Professor. KY. YUEN

*Research Interests:*
Professor Kwok-Yung YUEN, who graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1981 and heads the Department of Microbiology, has the rare distinction of being a microbiologist, surgeon and physician. His success in these three areas is exemplified by his numerous Fellowships at distinguished institutions, including 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, and also the Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering (Medicine and Health). In 2000, he was appointed the Scientific Co-director of the HKU-Pasteur Research Centre to set up a joint research venture between the Institute Pasteur and The University of Hong Kong because of his expertise in the area of emerging infectious diseases. His research strategy starts at the bedside by targeting patients with an obscure disease syndrome. He then moves to the laboratory to identify the novel microbe in clinical specimens. The animal source of the new microbe is then identified in the field. With these research data, he can help the government to contain outbreaks by controlling the epidemic centre. His leadership and experience have enabled him to rapidly mobilize and coordinate the joint effort of clinicians, microbiologists and epidemiologists in trying situations. Widely known among specialists in infectious diseases, Professor Yuen made his mark in 2003 when the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, gripped the globe. He played a key role in the discovery of the agent causing SARS, the SARS coronavirus, thus leading to measures that were crucial to containing the outbreak of this disease. He has also led his team in the discovery of other disease agents, including the novel Human Coronavirus HKU1, the bat SARS coronavirus, bat coronavirus HKU2 to 13, Laribacter hongkongensis and many other bacteria named after Hong Kong or China. He published the first clinical and laboratory diagnostic paper on Influenza A H5N1 in the Lancet which has been cited over 400 times since 1998 and in a review paper on this subject in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005. The University of Hong Kong appointed to him the Henry Fok Professorship of Infectious Diseases in 2005. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China has given the honour of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases – the first State Key Laboratory outside the Mainland, to HKU in recognition of its exemplary contributions this area and Professor Yuen has been the first Director of this laboratory. The HKSAR government has also honoured his contributions with the award of a Silver Bauhinia Star. He is one of the top 1% researchers in the world, as ranked by the Essential Science Indicator (ISI web), and has published more than 400 papers in peer reviewed journals including the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Journal of Virology and PNAS, with over 10,000 citations. His field of interest is novel microbes in emerging infectious diseases.
*Selected Publications:*
* corresponding first/corresponding author or co-principle investigators. VIRUS Yuen KY, Chan PK, Peiris M, Tsang DN, Que TL, Shortridge KF, Cheung PT, To WK, Ho ET, Sung R, Cheng AF. Clinical features and rapid viral diagnosis of human disease associated with avian influenza A H5N1 virus. Lancet.* 1998 Feb 14;351(9101):467-71. Beigel JH, Farrar J, Han AM, Hayden FG, Hyer R, de Jong MD, Lochindarat S, Nguyen TK, Nguyen TH, Tran TH, Nicoll A, Touch S, Yuen KY. Avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans. N Engl J Med.* 2005 Sep 29;353(13):1374-85. Review Woo PC, Lau SK, Tsoi HW, Chan KH, Wong BH, Che XY, Tam VK, Tam SC, Cheng VC, Hung IF, Wong SS, Zheng BJ, Guan Y, Yuen KY. Relative rates of non-pneumonic SARS coronavirus infection and SARS coronavirus pneumonia. Lancet.* 2004 Mar 13;363(9412):841-5. Peiris JS, Chu CM, Cheng VC, Chan KS, Hung IF, Poon LL, Law KI, Tang BS, Hon TY, Chan CS, Chan KH, Ng JS, Zheng BJ, Ng WL, Lai RW, Guan Y, Yuen KY. Clinical progression and viral load in a community outbreak of coronavirus-associated SARS pneumonia: a prospective study. Lancet.* 2003 May 24;361(9371):1767-72. Peiris JS, Lai ST, Poon LL, Guan Y, Yam LY, Lim W, Nicholls J, Yee WK, Yan WW, Cheung MT, Cheng VC, Chan KH, Tsang DN, Yung RW, Ng TK, Yuen KY. Coronavirus as a possible cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Lancet. 2003 Apr 19;361(9366):1319-25. Lau SK, Woo PC, Li KS, Huang Y, Tsoi HW, Wong BH, Wong SS, Leung SY, Chan KH, Yuen KY. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Sep 27;102(39):14040-5. Wong S, Lau S, Woo P, Yuen KY.* Bats as a continuing source of emerging infections in humans. Rev Med Virol. 2007 Mar-Apr;17(2):67-91. Review Woo PC, Lau SK, Yip CC, Huang Y, Tsoi HW, Chan KH, Yuen KY. Comparative analysis of 22 coronavirus HKU1 genomes reveals a novel genotype and evidence of natural recombination in coronavirus HKU1. J Virol. 2006 Jul;80(14):7136-45. Woo PC, Lau SK, Chu CM, Chan KH, Tsoi HW, Huang Y, Wong BH, Poon RW, Cai JJ, Luk WK, Poon LL, Wong SS, Guan Y, Peiris JS, Yuen KY. Characterization and complete genome sequence of a novel coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1, from patients with pneumonia. J Virol. 2005 Jan;79(2):884-95. BACTERIA Yuen KY, Woo PC, Teng JL, Leung KW, Wong MK, Lau SK. Laribacter hongkongensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel gram-negative bacterium isolated from a cirrhotic patient with bacteremia and empyema.J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Dec;39(12):4227-32. Woo PC, Lau SK, Teng JL, Que TL, Yung RW, Luk WK, Lai RW, Hui WT, Wong SS, Yau HH, Yuen KY. Association of Laribacter hongkongensis in community-acquired gastroenteritis with travel and eating fish: a multicentre case-control study. Lancet. 2004 Jun 12;363(9425):1941-7. FUNGUS Yuen KY, Wong SS, Tsang DN, Chau PY. Serodiagnosis of Penicillium marneffei infection. Lancet.* 1994 Aug 13;344(8920):444-5. Cao L, Chan CM, Lee C, Wong SS, Yuen KY. MP1 encodes an abundant and highly antigenic cell wall mannoprotein in the pathogenic fungus Penicillium marneffei. Infect Immun*. 1998 Mar;66(3):966-73.

