Forty Research Projects Receive Grants

To Explore the Control-resistance Relationship between Migrant Workers and their Employers in South China (HK$105,300)
Sponsor: Fulbright Hong Kong Dissertation Research Programme for 2008–09
Principal investigator: Ms. Peng Yinni (Department of Sociology)

Long-term Ketamine Abuse and Apoptosis in Cynomologus Monkeys and Mice (HK$2,127,213)
Sponsor: Beat Drugs Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Yew Tai-wai David (Department of Anatomy)

Ultra-high Resolution Electron-beam Lithography System (HK$7,762,500)
Sponsor: UGC One-off Special Equipment Grant
Principal investigator: Prof. Tsang Hon-ki (Department of Electronic Engineering)

Replacement of Research MRI Unit (HK$10,000,000)
Sponsor: UGC One-off Special Equipment Grant
Principal investigator: Prof. Anil Ahuja (Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging)

Physical Property Measurement of Nanosturctures with Different Dimensionality (HK$4,500,000)
Sponsor: UGC One-off Special Equipment Grant
Principal investigator: Prof.Li Quan (Department of Physics)

Acquisition of Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) System (HK$3,073,629)
Sponsor: UGC One-off Special Equipment Grant
Principal investigator: Prof. Daniel Ong Hock-chun (Department of Physics)

Establishment of a Platform for High Capacity Protein Purification, Crystallization and Cystallography (HK$8,187,000)
Sponsor: UGC One-off Special Equipment Grant
Principal investigator: Prof. Shaw Pang-chui (Department of Biochemistry [Science])

Acquiring a High-field NMR Spectrometer for Chemical and Structural Biology —from Macrmolecular Structures and Dynamics to Biomolecular Interactions (HK$10,000,000)
Sponsor: UGC One-off Special Equipment Grant
Principal investigator: Wong Kam-bo (Department of Biochemistry [Science])

Intelligent Language Games with Social Interactions: Models and Applications (HK$120,000)
Sponsor: Research Grant from Micorsoft Research Asia
Principal investigator: Prof. King Kuo-chin Irwin (Department of Computer Science and Engineering)

Molecular Catalysts for C-C/C-X Bond-Forming Reactions (HK$1,000,000)
Sponsor: CAS–Croucher Funding Scheme for Joint Laboratories
Principal investigator: Prof. Xie Zuowei (Department of Chemistry)

From Assessment for Learning to Promoting Self-regulated Learning in Early-childhood Education (Kindergarten & Lower Primary Levels) (HK$3,000,000)
Sponsor: Quality Education Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Pang Sun-keung (Hong Kong Centre for the Development of Educational Leadership)

Institutional Risk Factors for Outbreaks of Acute Gastroenteritis in Elderly Homes of Hong Kong : A Retrospective Cohort Analysis (HK$79,500)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Tian Lin-wei (Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

Elucidation of the Role of Cathelicidin in the Control of Helicobacter Pylori Colonization in the Stomach and Protection against H. Pylori-induced Gastritis (HK$799,840)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Cho Chi-hin (Department of Pharmacology)

Complete Genome Analysis of Drug-susceptible and Multidrug-resistant Myobacterium Tuberculosis Beijing Family Strains (HK$798,648)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Tsui Kwok-wing (Department of Biochemistry)

Use of Serum Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Quantitation to Monitor Treatment Response in Chronic Hepatitis B (HK$742,128)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Chan Lik-yuen Henry (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics)

Development and Application of a Real-time PCR Protocol for Rapid and Simultaneous Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Drug Resistance and Beijing Genotype in a Diagnostic Laboratory Setting (HK$300,000)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Leung Tung-yiu Eric (Department of Micorbiology)

Unintentionals Home Injury in Hong Kong: A Cross-sectional Epidemiological Study on the Risk Factors and Public Health Implication of Non-fatal Unintentional Home Injury in Hong Kong (HK$642,655)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Chan Ying-yang Emily (School of Public Health)

HIV-1 Protease Assay-guided Purification of Houttuynia Cordata (HK$79,708)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Fung Kwok-pui (Institute of Chinese Medicine)

Safety Studies on Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines during Pregnanacy (HK$800,000)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Dr. Wang Chi-chiu Ronald (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Hong Kong Visual Arts Year Book 2008 (HK$500,000)
Sponsor: Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Principal investigator: Prof. Chan Yuk-keung (Department of Fine Arts)

