Biography

K H Chan received his training in internal medicine and neurology in the University Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong. He obtained his fellowship in neurology in 2001 and joined the University of Hong Kong as Clinical Assistant Professor in 2008, and became Clinical Associate Professor in 2013. His recurrent focus on immune-mediated neurological disorders and related neuroimmunology. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an important inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) with uncertain pathogenesis. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) cause severe optic neuritis and acute myelitis, and not uncommonly misdiagnosed as MS. Detection of aquaporin-4 autoantibodies (AQP4 Ab) in serum of NMO patients greatly facilitate the diagnosis of NMO and its differentiation from MS. APQ4 is the most abundant water channel protein in mammalian CNS. NMO is more common among Asians with long-term treatments different from that of MS. Dr. Chans research focuses on 1) clinical and radiological features of local MS and NMO patients, 2) development of better assays to detect AQP4 Ab, 3) understanding immunopathogenesis of MS and NMO especially the pathogenic role of AQP4 Ab, 4) development of an ideal animal model of NMO, and 5) development of novel immunomodulatory therapies for MS and NMO. He is particularly interested in the role of regulatory B cells in MS and NMO. He participates in international multi-center trial on new disease modifying therapies for MS and NMO. Among the line of neuroinflammation, he is actively researching on the pathogenetic mechanisms of Alzheimers disease (AD) focusing on neuroinflammation triggered by beta-amyloid (A) in AD and potential neuroprotective action of adiponectin (an adipokine with anti-inflammatory effects) for AD.