained his paediatric fellowship in 2006. He also obtained the H. M. Lui Memorial Fund Fellowship in 2008 with oversea training in hepatology at Paediatric Liver Centre, King’s College Hospital, London. Afterwards, he had actively participated in the Hong Kong Society of Paediataric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition since 2009. Currently, he is the President of the society. Dr Chow’s interests are not just limited in paediatric gastreoenterology. In 2014 -2016, he also joined the council of Hong Kong Paediatric Society and actively involved in the promotion of community paediatrics.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Gonzalez has worked exclusively in the field of dermatology for the past 22 years. During this period, she divided her time between academic work at Cardiff University and clinical work at the University Hospital of Wales. Here she distinguished herself as a leader and innovator in the teaching of dermatology and has won a number of awards for her contribution to the field. Dr. Gonzalez’s areas of special interest include dermoscopy, dermatologic surgery, laser surgery, treatment of pigmentary disorders, treatment of hair disorders, treatment of skin cancers and the management of acne and acne scarring. Dr. Gonzalez is now a part-time Locum Consultant Dermatologist at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Wales. She also runs her own private clinic.

BIOGRAPHY

MBChB, FCSHK, FRCSEd, FHKCOS, FRCSEd(Orth), FHKAM (Orthopaedics Surgery)

Prof. Yung Shu-Hang Patrick, is now a world recognized prominent leader in the field of orthopaedic sports medicine, being the Chair or Board Member of several influential local and international organizations in sports medicine and arthroscopy surgery, such as International Federation of Sports Medicine (FMIS), the Asian Federation of Sports  Medicine (AFSM), The International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) and the Asia-Pacific Knee Arthroscopy Sports Medicine Society (APKASS).

He is a keen researcher and educator, leading a team of researchers in The Chinese University of Hong Kong and working for the advances in sport medicine and arthroscopy surgery. He has published many scientific papers in international journals, contributing significantly to uphold the leading position of Hong Kong in sports medicine. He is also heading the first ever master course in sports medicine and health science in Hong Kong since 2005, trained hundreds of medical personnel who serves in the community actively.

He has great commitment to serve public and provides voluntary medical service for amateur and elite sport teams in Hong Kong, China and overseas. He is the Medical Consultant of Hong Kong Sports Institute taking care of elite athletes of Hong Kong Team since 2000.

Other than the support to elite athletes, he also expanded his commitment to amateur sports lovers by offering them sports medicine education and clinical service. His enormous contribution to local sports development is manifested by bringing in quality service and knowledge to different local sports teams.

Being an active member of the Elite Anti-doping & Medical Panel of Asian Football Federation (AFC), Prof. Patrick Yung has conducted anti-doping works in major local and international sports competitions over the past 15 years. He also serves in the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of the Hong Kong Anti-Doping Committee, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC). He has led hundreds of training courses and trained up numerous medical professionals and amateur sports lovers about the management of sports injuries from emergency on field care to definitive treatment and rehabilitation.

Prof. Yung’s personal achievement and commitment in community services have brought the local development of sport medicine and arthroscopy surgery to a new height. In recognition of his international and local contributions in the field, he has been awarded the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong” in 2009, the “FIMS Fellows” in 2011, and the “Award of Secretary for Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme” of the Government of HKSAR in 2015.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Janette KWOK is the Consultant and Division Head of Transplantation and Immunogenetics, Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. The Division undertakes clinical and laboratory support for solid organ and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and immunogenetic programmes. Her research interests include antibody mediated rejection, role of NIMA in HSCT, population genetics and immunogenetic associations.

Dr. Kwok has served several professional appointments, including the Founder President of the Hong Kong Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, Hon. Secretary of the Hong Kong Marrow Match Foundation, Asian Region Councillor and Deputy Secretary of APHIA, Members of ASHI International, QAS and PT committees, member of HA (BTS) Expert Panel on Cellular Therapy and HKBMDR Governing Subcommittee. She is also members of Central Renal Committee and COC Pathology.

BIOGRAPHY

Lulu Bravo is a Professor Emeritus at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila. She is the former Vice Chancellor for Research and Executive Director of the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila.

At present, she is President of the Immunization Partners in Asia Pacific (IPAP) and current Executive Director and immediate past President of the International Society of Tropical Pediatrics, past Chair of the Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention (ASAP), and former president of the Asian Society for Pediatric Infectious Disease (ASPID).She has served in various capacities in many other Asian medical and professional societies as well as in Philippine health associations including the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) of which she is the founding President. She is also a member of the Rota Council, Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE) and member of the TWG of the Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI). Her work has earned for her various honors and awards in the academic and research fields, including the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Award for Academe and the 2012 Asian Outstanding Pediatrician Award given by the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association.

Dr. Lulu Bravo completed her MD, pediatric residency and subspecialty training in infectious disease at Philippine General Hospital-College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines Manila. She supplemented her fellowship in paediatric infectious disease at the University of Texas Southwestern Health Science Center in Dallas, USA in 1986.

BIOGRAPHY

Prof Zhifei Xu is currently consultant pediatrician at the Respiratory Department of Beijing Children’s Hospital and associate professor of Capital Medical University. She is standing committee member of Chinese Sleep Research Society, president of the Chinese Pediatric Sleep Subgroup under the Chinese Pediatric Society, and president of Pediatric Sleep Group under Chinese Medical Doctor Association and. She is the Tutor of International Postgraduate Pediatric Certification of Sydney University. Prof Xu has been working in Beijing Children’s Hospital for twenty years and her specialty is pediatric respiratory and sleep medicine.

