Yuen Kwok-yung
Encyclopedia
Yuen Kwok-yung Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (Basic Medicine and Health) and Silver Bauhinea Star Awardee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, was born in Hong Kong and graduated from the Medical School at the University of Hong Kong. He is also Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
(Lond, Edin, Irel), Surgeons(Glas) and Pathologists(UK). After years of clinical and laboratory training, he established the infectious disease service and rapid molecular diagnosis for cytomegalovirus and tuberculosis at the Queen Mary Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Hong Kong.
Yuen graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at University of Hong Kong in 1981 with distinction in Medicine. Initially trained as a surgeon, he switched successfully to a physician and, subsequently, a clinical microbiologist. His achievements include his Fellowships attained at institutions such as the Hong Kong Colleges of Pathologists, Surgeons and Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the Royal College of Pathologists of the UK, the Royal College of Surgery of Glasgow and the Royal Colleges of Physicians in Edinburgh, Ireland and London. He was also elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
(Medicine and Health).
In the outbreak of avian influenza virus H5N1 in 1997 in Hong Kong, Yuen was the first to report in Lancet about the unusual clinical severity and high mortality of infected patients which could be identified by the in-house molecular test at his laboratory[1]. During the outbreak of SARS in 2003, he led his team in the discovery of the SARS coronavirus
and was honoured as "Asian heroes of the year" in April by Time Asia Magazine[2,3,4]. Subsequently he found the natural reservoir of SARS coronavirus like virus in Chinese horseshoe bat
and renewed the interest of bats as the source of novel microbes causing emerging infectious diseases[5]. His research laboratory has also identified many suspected or confirmed pathogens: coroanvirus HKU1[6], bat coronavirus HKU2 to 13[7,8,9], bovine and porcine hokovirus[10] and Laribacter hongkongensis in fish and human[11,12].
Yuen is currently the Chair of Infectious Disease, Head of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong. He co-directs the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Disease of China in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of PRC. He was the founding co-director of the Hong Kong University-Pasteur Research Centre. His over 400 publications (with over 10,000 citations) mainly pertain to novel microbe discovery and agents of emerging infectious.
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
(Lond, Edin, Irel), Surgeons(Glas) and Pathologists(UK). After years of clinical and laboratory training, he established the infectious disease service and rapid molecular diagnosis for cytomegalovirus and tuberculosis at the Queen Mary Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Hong Kong.
Yuen graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at University of Hong Kong in 1981 with distinction in Medicine. Initially trained as a surgeon, he switched successfully to a physician and, subsequently, a clinical microbiologist. His achievements include his Fellowships attained at institutions such as the Hong Kong Colleges of Pathologists, Surgeons and Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the Royal College of Pathologists of the UK, the Royal College of Surgery of Glasgow and the Royal Colleges of Physicians in Edinburgh, Ireland and London. He was also elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chinese Academy of Engineering
The Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...
(Medicine and Health).
In the outbreak of avian influenza virus H5N1 in 1997 in Hong Kong, Yuen was the first to report in Lancet about the unusual clinical severity and high mortality of infected patients which could be identified by the in-house molecular test at his laboratory[1]. During the outbreak of SARS in 2003, he led his team in the discovery of the SARS coronavirus
SARS coronavirus
The SARS coronavirus, sometimes shortened to SARS-CoV, is the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome . On April 16, 2003, following the outbreak of SARS in Asia and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health Organization issued a press release stating that the...
and was honoured as "Asian heroes of the year" in April by Time Asia Magazine[2,3,4]. Subsequently he found the natural reservoir of SARS coronavirus like virus in Chinese horseshoe bat
Horseshoe bat
Horseshoe bats are a family of bats. In addition to the single living genus, Rhinolophus, there is one extinct genus, Palaeonycteris. The closely related Hipposideridae are sometimes included within the horseshoe bats as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae...
and renewed the interest of bats as the source of novel microbes causing emerging infectious diseases[5]. His research laboratory has also identified many suspected or confirmed pathogens: coroanvirus HKU1[6], bat coronavirus HKU2 to 13[7,8,9], bovine and porcine hokovirus[10] and Laribacter hongkongensis in fish and human[11,12].
Yuen is currently the Chair of Infectious Disease, Head of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong. He co-directs the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Disease of China in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of PRC. He was the founding co-director of the Hong Kong University-Pasteur Research Centre. His over 400 publications (with over 10,000 citations) mainly pertain to novel microbe discovery and agents of emerging infectious.