Geneticist: Nothing ventured, nothing gained

  

Joined the Hospital Authority (HA) Board in April, geneticist Professor Chan Wai-yee determines to share his wealth of international expertise with Hong Kong public hospitals. “Compared with the United States, the study of genetic diseases in Hong Kong is still in its infancy stage with a lack of support of doctors and researchers in the field,” he says. “In my new role, I want to share my experience with HA’s doctors and healthcare workers to address this knowledge gap.”

A graduate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) majored in chemistry, Prof Chan is now Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university. Furthering his studies abroad, Prof Chan later changed his focus to genetics in the US, spending almost 40 years of his career there. His research interests in recent years include gene regulation, epigenetic diseases and development. Since the 1970s, he researched genetic diseases and participated in the early population screening of Tay-Sachs disease, a Jewish genetic disease, the first such project in the US. He was Head and Principal Investigator of the Section on Developmental Genomics at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Currently he is the executive director of the Association of Chinese Geneticists in America.

  

Prof Chan’s knowledge-sharing with HA began eight years ago when he was invited to share his views on doing genetic screening in hospital, leading to the development of metabolic diseases services for newborn babies in Hong Kong Children’s Hospital today.

An eloquent and energetic character, Prof Chan hopes to work closely with HA colleagues to broaden the application and development of genetics in Hong Kong. Recollecting his life motto gained from the experience in a youth leadership camp, he says, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You must have the guts to try everything in life as long as it won’t kill you. Just go ahead and do it.”