Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

cation, caring practice, a nd ad v an c emen t of h e a l th sciences' a n d to p r o m o t e t he concept of ' s e r v i ng the c o mm u n i ty w i t h compassion'. CUHK Collaborates with Harvard on Mental Health Research The Chinese Un i v e r s i ty a n d H a r v a rd Me d i c a l School have recently received a g r a n t of US$1.33 m i l l i o n to c o n d u ct a series of collaborative me n t al hea l th a n d p o l i c y research a c t i v i t i e s f r o m 2001 to 2006. T he f i r s t s u c h a c t i v i t y w a s t he Re s ea r ch W o r k s h o p o n I n t e r n a t i o n al M e n t a l H e a l t h Issues i n C h i n a, H o n g K o n g , a n d I n d o n e s i a , h e l d f r om 21st to 23rd January 2002 at the Prince of Wales Hospital. L e a d i n g me n t al h e a l th experts f r o m the US, ma i n l a nd China, H o n g Ko n g , a n d I n d o n e s i a d i s c u s s e d a r a n ge of m e n t a l h e a l th issues c o n f r o n t i ng the societies t h ey l i ve i n , i n c l u d i ng ea r ly p s y c ho s i s, g e n d e r a n d m e n t a l h e a l t h , e a t i n g disorders, d r u g abuse, sexual p r o b l ems, m e n o p a u s a l s y n d r o m e , n o v e l i n t e r v e n t i on p r o g r a mm e s, a n d m e n t a l hea l t h po l i c y. Weight Management Is a Collaborative Effort Obesity can lead to chronic d i s a b l i ng c o n d i t i o n s b u t w e i g h t ma n a g eme nt is a d i f f i c u l t j o b . I n a p i l o t p r o g r a m me conducted b y the Faculty of Med i c i ne, 60 y o u ng obese patients w i t h an average age of 35 we re g i v e n a s i x - mo n th t r e a t me nt w i t h an anti-obesity drug. A l l los t w e i g ht a n d s h owe d a ma j or r e d u c t i on i n all r i sk f a c t o r s, e s p e c i a l l y b l o o d g l u c o se a n d c h o l e s t e r o l l e v e l s . U p o n t h e discontinuation of t he d r u g , h a l f of t he p a t i e n t s j o i n e d a s t r u c t u r ed b e h a v i o ur mo d i f i c a t i on p r o g r amme. A t the e nd o f a n o t h e r s ix m o n t h s , p a t i e n t s w h o u n d e r w e nt the p r o g r a mme ma i n t a i n ed their b o d y w e i g ht w h i le the rest regained the w e i g h t t h ey h a d lost. I t s h ows t h at we i g h t management involves the effort of h e a l th care p r o f e s s i ona ls as w e l l as the c oope r a t i on of patients . B i ochemi s t r y Department Celebrates 30th Birthday T h e D e p a r t m e n t of B i o c h e m i s t ry i n v i t ed all a l u m n i t o a h ome c om i ng v i s it o n 1st December i n celebration of her 30th anniversary i n 2001. The celebratory p r og r ammes i n c l u d ed t w o guest lectures b y Prof. W.W . Tso a nd M r . Y.L. L o o n ' B i o c h em i c al We a p o n s' a n d ' B u s i n e ss O p p o r t u n i t i es i n t he Biosciences' respectively, a g u i d ed t our o f the d e p a r t me n t, and, the h i g h l i g ht of the day, a h ome c om i ng banquet attended b y close to 300 biochemistry staff a nd a l umn i. A special 30th anniversary magazine, w i t h o l d class p i c t u r e s a n d a r t i c l es c o n t r i b u t e d b y t he p a st a n d p r e s e nt c h a i r me n a nd a l umni of the depa r tmen t, was also p u b l i s h ed to ma r k the occasion. 65