Dr. Winnie Wan-Yee Tso (曹蘊怡)

M.B.B.S.(London)., BSc (Hons), LMCHK, MRCPCh, FHKAM (Paed)

 

Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

Principal Investigator
The State Key Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences
The University of Hong Kong
https://sklbrain.hku.hk/principal-investigators/

Research interests:

Child development & neurology, Long COVID

Dr. Tso is a developmental paediatrician with special interests in neurorehabilitation. She is a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Hong Kong. She obtained her medical degree from King's College, University of London, United Kingdom. She has been elected as Distinguished Young Fellow by the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians in 2016 and has won numerous research awards in local as well as international scientific conferences. Dr. Tso diagnoses and manages children with developmental as well neuro-disabilities at the Queen Mary Hospital and the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital. She also leads the Acquired Brain Injury Program at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre.

Her research interests include:

1) Development of screening and diagnostic tools, as well as using advance neurodiagnostic techniques to promote early identification of children with developmental delay and neurobehavioral impairment

2) Investigate the cognitive and developmental trajectories as well as potential interventions for paediatric brain tumour survivors and children with acquired brain injuries

3) Investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection on the brain health & neurodevelopment of children & adolescents and the underlying pathogenesis of ‘brain fog’

Awards

  • 2020
    • Won the Ten Outstanding Young Persons’ Award in Hong Kong
  • 2017
    • Won the Young Investigator Award and Best Poster Presentation for the research on mutations in PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway as major causes of macrocephaly with developmental delay/ autism. The 13th Congress of Asian Society for Pediatric Research.
  • 2016
    • Elected as Distinguished Young Fellow, the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians; Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
  • 2015
    • Won the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians Best Dissertation Prize for the study on sleep duration and school readiness in Chinese children.
  • 2014
    • The Association for Research in Infant and Child Development (A.R.I.C.D) 16th Scientific Meeting, London, United Kingdom. Won the Dolores Luiz Award for the presentation on: Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales Validation in China.
  • 2013
    • Hong Kong College of Paediatricians first annual scientific meeting 7th Dec 2013. Poster presentation on: Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales Validation in China Won outstanding presentation award

Selected Publications

Developmental Behavioral Paediatrics

  • Tso WWY, Ho FK et al. Preterm postnatal complications and the risk of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2022 Sep 15. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15401. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36106586.
  • Tso W, Reichert F et al. Digital competence as a protective factor against gaming addiction in children and adolescents: A cross-sectional study in Hong Kong. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific 2022;20: 100382 Published online 2 February 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/j. lanwpc.2022.100382
  • Tso W, Chan M, Ho FK, Rao N, Li AM, Chan KL, Tiwari A, Wong ICK, Wing YK, Van Voorhees B, Li SL, Goh WHS, Ip P. Early sleep deprivation and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Pediatr Res. 2019 Jan 17. doi: 10.1038/s41390-019-0280-4. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Tso WWY, VCN Wong et al. The Griffiths Development Scales – Chinese (GDS-C): A cross cultural comparison of developmental trajectories between Chinese and British children. Child Care Health & Dev 2018; 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12548
  • Yeung KS*, Tso WWY*, Ip JJK et al. (* co-first authors) Identification of mutations in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling pathway in patients with macrocephaly and developmental delay and/or autism. Molecular Autism (2017) 8:66 DOI 10.1186/s13229-017-0182-4.
  • Tso WW, Rao N, Jiang F, Li AM, Lee SL, Ho FKW, Li SL, Ip P. Sleep duration and school readiness of Chinese Preschool Children. J Pediatr. 2016 Feb;169:266-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.10.064. Epub 2015 Nov 19

Acquired brain injury

  • Wang Y, Liu, AP, Lee TM, Wong WH, Fong D, Leung L, Shing M, Ku D, Chan GC, Tso WW Neurobehavioral Impairment in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors: A meta-analysis. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jul 4;14(13):3269. doi: 10.3390/cancers14133269. PMID: 35805042; PMCID: PMC9265927.
  • Tso WWY, Hui ESK, Lee TMC, Liu APY, Ip P, Vardhanabhuti V, Cheng KKF, Fong DYT, Chang DHF, Ho FKW, Yip KM, Ku DTL, Cheuk DKL, Luk CW, Shing MK, Leung LK, Khong PL, Chan GC. Brain Microstructural Changes Associated With Neurocognitive Outcome in Intracranial Germ Cell Tumor Survivors. Front Oncol. 2021 May 26;11:573798. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.573798. PMID: 34164332; PMCID: PMC8216078.
  • Tso WWY, Liu APY et al. Neurocognitive function, performance status, and quality of life in pediatric intracranial germ cell tumor survivors. Journal of Neuro-oncology 2019 Jan;141(2):393-401. doi: 10.1007/s11060-018-03045-3. Epub 2018 Nov 20.
  • WW Tso, AWY Yung, HY Lau, GCF Chan. Basal ganglia germinoma: MRI classifications correlates well with neurological and cognitive outcome. Journal of Paediatric Haematology & Oncology 2013 Sept 25 , Rao N, Jiang F, Li AM, Lee SL, Ho FKW, Li SL, Ip P. Sleep duration and school readiness of Chinese Preschool Children. J Pediatr. 2016 Feb;169:266-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.10.064. Epub 2015 Nov 19

COVID-19 & its effects on children’s brain and well-being

  • Tso WWY, Kwan MYW, Wang YL, Leung LK, Leung D, Chua GT, Ip P, Fong DYT, Wong WHS, Chan SHS, Chan JFW, Peiris M, Lau YL, Rosa Duque JS. Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 infection in unvaccinated hospitalized children: Comparison to influenza and parainfluenza infections. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2022 Jun 22:1-29. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2093135. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35730665.
  • Tso WWY, Chan KL, Lee TMC, Rao N, Lee SL, Jiang F, Chan SHS, Wong WHS, Wong RS, Tung KTS, Yam JC, Liu APY, Chua GT, Rosa Duque JS, Lam ALN, Yip KM, Leung LK, Wang Y, Sun J, Wang G, Chan GCF, Wong ICK, Ip P. Mental health & maltreatment risk of children with special educational needs during COVID-19. Child Abuse Negl. 2022 Jan 10:105457. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105457.
  • Tso, W.W.Y., Wong, R.S., Tung, K.T.S. et al.Vulnerability and resilience in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01680-8. Rao N, Jiang F, Li AM, Lee SL, Ho FKW, Li SL, Ip P. Sleep duration and school readiness of Chinese Preschool Children. J Pediatr. 2016 Feb;169:266-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.10.064. Epub 2015 Nov 19

Child neurology & genetics

  • Chiu ATG, Wong SSN, Wong NWT, Wong WHS, Tso WWY*, Fung CW* (*co-corresponding authors). Quality of life and symptom burden in children with neurodegenerative diseases: using PedsQL and SProND, a new symptom-based scale. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2022 Sep 2;17(1):334. doi: 10.1186/s13023-022-02485-5. PMID: 36056400; PMCID: PMC9437405.
  • Tso WW, Kwong AK, Fung CW, Wong VC. Folinic acid responsive epilepsy in Ohtahara Syndrome caused by STXBP1 mutation. Pediatric Neurology 2014 Feb: 50(2): 177-80.