Yu Chiu-Kwong Professorship in Medicine

Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Internal medicine has been a core discipline in the development of clinical medicine. In the face of increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing proportion of ageing population, this discipline is growing in importance and relevance. In mid 2008, the population of elderly persons aged above 65 was 12.6% or 880,000 people of the total population in Hong Kong. It is estimated that the percentage will increase to 14% and 27% in 2016 and 2033 respectively.

Professor Daniel Chan is currently Chief of Service and Chief of Nephrology Division at the University Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital. He specialises in internal medicine and nephrology. Professor Chan is an internationally renowned expert in the treatment of lupus nephritis - kidney diseases that complicate systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus nephritis is an important cause of kidney failure. It is common in Asians and often affects young individuals. Through his pioneering research, new immunosuppressive treatment regimens have been devised for this severe disease, which have high efficacy and reduced side-effects. These treatments have subsequently become standard therapy worldwide. Professor Chan’s research on the management of viral hepatitis in patients on dialysis or after kidney transplantation has resulted in much improved clinical outcomes of these patients. Many of Professor Chan’s research publications are regarded seminal works in the field.

In his capacity as Chief of Service at the Department of Medicine at Queen Mary Hospital, he has ensured that the clinical service to the general public and the training of young doctors are both at a high professional and ethical standard befitting a leading teaching hospital.

Professor Chan has also contributed to the field of internal medicine in his previous capacity as Programme Director for Advanced Internal Medicine training under the Hong Kong College of Physicians, and current membership of the Training Subcommittee of the Hospital Authority and the Medical Subgroup of the Steering Committee on Strategic Review on Healthcare Manpower Planning and Professional Development of the HKSAR Government.

Professor Chan graduated from The University of Hong Kong in 1985. He trained at Queen Mary Hospital and Guy’s Hospital, London, U.K., then obtained his Doctor of Medicine in 1995. He became Professor of Medicine in 1999, was promoted to Personal Chair in 2005, and received the Yu Professorship in Nephrology in 2007.

Professor Chan is a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. He has previously served as President of Hong Kong Society of Transplantation, Nephrology Board Chairman of the Hong Kong College of Physicians, and President of the Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology. He currently sits on the Executive Committees of the Asian Society of Transplantation and the Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology. He is also Associate Dean of the LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong.