Anatomy & Physiology: Current Research

Anatomy & Physiology: Current Research
Open Access

ISSN: 2161-0940

+44 1300 500008

Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang

Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang

Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang
Editor-in-Chief
LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, NIH Visiting Fellowship Award and NIH Research Excellence Fellowship Award, USA (1997-2000)

[Read Interview session with Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang]

Biography

 

Since October 2001, I have established my laboratory entitled “Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases” when I was a Research Assistant Professor. Since then, my laboratory has grown from one MPhil postgraduate student to now 24 members (11 PhD students, 1 MPhil student, 2 Master of Medical Sciences, 1 Research Assistant, 4 final year project undergraduate fellows, 4 undergraduate interns, and 1 laboratory manager). I divide the team into three sub-groups for efficient management for a medium-sized group.

 

In the last twenty years as group leader, I have successfully obtained three international grants (two from The Glaucoma Foundation and one from BrightFocus Foundation, former name as American Health Assistant Foundation), three international exchange grants (France-Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme), thirteen local research grants (General Research Grant from Research Grant Council, Health and Medical Research Grant  from Food and Health Bureau, Innovative and Technology Research Fund from Innovative and Technology Commissioner, Croucher Foundation), one Hong Kong – National Science Foundation of China Joint Research Scheme, one Technology Transfer Grant, one private Foundation (Azalea Endowment (1972) Foundation) and numerous internal grants from The University of Hong Kong. I have also attracted contract research from international pharmaceutical company such as GlaxoSmithKline R&D and local biotechnology company such as NeuroTech (Hong Kong) Limited for translational research. In University, I am a team leader in an Area of Excellences (Institute for Molecular Drug Discovery and Synthesis), University Strategic Research Theme on Healthy Aging, University Strategic Research Theme on Drug Discovery to investigate neuroprotective testosterone for Alzheimer’s disease and drug discovery for Parkinson’s diseases and glaucoma. Altogether, I have secured over HK$24.9 million (~ CAN$4.1 million) (~US$3.06 million) research grant for the team in these twenty years.

 

I have published 169 papers, 15 book chapters and 394 abstracts. I am the editor for four books on “Advanced Understanding of Neurodegenerative Diseases”, “Neurodegenerative Diseases – Processes, Prevention, Protection and Monitoring”, “Lycium Barbarum and Human Health”, and the new one “Neuroprotection”. My h-index calculated by Scopus is 46 from 11628 citations, and by Google Scholar is 58 from 18557 citations. Since 2018, I have been listed as the top 1% highly cited scientists in the world by Journal Citation Report, Web of Sciences. Also, the laboratory has successfully transferred a polysaccharide product from Chinese medicine by our basic science research into one health food supplement in the market in Hong Kong. This product is the first trial for our Faculty of Medicine to transfer results from basic science research into commercial product. The laboratory has proven record in both basic science and applied science.

 

I have organized 10 International Workshop/Conferences of Dementia: From Public Health to Therapeutic Insights. I am the Secretary and Founding member for HKU Alzheimer’s Disease Network for multi-disciplinary research of Alzheimer’s disease. This conference becomes an eight-university event held in Hong Kong Science Park. I am a member in the Scientific Advisory Board in the International Alzheimer’s / Parkinson’s Diseases Symposium. In 2012, I have also organized International Symposium on Healthy Aging. I am the Editor-in-Chief for American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias since 2016. This is a journal with over 25 years publications. I am Senior Editor/Asia Chief Editor for Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, handling Associate Editor for Neurodegeneration Sections, Frontiers in Neurosciences, Frontiers in Neurology and Frontiers in Psychiatry. I am currently a member in the Editorial Board of over 20 different journals. I am also a member in Scientific Review Committee for Alzheimer Association. I have built up my international standing and network/collaborations with US, Canada, Australia, UK, France and China.

Research Interest
Research Experience:

 

Sep 2012 – now

  1. Associate Professor / Laboratory Head
  2. Investigator
  3. Principal Investigator
  4. Founder & Secretary
  1. Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences
  2. Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging (till Jun 2017)
  3. State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
  4. HKU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Network / University Strategic Research Theme on Ageing (till Jun 2017)

Research Directions:

“Molecular mechanisms of transforming autophagy into neuronal apoptosis”

“Molecular mechanisms of how corticosterone modulates tau and cytoskeleton”

“Pathophysiological mechanisms of cigarette smoking, high-fat diet, depression and systemic inflammation affects the brain”

“Pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodegeneration in the retina of Alzheimer’s disease”

“Pathological mechanisms of spreading and neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s Disease Dementia”

 

Oct 2005 –

Aug 2012

 

 

 

 

