Jessie Ho Professorship in Spine Surgery

The human spine is a dynamic and complex structure. When spinal disorders occur, they may affect an individual's form and function, in some cases leading to severe disability and death. At the cutting-edge of clinical innovations and pioneering research to address spinal conditions is the Division of Spine Surgery in the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, at The University of Hong Kong. Since the 1950s, the Division has maintained a long tradition and an international reputation for excellence as well as leadership.

Professor Kenneth Cheung, Clinical Professor and Deputy Chief of the Division of Spine Surgery, is one of the surgeons leading the field in search of novel ways to prevent, repair, and manage complex spinal disorders. Through various ground-breaking initiatives, a passion for research and a drive for discovery, he and his multidisciplinary team have been at the forefront of spine research - continually embarking upon new frontiers for the betterment of humanity.

Professor Cheung’s research interests are in intervertebral disc degeneration and regeneration, and the development of novel surgical implants using shape memory technologies for the treatment of spinal deformities.

Professor Cheung obtained his undergraduate medical degree at the Medical College of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The University of London, UK, in 1987. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1991, and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 1995. After returning to Hong Kong in 1992, he pursued both a clinical career in Spine Surgery as well as a research career, culminating in the award of a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from The University of Hong Kong in 2007.

He has over 180 publications in international peer reviewed journals and 10 book chapters. He holds 13 patents and has 15 personal awards for research excellence, as well as 24 additional awards by his research team members. Notable in 2008, he became the first clinician-scientist residing in Asia to have received the Henry Farfan Award from the North American Spine Society for his outstanding contributions in spine-related basic science research. Furthermore, in 2010, he received the prestigious ISSLS prize from the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, awarded annually to the most significant contribution in clinical spine research. He has secured multiple research grants from local, regional and international granting bodies totaling over US$5 million.

Professor Cheung has been invited as a visiting professor and speaker on multiple occasions to international meetings, and has published extensively in top scientific journals. He sits on the editorial boards of several top international spine and orthopaedic journals, and has been very active in the education of future spine surgeons and scientists in Hong Kong and throughout the world.

Professor Cheung has been extremely involved in various esteemed professional societies throughout the years, providing his expertise as a member of the Board of Directors of the Scoliosis Research Society as well as being the Chair of their Research Council. He is the past Chairman of the AOSpine Research Commission, co-ordinating research on a global level for AOSpine, and is the Organising Chairman of the World Forum for Spine Research in Kyoto (2008), in Montreal (2010), and Helsinki (2012).

Above all his accomplishments, he is a proud husband to Cecilia, and father to Christina, Christopher and Kevin.