RFID-enabled Platform Technology for the Integrated Shenzhen-Hong Kong Food Safety and Supply Chain Management Public Information Platform (HK$2,099,992)
Sponsor: Collaboration with the Hong Kong R&D Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management Enabling Technologies Limited
Principal investigator: Prof. Yan Hou-min (Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management)

Legal Recognition of Same Sex Partnership in a Chinese Context: A Public Health Perspective (HK$700,000)
Sponsor: RGC Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme (6th Round)
Principal investigator: Prof. Lee Chi-kei (School of Public Health)

Ability Grouping and Reading Achievement: Mechanisms and Effects on Students in Hong Kong and 34 Countries (HK$355,992)
Sponsor: RGC Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme (6th Round)
Principal investigator: Prof. Chiu Ming-ming (Department of Educational Psychology)

Managing Environmental Conflicts Arising from Developments in Ecologically Sensitive Areas in Hong Kong (HK$287,000)
Sponsor: RGC Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme (6th Round)
Principal investigator: Prof. Chau Kwai-cheong (Department of Geography and Resource Management)

Investigating the Involvement of P13/DPK-1/Akt Pathways and Notch Signals in SARS-CoV Membrane-induced Apoptosis (HK$741,448)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Chan Ho-yin Edwin (Department of Biochemistry [Science])

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Preparedness of Poultry Workers with regards to H5N1 Avian Influenza (HK$322,973)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Kim Jean Hee (School of Public Health)

Can Calcium and Vitamin-D Supplementation Improve Bone Quality and Curve Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Girls with Low Bone Mineral Density A Randomised-Controlled Trial Study (HK$799,744)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Cheng Chun-Jiu Jack (Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology)

Computed Tomography Angiography and Venography in Place of Catheter Angiography for Acute Spontaneous Non-hypertensive Intracerebral Haemorrhage (HK$76,066)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Dr. Wong Kwok-chu George (Department of Surgery)

Evaluation of a Tai Chi Qigong Programme on Respiratory Functions and Activity Tolerance in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (HK$87,200)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Albert Lee (Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion)

Electroacupuncture for Postoperative Ileus after Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery: A Randomised Sham-controlled Study (HK$377,368)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Dr. Ng Siu-man Simon (Department of Surgery)

Stroke Incidence and Mortality Trends in Hong Kong: Implications for Public Health Education Efforts and Health Resource Utilization (HK$74,700)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Jean Woo (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics)

Validation of the NINDS-VCI Neuropsychology Protocols in Chinese Stroke Patients (HK$312,200)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Mok Chung-tong Vincent (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics)

Risk of Active Tuberculosis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hong Kong (HK$73,416)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Tam Lai-shan (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics)

Evaluation of the Pharmacological Activities of Health Supplements Derived from Chinese Medicine in the Amelioration of Symptoms of Allergic Asthma (HK$799,480)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Leung Ping-chung (Institute of Chinese Medicine)

A Survey on Health Status of Childhood Cancer Survivors (HK$514,021)
Sponsor: Health and Health Services Research Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Chan Wing-han Carmen (The Nethersole School of Nursing)

Evaluation of the Prevalence of Efflux-mediated Resistance Mechanisms in Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Clinical Isolates in Hong Kong (HK$701,448)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Prof. Chan Chiu-yeung Raphael (Department of Microbiology)

Triple Combination Lentiviral Vector-based Hematopoietic Stem Cell Gene Therapy for Inhibition of Drug-resistant HIV-1 (HK$800,000)
Sponsor: Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases
Principal investigator: Dr. Chen Yang-chao (Department of Medicine and Therapeutics)

A Pilot Study on Commercially Available Microarray Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization Platform for Prenatal Cytogenetic Diagnosis Using Uncultured Fetal Cells (HK$30,000)
Sponsor: Hong Kong Obstetrical & Gynaecological Trust Fund
Principal investigator: Dr. Leung Tak-yeung (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

In Vivo Gene Transfer into the Testis and Sperm in Mice (HK$30,000)
Sponsor: Hong Kong Obstetrical & Gynaecological Trust Fund
Principal investigator: Dr. Han Yi-bing (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Predictive Values of Plasma Lectins in Pre-eclampsia (HK$30,000)
Sponsor: Hong Kong Obstetrical & Gynaecological Trust Fund
Principal investigator: Prof. Wang Chi-chiu (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)