Annual Report 2017–18

精研探微 格物知新 Exceeding the Limits of Today for a New Tomorrow 27 Treatment for Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer A research project led by Prof. Brigette Ma, Prof. Lo Kwok-wai, and Prof. Anthony Chan of the Faculty of Medicine showed that immune- checkpoint inhibitor could be effective in patients with recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer (top photo). The one-year overall survival rate of patients receiving the treatment was around 60%. They study was funded by the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program of the US National Cancer Institute and conducted in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Phase 2 Consortium. Mindfulness for Mental Health A research project conducted by Prof. Samuel Wong of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care showed that combining behavioural activation and mindfulness could help reduce by half the progression of subthreshold depression into major depression. The research team would go on to examine ways to integrate behavioural activation and meditation into primary care settings. Towards Better Understanding of Glaciology The remote sensing team led by Prof. Lin Hui, Director of the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, conducted the world’s first large-scale glacier mass balance survey in the western part of ‘High Mountains Asia’ that includes the Tibetan Plateau, the West Kunlun, the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Pamir. This research project aimed to throw light on the ‘Karakoram anomaly’, a natural phenomenon in the Karakoram area where the volume of glacier had increased, and thus running counter to the global trend of glacier shrinkage. Professor Lin’s research provides essential data for international water source management and forecasting. 晚期鼻咽癌新療法 醫學院馬碧如教授、羅國煒教授及陳德章 教授，證明「免疫檢查抑制劑」對復發性及 擴散性鼻咽癌具治療作用，患者接受治療一 年後的整體存活率約為六成（上圖）。該項 研究由美國國家癌症研究所資助，並且得到 「Mayo醫學中心第二期臨床研究聯盟」的 參與。 靜觀促進精神健康 中大醫學院賽馬會公共衞生及基層醫療學院 黃仰山教授的研究證實，行為激活及靜觀結 合療法能減少輕度抑鬱症演化成重性抑鬱 症的機率達五成。黃教授的研究團隊將探討 能否在基層醫療環境中應用此療法。 冰川學新探 太空與地球信息科學研究所所長林琿教授 領導的遙感團隊，於青藏高原、西崑崙、喀喇 崑崙、印度庫什、帕米爾等高原所在的「高亞 洲地區」西部，進行了世界首創的大範圍精 確測量。近年氣溫上升，冰川加速融化，但 喀喇崑崙一帶冰川質量不減反增，稱為「喀 喇崑崙現象」，林教授的研究項目即旨在探 討此現象，其成果將為國際水資源管理及預 測提供重要資料。 羅國煒教授（左一）、馬碧如教授（左二）、陳德章教授（右一） Prof. Lo Kwok-wai (1st left), Prof. Brigette Ma (2nd left), and Prof. Anthony Chan (1st right)