Dr. A.K.T. Chau

1. Echocardiographic evaluation (3 dimentional echo) in the transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects

Dr. Y.F. Cheung

1. Arterial stiffness in children with Kawasaki disease
2. Arterial stiffness after repair of aortic coarctation
3. Doppler tissue imaging analysis of cardiac function in congenital heart disease

Dr. T.C. Yung

1. Lung function of patients with previous phrenic nerve palsy

Prof. L. Low

1. Body composition and catch up growth in SGA infants
2. Treatment of patients with juvenile osteoporosis with disodium palmidronate
3. Study of the genetics of sitosterolemia

Dr. P.T. Cheung

1. Neurodegeneration mouse model: Mechanisms of motor neuron degeneration due to mutant androgen receptor using transgenic mice and in vitro culture models
   • A transgenic mouse model for a human hereditary neurodegenerative disorder of motor neuron, spinal and bulbal muscular atrophy, caused by trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor gene
2. Molecular genetics of endocrine disorders
   • VNTR of insulin gene in IDDM and NIDDM
   • Androgen receptor and 5a-reductase deficiency in AIS
   • 21-hydroxylase - prenatal diagnosis using ARMS
   • 11b-hydroxylase - analysis of the functional consequence of a novel mutation
   • Linkage mapping study for sitosterolaemia
3. Molecular genetics of neurodegenerative and general paediatric disorders
   • Pelizaeus Merzbacher disease - PLP
   • Spinal bulbal muscular atrophy (SBMA; Kennedy disease) - expanded CAG repeats in androgen receptor
   • Neonatal Bartter Syndrome - ROMK (Homozygous deletion)
   • Cystic fibrosis - CFTR (Compound heterozygote)
   • Craniosynostosis, achondroplasia, hypochondroplasia - FGFR analysis for skeletal disorder
4. Neonatal brain injuries and neuroprotection (Main fields: Bilirubin toxicity and hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy)
   • Genetic targeting to down regulate apoptosis following hypoxic-ischaemic and bilirubin encephalopathy
   • To study the protective role of IGF-I in neural degeneration using a transgenic mouse model
   • Interaction between endothelial and astroglial cells in hyperbilirubinaemia: role of cytokines and insulin-like growth factor-I and modulation by hypoxic-ischaemia
   • Studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how p75 low affinity neurotrophin receptor mediates neural cell death in neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
   • Studying the regulation of interleukin-6 by bilirubin - promoter-reporter construct
   • Studying the molecular mechanism of bilirubin-meidated cell death - focusing on mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in bilirubin induced apoptosis
   • Evaluating the protective/therapeutic effects of various treatment for neonatal brain injuries - TCM; caspase inhibitors; IGF-I; neurotrophins
5. Clinical studies
   • Early detection of MRS study for HIE
   • 3-monthly depot LHRH-A treatment for precocious puberty
   • Salting wasting syndrome for patients with intracranial tumour

Dr. S.Y.Ha

1. Local incidence and treatment outcome of childhood AML
2. Local incidence and treatment outcome of childhood LCH
3. Fe status assessment by MRI of thalassaemia and HbH patients
4. Genotypic-phenotype correlations in -thalassaemia major and intermediate in Hong Kong

Dr. G.C.F. Chan

1. Local incidence and treatment outcome of childhood neurogemic (ie. neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma)
2. Local incidence and treatment outcome of childhood peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour
3. RT-PCR multiplex for diagnosis of childhood leukaemia and detection of minimal residual disease
4. Immunotherapy using GD2 monoclonal antibodies for patients with metastatic neuroblastoma : a local study for Chinese patients
5. Use of arsenic trioxide for the treatment of refractory neurogenic tumour (in vitro and in vivo study)

Prof. Y.L. Lau

1. The role of collections (MBL, SP-A, SP-D) in infections such as SARS-CoV and HBV infections
2. Dendritic cells response to viruses
3. Genetic association studies in autoimmune diseases, such as SLE
4. The impact of the A2/A18 gene haplotypes in the response to H. influenzae type b polysaccharide conjugated vaccine in normal Chinese and Swedish adults

Dr. S. Chiu

1. Primary infection and reactivation of HHV6 & HHV7
2. S. pneumoniae carriage in children in day care and kindergarten
3. Febrile convulsion and respiratory virus

Dr. S.Y. Chan

1. Molecular basis of heart development
2. The role of nucleosome assembly proteins in cell proliferation and differentiation

Prof. C.Y. Yeung

1. Effects of Chinese herbs on bilirubin binding
2. Bilirubin toxicity- using cell culture models and simulating clinical conditions to study the effect of bilirubin cytotoxicity on various human cell lines
3. Assembled a new device to sample the end expiratory breath from small infants to study trace gases present in the breath to monitor a) breath hydrogen to assess lactose malabsorption; b) CO production to assess acute haemolysis in jaundice infants
4. A new device to monitor the serum protein binding capacity of jaundiced infants - This is a novel device which can utilize micro blood samples for tests.

Dr. B. Lam

1. Postnatal growth and development of discordant twin
2. Database on major structural congenital malformation in a regional perinatal centre
3. Infection control and handwashing audit in NICU

Prof. V. Wong

1. Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - Acupuncture with Neurohabilitation
   • Trial of Traditional Chinese Medicine in integrative rehabilitation of children with encephalopathy (cerebral palsy/autism)
   • Randomized control trial of Tongue Acupuncture in autistic spectrum disorder.
   • Use of Tongue Acupuncture in children with drooling problem
2. Use of Traditional Herbal Medicine in children with neurological disorder.
   • Use of Traditional Natural Medicine in treating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
   • Brain PET in children with neurological disorders.
3. Molecular genetics of childhood neurodevelopmental disorder - e.g. neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, Chariot-Marie-Tooth disease, mitochondrial disease, Rett Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Autism, epilepsy, spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne Muscular Dystropy.
   
4. Trial of new anticonvulsants for children with intractable epilepsy
   
5. Hong Kong Epilepsy Registry
   
6. Use of intramuscular botulinum toxin (botox) for spasticity and drooling.
   
7. Prevalence of epilepsy in Chinese community in Hong Kong
   
8. Hong Kong Children Stroke Registry
   
9. Hong Kong Children Autism Registry
   

Dr. W. Goh

1. Pulmonary function and pulmonary rehabilitation for children with neuromuscular diseases
2. Quality of life in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who are ventilator dependent
3. Effectiveness of comprehensive rehabilitation program for children with ventilator dependence in acute hospital.
4. Effectiveness of surgical intervention for control of drooling
5. Oromotor function in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
6. Obstructive sleep apnea in children with Neurodevelopmental disabilities
7. Cochlear implant in children with developmental disabilities
8. Effectiveness of selective dorsal Rhizotomy in the control of spasticity in cerebral palsy
9. Clinical surveillance on Neurofibromatosis type 1