Research Interests:

Professor Kwok-Yung YUEN, who graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1981 and heads the Department of Microbiology, has the rare distinction of being a microbiologist, surgeon and physician. His success in these three areas is exemplified by his numerous Fellowships at distinguished institutions, including 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, and also the Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering (Medicine and Health).

In 2000, he was appointed the Scientific Co-director of the HKU-Pasteur Research Centre to set up a joint research venture between the Institute Pasteur and The University of Hong Kong because of his expertise in the area of emerging infectious diseases. His research strategy starts at the bedside by targeting patients with an obscure disease syndrome. He then moves to the laboratory to identify the novel microbe in clinical specimens. The animal source of the new microbe is then identified in the field. With these research data, he can help the government to contain outbreaks by controlling the epidemic centre. His leadership and experience have enabled him to rapidly mobilize and coordinate the joint effort of clinicians, microbiologists and epidemiologists in trying situations.

Widely known among specialists in infectious diseases, Professor Yuen made his mark in 2003 when the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, gripped the globe. He played a key role in the discovery of the agent causing SARS, the SARS coronavirus, thus leading to measures that were crucial to containing the outbreak of this disease. He has also led his team in the discovery of other disease agents, including the novel Human Coronavirus HKU1, the bat SARS coronavirus, bat coronavirus HKU2 to 13, Laribacter hongkongensis and many other bacteria named after Hong Kong or China. He published the first clinical and laboratory diagnostic paper on Influenza A H5N1 in the Lancet which has been cited over 400 times since 1998 and in a review paper on this subject in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005. The University of Hong Kong appointed to him the Henry Fok Professorship of Infectious Diseases in 2005. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China has given the honour of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases – the first State Key Laboratory outside the Mainland, to HKU in recognition of its exemplary contributions this area and Professor Yuen has been the first Director of this laboratory. The HKSAR government has also honoured his contributions with the award of a Silver Bauhinia Star.

He is one of the top 1% researchers in the world, as ranked by the Essential Science Indicator (ISI web), and has published more than 400 papers in peer reviewed journals including the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Journal of Virology and PNAS, with over 10,000 citations. His field of interest is novel microbes in emerging infectious diseases.

