Calendar 2006–07

370 Part 4 • Research Units and University Extensions Diabetes and Endocrine Centre Tel.: 2632 2876 Fax.: 2632 2811 E-mail: cscockram@cuhk.edu.hk The Diabetes and Endocrine Centre was originally established within the Department of Medicine in 1985 as the Metabolic Investigation Unit. It expanded into the current centre in 1993. The centre combines high quality service provision with many research activities. With the very significant increase in the number of people with diabetes in Hong Kong, the main focus of the centre’s activities is diabetes care and management, although a comprehensive range of other endocrinological services are also provided. Major research interests include the genetics of type 2 diabetes in the young, obesity and diabetes, diabetic complications and their management, and the development of disbetes care models and outcome measures. The centre also plays an important educational role and organizes seminars and training workshops for all health professionals involved in diabetic care. International collaborative projects are numerous. Partners include the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. The Drug and Poisons Information Bureau Tel.: 2635 1111 Fax.: 2145 7160 E-mail: dpib@med.cuhk.edu.hk Website: http://dpib.med.cuhk.edu.hk The Drug and Poisons Information Bureau, run by the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, was established in 1987. It gives advice to health care professionals on the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of poisoning and adverse reactions to medicines, and on drug usage in general. It is manned by information officers who are nurses, pharmacists or junior physicians. These front-line staff are always backed up by an on-call consultant physician with a specialist interest in clinical pharmacology and toxicology. The bureau has access to various international databases with a listing of over 500,000 drugs, chemical entities and other items. The scope of its experience ranges from modern medicines, traditional Chinese and other remedies, to seafood and pesticide poisoning. Since its inception, it has conducted substantial research with 120 peer-received publications. In July 2005, DBIP and the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong jointly established the Hong Kong Poison Information Centre to enhance the poison information service in Hong Kong. The Drug Development Centre (DDC) Tel.: 2649 1747 Fax.: 2649 5514 E-mail: pharmacy@cuhk.edu.hk Website: http://www.pharmacy.cuhk.edu.hk/ DDC, the only such centre in Hong Kong, was set up in September 2000 with funding from the government’s Innovation and Technology Fund and the private sector. It