  1. Assistant Professor / Group Leader
  2. Investigator
  3. Principal Investigator
  4. Founder & Secretary

 

  1. Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy
  2. Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging / University Strategic Research Theme on Healthy Aging
  3. State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
  4. HKU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Network

Research Programs:

“Molecular mechanisms of neuronal apoptosis, synaptic degeneration, blockage of axonal transport and autophagy in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease”;

“Drug discovery of neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases”; &

“Microglia/macrophages and neuroprotection in experimental glaucoma”

The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

Oct 2001 –

Oct 2005

 

Research Assistant Professor /Group Leader

Investigation in “Functional roles of stress kinases (p38, JNK, and PKR) in neuronal apoptosis in Alzheimer’s disease” & “Roles of immune responses in neurodegeneration in experimental glaucoma”

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine,

The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

Jul 2000 –

Sep 2001

 

Research Officer

Study of “Intracellular signaling pathways of neuronal apoptosis related to the Alzheimer’s disease” & “Roles of immune responses in neurodegeneration in experimental glaucoma”

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine,

The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

Apr 1997 –

Jun 2000

NIH Visiting Research Fellow

Research in “Impact of CNS microenvironment on glial inflammatory responses”

Neuropharmacology Section,

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,

National Institutes of Health, USA

 

Jun 1994 –

Mar 1997

PhD Research Fellow

Study of “Roles of protein kinase C in acidosis-induced glial swelling”

Laboratory of Neurobiology, Institute for Surgical Research,

University of Munich, Germany

 

Apr 1994 –

May 1994

 

Pre-doctoral

Research Fellow

Research training in Neuroimmunology

Department of Neuroimmunology,

Max-Planck Institutes for Neurobiology, Germany

 

Jul 1993 –

Aug 1993

Research Assistant

Research training in Neuroanatomy

Department of Anatomy,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

Aug 1991 –

Jun 1993

MPhil Research Fellow

Research in “Effects of Tumor Necrosis Factor on Taurine Transport in Cultured Rat Astrocytes”

Departments of Biochemistry and Anatomy,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

Jun 1989 –

Aug 1989

Summer Research

Training Fellow

Research in “Growth hormone in fish”,

Department of Biochemistry,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

Jun 1988 –

Aug 1988

Summer Research

Training Fellow

Research in “Screening of restriction enzymes”

Department of Biochemistry,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

 

Teaching and Supervisory Experience:

 

Nov 2014 – now

Course Coordinator of Neuroanatomy for all curricula from Anatomy

 

Coordinate course development for neuroanatomy, teacher arrangement, quiz and examination for undergraduate students taught by Division of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

 

Sep 2012 – now

Anatomy Coordinator for Bachelor Degree of Chinese Medicine

 

Coordinate course development, teacher arrangement, quiz and examination for undergraduate students of Bachelor Degree of Chinese Medicine

Aug 2014 – now

Faculty Higher Degree Committee

Selection of new postgraduate students, review of all higher degrees (PhD, Mphil, MmedSc) examination and transfer for the LKS Faculty of Medicine

 

Sep 2014 – now

Deputy Assessment Coordinator

For MBBS (Medical Student) year 1 assessment.

 

 

Dec 2014 – now

Adjunct Associate Professor

School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for teaching neuroanatomy to their programs

 

Jan 2014 – now

Appointed Guest Professor

College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, for co-supervise postgraduate students

 

Sep 2010 – Jun 2015

Department Higher Degree Committee

Selection of new postgraduate students and monitor progress of postgraduate students for the Department of Anatomy

 

Jul 2015 – now

 

Department Higher Degree Committee

Selection of new postgraduate students and monitor progress of postgraduate students for the School of Biomedical Sciences

 

Jul 2000 –

Now

 

Supervisor/Co-supervisor/

Lecturer

Supervise research assistant, technician, graduate students (Graduated: 18 PhD, 5 MPhil, 5 Master of Medical Science & 3 postdoctoral fellows)

(On-going: 8 PhD, 2 MMedSc, 2 MRes)

Teaching the Problem-based Learning module and practical in anatomy (neuroanatomy, head and neck, hematology and immunology, endocrinology) for Medical students, PBL for Dental students

Lecture of neuroanatomy for Nursing, Chinese Medicine and Bioengineering students; Immunology for Master of Chinese medicine for acupuncture

Course Coordinator, Anatomy for Chinese Medicine

Division of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The university of Hong Kong

 

Apr 1997 –

Jun 2000

 

Supervisor

 

Supervise undergraduate interns, and junior postdoctoral fellows (1998-2000)

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

 

Aug 1991 – Jun 1993

Graduate Assistant

Courses: Cellular Basis of Biochemistry; and Enzyme

Department of Biochemistry,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

 

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