The Department of Physiology was established at The University of Hong Kong in 1913. It has since been a cornerstone of the Faculty of Medicine. With the turn of the century, the Department moved into the new medical complex on Sassoon Road. Focus on research and teaching programmes has continued on the biomedical front, contributing to fundamental and mechanistic understanding at levels spanning from molecules to man.

Professor Chan Ying-Shing, Head of the Department of Physiology at HKU, has pioneered research studies that unravel the developmental emergence of the neural circuitry for 3-dimensional spatial recognition in animal models. The work impacts on neural plasticity. He and his team have unveiled molecular mechanisms that govern experience-dependent synaptic plasticity of neural circuits within critical periods of development. Perturbation of neurotransmission during the critical period affected the development of brain maps of spatial representation with consequences on behavioural outcomes in the adult. Their findings shed light on therapeutic strategies that reactivate quiescent pathways in the adult brain. The achievement has been recognised with an Outstanding Researcher Award of HKU.

Professor Chan received training in the basic sciences and pursued postgraduate research leading to PhD in Neurophysiology at HKU. He received postdoctoral training in the Institute of Human Physiology, University of Pisa and spent sabbatical leave at The Rockefeller University, New York. At the Faculty level, he served for four years as Associate Dean (Research), five years as Associate Dean (Academic Networking & Student Affairs), Chairman of two standing committees, and Deputy-Director of Research Centre on Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging. At the University level, he chaired eight committees and project groups. He is also currently Director of Neuroscience Research Centre, HKU.

With authorship of 150 scientific papers and 16 book chapters, Professor Chan has disseminated his findings in Keynote and Plenary lectures in international congresses and conferences. He was elected as Chair of international meetings, from Symposium to Congress. He serves as member in multiple panels and schemes of national research councils. He also serves on editorial boards of scientific journals and international programme committees of congresses. Peer recognition of Professor Chan’s leadership qualities is further reflected by election to such offices as Chair of Asia-Pacific Regional Committee of the International Brain Research Organization, and President of the Federation of Asian-Oceanian Neuroscience Societies.

Professor Chan has had a long record of devotion to education. He is recipient of the University’s Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award and the HKU Medical Faculty Teaching Medal. His career in academia has translated pursuits of scientific and academic excellence in Neurosciences to the promotion and advancement of neuroscience education, both locally and worldwide.

Professor Chan has scaled up the involvement of local biologists of tertiary institutions in raising public awareness of biological and health issues. As Chair of international associations, he has generated rapport among National Neuroscience Societies in the Asia-Pacific region in offering Schools of Neuroscience to young and upcoming neuroscientists, especially those from developing countries. These efforts culminated in the award of a First Medallion of its kind by the Australian Neuroscience Society.

香港大學的醫學院前身為香港華人西醫書院，創立於1887年，較香港大學正式成立還要早。當港大在1912年開校，醫學院被賦予創校學院的地位。個多世紀以來，醫學院承擔着服務香港的重任，她既是醫學教育和科研的先鋒，又是公眾健康的守護使者。醫學院目前是港大最大的學院，有逾250名全職教學員工，550名研究及支援人員和3,000多名學生。

李心平教授於1970年在香港大學內外全科本科畢業。2008年，他憑藉傑出的成就和豐富的國際經驗，載譽重返港大，出任醫學院院長。李教授於1978年在新西蘭的奧克蘭大學獲得博士學位，1980年在香港大學獲得醫學博士學位。其後，他在美國西雅圖華盛頓大學醫學院擔任教授。作為腸胃科主管，李教授致力推動大學的內科人材培訓計劃，這計劃連續14年在全美排名第一。在他的參與指導下，華盛頓大學醫學中心在病人護理方面穩佔全美前十名的位置。

李教授屢獲專業殊榮。他是首位被美國肝病研究協會授予傑出成就獎的亞裔學者，以表彰其對肝病研究長期的科學貢獻。李教授以其對肝膽機能方面的豐碩而影響深遠的研究成果聞名於世，包括膽汁分泌的生物化學特性、膽汁脂質的物理性質和化學性質、膽道上皮的細胞生物學等，這些研究對膽道疾病及膽結石患者的臨床判斷和處理有莫大關係。

在臨床工作上，李教授持續十年獲選登上「美國最佳醫生」的榮譽榜。他視照顧病患者為自己的終身使命，亦是一門藉着結合臨床、教學與科研來實踐的「沉默的藝術」。

李教授是澳洲皇家內科醫學院，美國內科醫學院，倫敦皇家內科醫學院院士，美國腸胃科醫學院大師，以及美國內科醫生協會的成員。他亦身兼美國國家衛生院理事會、英國、加拿大、澳洲、新加坡醫學研究理事會之科學顧問。

李教授自著及合著了170多篇原創科學論文和20多篇評論文章，並擔任多份國際重要學術刊物的顧問。