Molecular Medicine has been responsible for the major advances in Medicine in the past two decades. As part of the Department of Medicine, the Division of Molecular Medicine specializes in the development of novel diagnostic techniques for common genetic diseases such as thalassemias, haemophilias, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and Huntington’s disease, including non-invasive prenatal diagnosis and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

The Division uses genome-wide scans with micro-satellite markers for linkage of new disease genes and develops DNA microarray technology for the diagnosis of genetic diseases and cancers and the elucidation of their molecular pathologies. It is responsible for the DNA based prenatal diagnosis service of all HA hospitals as well as the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis service. The Division is also conducting advanced work on the screening and early genetic diagnosis of cancer and hopes that this service will be widely adopted throughout Hong Kong.

Professor Chan, who received her doctorate from the University of London in 1973, has been instrumental in establishing DNA technology in Hong Kong and promoting the benefits of related research. Her work clearly demonstrates Molecular Medicine as a key area of research, that embraces many medical specialties.

Professor Chan, who started her career as a clinical biochemist in the Department of Chemical Pathology, St Bartholomew’s Hospital London, is responsible for establishing the first Prenatal Diagnosis Centre in South East Asia in 1982. For her outstanding contribution and commitment to the prevention and control of common genetic diseases she was awarded Honorary Fellowships of the Royal College of Physicians, London and the Hong Kong College of Physicians in 2001.

In addition, Professor Chan holds a number of other honorary appointments around the world including the Haemophilia Testing and Carrier Guidelines Faculty and Thalassemia Control Group at the World Health Organisation, Faculty for Haemophilia Control at the World Federation of Haemophilia as well as being an Expert Group Core member in the Global Burden of Diseases, a joint venture of the World Health Organisation, Harvard School of Public Health and the World Bank.

Locally, she was a member of the Biology & Medicine Panel of the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Government between 1995 and 2000 and currently sits on the Hospital Authority’s Central Committee on Clinical Genetics. She has also served in numerous university committees including the Genetic Manipulation Working Group, the steering committee of the Genome Research Centre, Project chairperson for the development of the New Medical Complex and Acting Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology.

Professor Chan has published 180 papers, including peer-reviewed research papers, book chapters and review articles. She has received many invitations as plenary and symposium speaker at international meetings and presented over 100 abstracts at international congresses. She is also guest editor and reviewer for many international journals.