Prof Xu got the Bachelor degree of Pediatrics at Capital Medical University in 1993. She got her Master degree in 2007 and the Doctor degree in 2012 at Capital Medical University. She was an honorary fellow and had been trained in respiratory and sleep medicine in Sydney Children’s Hospital, Australia between Feb 2002 and Feb 2003. She was a Mrs Ivy fellow specialized in respiratory and sleep medicine in Pediatric Department in Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong between Mar 2003 and Feb 2004.

Prof Xu won the Outstanding Teacher Awards at the Capital Medical University in 2010. She won the Songqingling Pediatric Medicine Awards in 2012. In 2013, she was offered as the Talent Medical Doctor by Beijing Health Bureau.

Prof Xu’s projects included “Non-invasive ventilation treatment for children with chronic respiratory failure: a national multiple-center study” sponsored by the Ministry of National Science and Technology, and “Individualized management for children with sleep disordered breathing” sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals. She has published more than 40 papers in both Chinese and English medical journals, including CHEST and SLEEP.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Chan was graduated from the University of Hong Kong. He received his basic training in paediatrics in Hong Kong and Singapore. He then furthered his subspecialty training in child neurology and developmental paediatrics at Guy’s Hospital, London. Over the years, he has developed special interests in child advocacy, child protection, ethics, childhood epilepsy, dyslexia, autism, attention deficit hyperactive disorders, behavioral neurology and others. He has published in both English and Chinese languages, covering research on developmental screening, assessment, early intervention, child health status and growth, and has edited many popular guide books on child health and child care. He has been members of the editorial boards for numerous peer-reviewed international journals on child heath, paediatrics and rehabilitation medicine. Academically, he has been awarded with Fellowships from the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ireland, Fellowship from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as well as Fellowship from the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in Paediatrics.

He is Past President of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), Honorary President of the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA), Director of Subspecialty Boards at the Hong Kong College of Paediaticians as well as President of the Hong Kong Society of Child Neurology and Developmental Paediatrics and Board Chairman of the Hong Kong Paediatric Foundation.

Dr. Chan is a strong advocate for team approach towards promotion of child health with emphasis on close collaboration between doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and the child as well as synergistic cooperation between the medical, social and education sectors for child health He is instrumental in the formation of many nursing professional bodies in Hong Kong, the Asia-Pacific Region and the global community and is currently powerful advisors for the Hong Kong Paediatric Nurses Association (HKPNA), the Hong Kong School Nurses Association (HKSNA) and the Asia-Pacific Paediatric Nurses Association (APPNA) with outstanding achievements in promoting transdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration for child health and advocacy in the community.

He was honoured with many local and international awards in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of knowledge in paediatrics and to the betterment of child health in Hong Kong, the Asia Pacific Region and the global community.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Xiaoping Luo is the Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, Director, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tongji Hospital, Director of the Center for the Diagnosis of Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Dr. Luo obtained his medical degree from Tongji Medical University in 1985. After graduate study, he stayed in the Department of Pediatrics of the affiliated Tongji Hospital and specialized in neonatology, and was appointed as an associate professor of pediatrics in 1992. From January 1994, he worked as a visiting scientist in the Division of Genetic Metabolic Diseases in the Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine in the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In July 1997, he joined the CIHR group in Lung Development and Neonatal Research, and the Lung Biology Programme in the Research Institute of the Hospital for Sick Children, as a research associate/scientist. He was appointed as an adjunct professor in the Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto since 2000, before he moved back to China where he subsequently became a full professor and vice chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital. He assumed his current positions as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics in Tongji Hospital in Wuhan since 2003.

Dr. Luo is now the Vice President of the Chinese Pediatric Society (CPS), President of the Chinese Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSPEM). He is also the past president for the Asia Pacific Paediatric Endocrine Society (APPES), Executive Committee member of the Global Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (GPED), Board of Directors for the Asian Society for Inherited Metabolic Diseases (ASIMD), Council member of the Growth Hormone Research Society (GRS). His main interests are pediatric endocrinology and metabolism, and neonatal/perinatal medicine. Dr. Luo’s research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and the World Diabetes Foundation, etc. He has published 48 book chapters and over 350 peer reviewed articles, and served as editor or reviewer for 45 domestic and international medical journals.

BIOGRAPHY

Prof. Enmei Liu earned her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees respectively from Chongqing Medical University and the University of Hong Kong. She is the Professor & Chief Physician of Department of Respiratory Medicine and the Vice President of Lijia Campus of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Prof. Liu is also the Editorial Board member of Journal of Pediatric Pharmacy, Clinic J Pediatric, Chinese Journal of Practical Pediatrics and Chinese Journal of Pediatrics.

Prof. Liu’s interests are molecular epidemiology of respiratory viruses in children and pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus. Her works contribute to the understanding of RSV evolution and to the potential development of a vaccine and treatment against RSV. She has published over 40 original papers and supervised over 75 graduate students. She received 8 programs from National Natural Science Foundation of China. Prof. Liu was awarded the “1st Prize of Scientific and Technical Progress” of Chongqing for “Childhood respiratory viral infection” and the “7th Young Scientist Award” of Chongqing.