Newsletter No. 147

CUResearchers Win Recognition and Funding Support Medical Student and Scientist Receive AACR Young Investigators Award T wo members of the Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Research Group of the University's Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Mr. Andrew S.C. Chan and Dr. Wang Guoli, were recently awarded the Young Investigators Award by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). AACR selects outstanding scientists in cancer research during its annual meetings. These awards enable them to present their papers at the AACR annual meeting and give them the opportunity to forge relationships with scientists around the world. This year 26 presenters of meritorious abstracts from Asia have been selected by the AACR Programme Committee to receive the 1999 Young Investigators Awards at the annual meeting held in Philadelphia. Three of them were from Hong Kong and two are members of The Chinese University. Mr. Andrew S.C. Chan is a graduate student researching on 'Genetically Abnormal Clones in Normal Nasopharyngeal Epithelium from Southern Chinese' under the supervision of Prof. Joseph C.K. Lee. Dr. Wang Guoli is working on 'Inhibiting Tumourigenic Potential by Restoring Functional pl6 in NPC Cells'. Four Projects Receive Grants from the Croucher Foundation F our faculty members of CUHK have applied successfully to the Croucher Foundation for funding support of their projects. They are: • Advanced Study Institute: Neural and Evolutionary Computations for Spatial Data Analysis (HK$600,300) Principal investigator: Prof. Leung Yee • The Eighth International Symposium of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (HK$ 100,000) Organizer: Prof. K.P. Fung for the Department of Biochemistry • Recent Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Cancer — A Joint Symposium of the Hong Kong Cancer Institute and the International Academy of Tumour Marker Oncology (HK$ 100,000) Organizer: Prof. Philip Johnson for the Department of Clinical Oncology • The 20th Asian Conference of Remote Sensing (HK$100,000) Organizer: Prof. L i n Hui for the Joint Laboratory for Geoinformation Science Physiology Project Receives Support from Population C o u n c i l , USA A n investigation of the chloride channel blocking effects of Lonidamine and its derivatives in the rat epididymis by Prof. Patrick Wong, professor of physiology, has been awarded a grant of US$2,000 by the Population Council of the United States. Teleconference Between Faculty of Medicine and Shantou University T he Faculty of Medicine and Shantou University Medical College were linked on 6th May for the first ever telemedicine conference between the two universities. The conference was held to commemorate the opening of the Orthopaedic Learning Centre of the faculty which was made possible by generous donations from Dr. L i Ka Shing and other donors. At the Shantou end, distinguished participants included Dr. L i Ka Shing himself, Mr. L in Xingsheng and Mr. Zhuang Lixiang, both vice-chairmen of Shantou University Council, Mr. Zhou Rifang, mayor of Shantou City and chancellor of the Shantou University Council, Prof. P.C. Leung, professor of orthopaedics and traumatology at CUHK, as we ll as Prof. Bruce Ponder f r om Cambridge University, who was attending Shantou University's first Visiting Scholar Programme. At the Prince of Wales Hospital, representing the Faculty of Medicine were Profs. Joseph C.K. Lee, Sydney Chung, Jack Cheng, and Magnus Hjelm. During the conference, faculty members of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology introduced w i th case i l l us t r a t i on the l imb lengthening technique in the treatment of severe limb length inequality in children. The role of the rehabilitation team, consisting of the physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and prosthetist-orthotist, in the management of such cases was explained. The use of CAD/CAM technology in the manufacturing of brace for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was also demonstrated. Children Transcend Language and Distance in Virtual Classroom T he University and AT&T are introducing 'Virtual Classroom 1999-2000'. The theme of this year's programme is 'Empowering the Next Generation' and it w i ll aim at heightening the awareness of integrating technology into the Hong Kong education system. Now in its third year, the AT&T-funded programme is a contest aimed at promoting communication and collaboration among school children across the globe. Students in Hong Kong and countries around the world communicate via the Internet and work on a common project. Last year the contest drew together 8,000 students worldwide from 300 schools, who worked in teams of three schools each for five months and created some 100 virtual classroom websites based on themes of their own choice. For this reason the programme is also known as 'A Classroom Without Walls'. This year A T &T is partnering w i th the Un i v e r s i ty to expand the p r og r amme by introducing a new element aimed at raising the awareness of environmental protection among students worldwide. WHO Meeting Addresses Exercise for the Elderly D elegates from 17 countries representing the World Health Organization, international associations, and non-governmental organizations gathered in Hong Kong to identify strategies in promoting physical activity among the elderly population at the international meeting of WHO partners on active ageing. The meeting was hosted by the CUHK W o r l d H e a l t h O r g a n i z a t i on Co l l abo r a t i ng Centre for Sports Medicine and Health Promotion from 30th April to 1st May. A t the meeting attention was drawn to the high level of physical inactivity among the elderly in Hong Kong despite notable evidence of the health benefits of physical activity. It was concluded that older persons have a right to be provided with opportunities to be physically active, and society has an obligation to provide the means for older persons to exercise these rights.