Selected Publications:

* corresponding first/corresponding author or co-principle investigators.

VIRUS
Yuen KY*, Chan PK, Peiris M, Tsang DN, Que TL, Shortridge KF, Cheung PT, To WK, Ho ET, Sung R, Cheng AF. Clinical features and rapid viral diagnosis of human disease associated with avian influenza A H5N1 virus. Lancet. 1998 Feb 14;351(9101):467-71.
Beigel JH, Farrar J, Han AM, Hayden FG, Hyer R, de Jong MD, Lochindarat S, Nguyen TK, Nguyen TH, Tran TH, Nicoll A, Touch S, Yuen KY*. Avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans. N Engl J Med. 2005 Sep 29;353(13):1374-85. Review

Woo PC, Lau SK, Tsoi HW, Chan KH, Wong BH, Che XY, Tam VK, Tam SC, Cheng VC, Hung IF, Wong SS, Zheng BJ, Guan Y, Yuen KY*. Relative rates of non-pneumonic SARS coronavirus infection and SARS coronavirus pneumonia. Lancet. 2004 Mar 13;363(9412):841-5.

Peiris JS, Chu CM, Cheng VC, Chan KS, Hung IF, Poon LL, Law KI, Tang BS, Hon TY, Chan CS, Chan KH, Ng JS, Zheng BJ, Ng WL, Lai RW, Guan Y, Yuen KY*. Clinical progression and viral load in a community outbreak of coronavirus-associated SARS pneumonia: a prospective study. Lancet. 2003 May 24;361(9371):1767-72.

Peiris JS, Lai ST, Poon LL, Guan Y, Yam LY, Lim W, Nicholls J, Yee WK, Yan WW, Cheung MT, Cheng VC, Chan KH, Tsang DN, Yung RW, Ng TK, Yuen KY*. Coronavirus as a possible cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Lancet. 2003 Apr 19;361(9366):1319-25.

Lau SK, Woo PC, Li KS, Huang Y, Tsoi HW, Wong BH, Wong SS, Leung SY, Chan KH, Yuen KY*. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Sep 27;102(39):14040-5.

Wong S, Lau S, Woo P, Yuen KY.* Bats as a continuing source of emerging infections in humans. Rev Med Virol. 2007 Mar-Apr;17(2):67-91. Review

Woo PC, Lau SK, Yip CC, Huang Y, Tsoi HW, Chan KH, Yuen KY*. Comparative analysis of 22 coronavirus HKU1 genomes reveals a novel genotype and evidence of natural recombination in coronavirus HKU1. J Virol. 2006 Jul;80(14):7136-45.

Woo PC, Lau SK, Chu CM, Chan KH, Tsoi HW, Huang Y, Wong BH, Poon RW, Cai JJ, Luk WK, Poon LL, Wong SS, Guan Y, Peiris JS, Yuen KY*. Characterization and complete genome sequence of a novel coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1, from patients with pneumonia. J Virol. 2005 Jan;79(2):884-95.

BACTERIA

Yuen KY*, Woo PC, Teng JL, Leung KW, Wong MK, Lau SK. Laribacter hongkongensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel gram-negative bacterium isolated from a cirrhotic patient with bacteremia and empyema.J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Dec;39(12):4227-32.

Woo PC, Lau SK, Teng JL, Que TL, Yung RW, Luk WK, Lai RW, Hui WT, Wong SS, Yau HH, Yuen KY*. Association of Laribacter hongkongensis in community-acquired gastroenteritis with travel and eating fish: a multicentre case-control study.
Lancet. 2004 Jun 12;363(9425):1941-7.

FUNGUS

Yuen KY*, Wong SS, Tsang DN, Chau PY. Serodiagnosis of Penicillium marneffei infection. Lancet. 1994 Aug 13;344(8920):444-5.

Cao L, Chan CM, Lee C, Wong SS, Yuen KY*. MP1 encodes an abundant and highly antigenic cell wall mannoprotein in the pathogenic fungus Penicillium marneffei. Infect Immun. 1998 Mar;66(3):966-73.