Gastroenterology (GI) and Hepatology, as a specialty within the realms of Internal Medicine, has gone through transformative changes since the late 20th Century. The development of fiberoptic endoscopy, introduction of proton pump inhibitors, discovery of Helicobacter pylori, and the advent of nucleoside/nucleotide analogues that effectively suppress hepatitis B virus proliferation are only some of the many milestones that have forever changed the landscape in this field. Riding on this wave of groundbreaking discoveries, the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has made significant scientific contributions to the field, trained numerous young clinician-scientists and endoscopists, published landmark papers that have changed GI practices around the world. Through this pursuit of excellence the Team has put Hong Kong on the map of academia.
Recruited by the then Dean of Medicine, CUHK Professor Arthur Li, and Director of the Combined Endoscopy Unit Professor Sydney Chung, I started as a young lecturer and returned to Hong Kong from Calgary, Canada in 1992 to build the academic unit at CUHK. The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology back then consisted of only two Gastroenterologists and one Hepatologist. In less than 30 years, it has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the top GI and Hepatology unit in Asia and 3rd globally in 2023 (U.S. News Best Global Universities Subject Rankings) and has grown to become a team of over 25 clinicians and 50 scientists (including post-docs and PhD students).
Over the last three decades, the group has pioneered endoscopic injection of epinephrine as a treatment for peptic ulcer bleeding; the use of one-week bismuth triple therapy with no acid suppression for gastric and duodenal ulcer treatment; the use of intravenous proton pump inhibitors and intravenous octreotide in the acute management of peptic ulcer and variceal bleeding, respectively; enhanced our understanding of the interaction between aspirin and NSAIDs with H. pylori in peptic ulcer pathogenesis and many others. In recent years, the group has embarked on the journey to explore new therapies for viral hepatitis B and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, elucidate the complex interplay between the gut microbiome and digestive cancers, and has played a pivotal role in coordinating efforts in the Asia-Pacific to establish guidelines in colorectal cancer screening and prevention and the use of artificial intelligence and robotics in Gastroenterology.
I believe that the success of this group is based on three main factors. First, a unique comradeship exists between Gastroenterologists and Surgeons who work together in the clinical management of patients and in the pursuit of academic endeavors. The establishment of the Combined Endoscopy Unit (CEU) at the Prince of Wales Hospital in 1984 with both Medicine and Surgery being important stakeholders was borne out of the pressures of limited resources at its inception, but has finished as a beacon of academic synergism and excellence. Second, the “can-do” spirit and high efficiency in Hong Kong. Many important studies were started from brainstorming sessions at local and international conferences, or even from a causal chat over interesting topics at the hospital canteen. Without waiting for sufficient funding and securing protected time for research, colleagues just went on to work day-and-night on these projects until accomplishment. Third, passing of the baton from one leader to another and attracting generation after generation of young talents to join the team and contribute their innovative ideas and hard work. Many of the leaders and researchers from this group (Professors Francis Chan, James Lau, Jun Yu, Henry Chan, Justin Wu, Vincent Wong, Grace Wong, Siew Ng just to name a few) are world renowned leaders in their respective fields.
In 2005, we assembled a multidisciplinary team under the auspices of the Institute of Digestive Disease (IDD) to bring together the best patient care, research and education in gastroenterological disorders. Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists, General Surgeons, Endoscopists, Oncologists, Pathologists, Radiologists, Public Health Specialists, Basic Scientists and Data Scientists collaborate closely together in this Institute to achieve these goals. They have contributed to major breakthroughs, such as endoscopic therapies, minimally invasive surgery, research on molecular diagnostic tools for cancer and novel treatments for peptic ulcer disease, just to name a few. The annual event of the International Workshop on Therapeutic Endoscopy (Hong Kong Live) which has been running for over three decades, is one of the oldest continuously running live demonstration courses in the world, and will continue to be a highlight of endoscopy training and education. At the same time, since 2011 the International Digestive Disease Forum (IDDF) has been held annually which provides an unparalleled platform in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss ideas, showcase research findings, obtain the latest professional knowledge and trends, and provides an opportunity to expand professional networks. Looking ahead, IDD will endeavor to scale new heights for the benefit of patients suffering from gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
Professor Joseph JY Sung
Emeritus Professor
Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, China
