Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation Professorship in Holistic Cancer Care

The Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation Endowed Professor in Holistic Cancer Care, Professor Spring Kong is a known Clinical Oncologist and American Board Certified Radiation Oncologist. She is Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR), Fellow of the American Association of Women Radiologists (FAAWR) and Fellow of American Society for Radiation Oncology (FASTRO), each of these demonstrating the top ranking of her achievement in the organization. Professor Kong is currently a clinical professor, Director of Imaging and Blood Biomarker Group for cancer patients, Director of Thoracic Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Persistently striving to provide “Compassionate love and Holistic care” to patients with cancer, Professor Kong has over 30 years’ experience in cancer patient care, cancer research with a focus on lung cancer and fighting-cancer education in the United States, Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Professor Kong is a graduate of Radiation Oncology Residency Program from the Washington University in St. Louis (1998-2003) and also had Radiation Oncology Residency training from Fudan University, Shanghai Cancer Hospital (1985-1990) and postdoctoral training at Duke University. She obtained her Medical Degree from Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, is a MD qualified through the United States Medical License Examinations (USMLE). From an Assistant Professor to Tenured full Professor, she practiced compassionate patient care with active grant supported translational research in Oncology in several top ranked Universities in the United States. Professor Kong served as the leader of thoracic radiation oncology research program University of Michigan Hospitals, Chief of Radiation Oncology Service in Ann Arbor Veteran Administration Hospital/Chair of Advisory Committee for Radiation Oncology under the Secretary of United States, Department Chair of Radiation Oncology and then associate director of Cancer Center Medical College of Georgia, Co-Leader of Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Programme and Director of Clinical Research Indiana University Cancer Center in the United States.

Professor Kong, a known expert leader in lung cancer, has served as an expert panelist for National Cancer Network (NCCN) Guideline (most widely used in the world), radiation oncology practice appropriateness guidelines of the American College of Radiology (ACR), expert reviewer for American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) guideline on lung cancer, and a senior advisor for Precision Oncology Consensus Statement from Hong Kong. Professor Kong is the expert leader on Thoracic Radiotherapy Organs at Risk (OARs) contouring guideline in Advanced Radiation Technology (ART) of International Association for Study on Lung Cancer (IASLC). During her tenure in United States, Professor Kong received numerous awards including the prestigious Young Investigator Award (YIA) and Career Developmental Award (CDA) from American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), NIH R21 and R01 as the Principal Investigator and P01 as a Key Investigator from NIH/NCI of the United States. Professor Kong is a well-recognised leader of multiple committees in high impact international organizations in Oncology including NRG-Oncology Clinical Trial Cooperative Group, ASTRO, International Association for study on lung cancer (IASLC). Professor Kong served as Co-Chair of function imaging work group and imaging committee in NRG-Oncology, and President of American Association for Women Radiologists Radiation Oncologists (AAWR) and AAWR foundation. She is the National PI of RTOG1106 on adaptive Radiotherapy, translational research co-chair for RTOG618 and RTOG813 multicenter trials. Professor Kong was a Chair of IASLC-2024 Asia Conference in Lung Cancer (ACLC) and will be Chair of 2025 ACLC.

Professor Kong has published over 290 scientific publications, was ranked by Clarivate Analytics in the top 1% worldwide by citations (2020) and 1% published in radiation pneumonitis (2021). Professor Kong served as an editorial board member in many oncology journals including the top oncology journals like Journal of Clinical Oncology (Top Oncology Journal with IF=40+ in 2024) and the highest-ranking Journal in the field of Radiation Oncology, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. She is currently as an associate editor of the Journal of the National Cancer Centre (JNCC), the official Journal of China Health administration commission, Co-Editor-in-Chief for Intelligent Oncology sponsored the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and China National Education Bureau. She has given over 300 scientific presentations and 200 invited lectures.

Professor Kong is a well recognised international leader in Oncology, emphasising on multi-disciplinary collaborations, striving to combine the best of the West and the East together to fight cancer. She emphasizes education and training of young physicians and researchers, has involved in training of over 100 residents in Radiation Oncology and over 100 medical students in the States and China. She was the winner of the Teacher of the Year in 2013 in University of Michigan. Professor Kong has trained over 50 young physicians at postdoctoral level from Mainland China and other countries, and many of them are now leaders in major oncology organizations and hospital/University leadership like department Chair and hospital President.

Professor Kong is a popular mentor of HKU medical students and junior professoriate member of HKUMed. She is one of the first 9 selected teachers of “famous teacher program” of Guandong Providence, the only one in Oncology. Furthermore, Professor Kong leads an online public education of multidisciplinary experts every month on “Cancer Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment: The Global Views”, has so far organized 38 sessions with numerous positive feedback and million’ online participants.

Professor Kong is the founding President of the Sino-American Network of Radiation Oncology (SANTRO) now with 15 years’ history, the inaugural Chair of the SANTRO Board Directors. She served as board director of Chinese-American Hemotology and Oncology Network (CAHON), Deputy Director of Overseas Expert Committee of China Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), and received multiple awards including outstanding contribution to Chinese Society of Radiation Oncology. Currently, Professor Kong is the Leader of high-level talent team on Innovative Clinical Trial Platform and Innovative Clinical Trial on Precision Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy, Chair of the WHO STAR Oncology Guidelines Assessment Commission of the WHO Collaborating Centre, and the President of the Global Cancer Collaborative Group (GCOG).