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New World Group Charity Foundation’s donation for the establishment of Clinical and Translational Laboratory in the HKU Department of Surgery

27 May 2014

(Group photo of the representatives from New World Group Charity Foundation, New β Innovation Limited and The University of Hong Kong) 

With the support of New World Group Charity Foundation (The Foundation), Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has newly established the “Clinical and Translational Laboratory”, for which a donation ceremony is held today (May 27, 2014).

The “Clinical and Translational Laboratory” in the Department of Surgery, HKU and HKU-Shenzhen Hospital will conduct clinical research for common malignancies such as liver cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer and brain tumours and develop novel treatments in animal experiments (translational research).  Besides, the Laboratory will play an important role in providing new evidence for the development of personalized medicine and combinative treatments, contributing to knowledge transfer from basic research to clinical application in the area of cancer treatment.

The donation will be used in purchasing laboratory equipment and recruitment of research staff, which is important to sustain current researchas well as to attract young talent to the field of cancer research.

(Professor SP Chow (Left), Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (University Relations), HKU and Professor Lo Chung-mau (Right), Chin Lan-hong Professor in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery, HKU received the donation from Dr Henry Cheng (Middle), Chairman and Executive Director of the New World Development Company Limited.) 

Professor Lo Chung-mau, Chin Lan-hong Professor in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Surgeryand Senior Advisor of the Laboratory said, “We are pleased to receive support from the Foundation to establish a world-class clinical and translational laboratory.  Although the technologies developed from genomics, proteomics and metabolomics have been extensively applied, the clinical morbidity and mortality rates associated with malignant tumours continue to remain at high levels.  Thus, it is essential to devise some new treatments.  With the newly established laboratory, we believe it will significantly contribute to our research.  Besides, it will set a new model of collaboration between local industries and universities to explore new pathways for medical research.”

Dr Henry Cheng, Chairman and Executive Director of the New World Development Company Limited said “New World Group Charity Foundation was established with the aim towards supporting meaningful charitable causes and fulfilling the Group’s commitment to corporate sustainability. We are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to medical research by supporting the establishment of the clinical and translational laboratory. With the laboratory equipment and research resources, we hope that the donation will foster effective medical teaching and research and that we will see more breakthroughs in cancer and tumour treatments, through which more patients will benefit from it.”

About the research team

Professor Lo Chung-mau, Chin Lan-hong Professor in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chair Professor and Head of Department of Surgery is the Senior Advisor of this new laboratory.  Other members of the Advisory Committee from the Department of Surgery include: Professor Simon Law Ying-kit, Cheung Kung-hai Professor in Gastrointestinal Surgery; Chair Professor Ronnie Poon Tung-ping, Suen Chi-sun Professor in Surgery and Professor Law Wai-lun, Anthony and Anne Cheung Professor in Innovative and Minimally Invasive Surgery. Professor Man Kwan of the Department of Surgery is the Director of the Laboratory and other key members include: Dr Gilberto Leung Ka-kit, Clinical Associate Professor; Dr Nikki Lee Pui-yue, Assistant Professor; Dr Roberta Pang Wen-chi, Assistant Professor;  Dr Kevin Ng Tak-pan, Research Assistant Professor; Research Officer, Dr Stella Sun and Post-doctoral Fellow Dr Liu Xiaobing. All of them have extensive experience of clinical and translational research.

About New World Group Charity Foundation

In fulfilling New World Group’s commitment to corporate sustainability, New World Group Charity Foundation was established in 2011 with an aim not only to support meaningful and charitable activities in society but also to provide practical support to various sports, art and cultural programmes initiated by the Group. This establishment helps the Group achieve its goals of improving social mobility of the under-resourced and fostering harmony in society.

Media enquiry

Should you have any enquiries, please contact Miss Fion Lai (Tel：22554621) of Department of Surgery, HKU or Miss Karen Wong (Tel：21316852/ 6091 6126) of the New World Development Company Limited.