Joseph Sung Jao-yiu (, born 22 October 1959) is a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
and
gastroenterologist
Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, ...
, and the current Dean of
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine is the medical school of the Nanyang Technological University. The school was established in 2013 as Singapore's third medical school, after the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Duke–NUS Medical Sch ...
at the
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), also serving as the Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences) of NTU.
Previously, he was the Vice-Chancellor and President of the
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university and ...
(CUHK).
Early life and education
Sung is of
Ningbo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
,
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
ancestry and was born in Hong Kong. His father was an
optometrist in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. When war broke out, he moved to Hong Kong in 1937 and continued his practice.
The junior Sung was born in 1959; he went to the Chinese Children Institute for elementary school and entered
Queen's College in 1971, finishing in 1976 after
Secondary 5.
After his
internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
at
Queen Mary Hospital, spending six months each in medicine and orthopaedic surgery, he received his
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from the
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the f ...
in 1983. He then went to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
to study
microbial ecology
Microbial ecology (or environmental microbiology) is the ecology of microorganisms: their relationship with one another and with their environment. It concerns the three major domains of life—Eukaryota, Archaea, and Bacteria—as well as viru ...
in 1989, after being awarded a Croucher Foundation Fellowship. The 1-year scholarship was extended by six months only, but he was then awarded the
Izaak Walton Killam
Izaak Walton Killam (July 23, 1885 – August 5, 1955) was a Canadian financier.
Early life
Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, he was the son of William Dudman Killam and Arabella Hunter (Belle) Cann.
Business ventures
As a young banker with the ...
Memorial Scholarship, the most prestigious graduate award in the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
, to cover the rest of his 3-year stay.
Sung obtained his
PhD from the
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
in 1991 and a
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
from
CUHK
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
in 1997.
Career
Before he went to Canada, Sung had joined the newly opened
Prince of Wales Hospital
Prince of Wales Hospital is a large of Tertiary referral hospital and large of teaching hospital from Faculty of Medicine in Chinese University of Hong Kong in Sha Tin, New Territories in Hong Kong..
Named after Charles, Prince of Wales (now ...
in 1984, first as a Registrar in pathology, then as a Medical Officer in the medical department, and then as a Fellow specialising in hepatology and gastroenterology.
After his PhD, in 1992, he became a lecturer at the Department of Medicine at
CUHK
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
.
He then was promoted to Chair Professor at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the same department (until 2006) in 1998,
and became the Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics next year,
until stepping down in 2010 when he assumed the role of President and Vice-Chancellor of CUHK. Prior to that, Sung was also successively the Associate Dean (Clinical) (2002-2004) and Associate Dean (General Affairs) (2004-2009) of the
CUHK Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) () was established in 1981 and consists of five schools which offer an array of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the field of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public ...
, and Head of
Shaw College (2008-2010).
Sung was also appointed Mok Hing Yiu Professor of Medicine in 2007.
CUHK
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
Presidency
The first few years Sung's 7-year presidency, which began in 2010, at
CUHK
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
oversaw the transition from the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
3-2-2-3 system to the current
3-3-4 system. As the new university entrance examination, the
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) is an examination organised by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is Hong Kong's university entrance examination, administer ...
, would debut in 2012, that year would see CUHK beginning its 4-year curriculum and a surge of
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
students. The first intake of students for the 5 new
colleges, which were founded in 3–4 years prior for this transition, occurred between 2010 and 2012.
Sung also led the establishment of
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) is a campus of the public Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shenzhen, Guangdong. It is a joint venture between Shenzhen University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. CUHK-Shenzhen was ...
in 2014, the planning for the
CUHK Medical Centre
CUHK Medical Centre is a non-profit teaching hospital at Ma Liu Shui, New Territories, Hong Kong, next to University station. Opened on 6 January 2021, it is a self-financed teaching hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The ...
and the CUHK Strategic Plan 2016–2020.
Sung has also been noted for his response to
student activism. During the
2014 Hong Kong protests
A series of sit-in street protests, often called the Umbrella Revolution and sometimes used interchangeably with Umbrella Movement, or Occupy Movement, occurred in Hong Kong from 26 September to 15 December 2014.
The protests began after t ...
, Sung and
Peter Mathieson, the then-President and Vice Chancellor of the
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the f ...
, visited and talked to student protestors, in the hope of calming them down and preventing conflict, not to send any political message. Towards the end of his vice-chancellorship, he
asked the CUHK Student Union to remove pro-independence posters from message boards, and warned the university would remove them if the Student Union refused.
Although reappointed for a second term until 2018, he left his presidency early in 2017 and returned to the medical field.
Post-presidency
Sung sat on the 2019
Lui Che Woo Prize The LUI Che Woo Prize – Prize for World Civilisation (), is an international prize founded on 24 September 2015 by Lui Che-woo, Lui Che Woo, Chairman of K. Wah International of Hong Kong. There are three prizes for the three objectives of the Lui ...
Welfare Betterment Prize Selection Panel.
In 2020, Sung was appointed as the Dean of
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine is the medical school of the Nanyang Technological University. The school was established in 2013 as Singapore's third medical school, after the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Duke–NUS Medical Sch ...
at
NTU and Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences) at NTU; he took up the roles on 1 April 2021.
He remains an
Emeritus Professor
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
at CUHK.
Research
During the
2002–2004 SARS outbreak
The 2002–2004 outbreak of SARS, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), infected over 8,000 people from 29 countries and territories, and resulted in at least 774 deaths worldwide.
The outbreak was ...
, as the Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics,
CUHK Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) () was established in 1981 and consists of five schools which offer an array of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the field of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public ...
and Chief of Service at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics,
Prince of Wales Hospital
Prince of Wales Hospital is a large of Tertiary referral hospital and large of teaching hospital from Faculty of Medicine in Chinese University of Hong Kong in Sha Tin, New Territories in Hong Kong..
Named after Charles, Prince of Wales (now ...
, Sung led the hospital in its response and studied the
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evide ...
and clinical aspect of the
SARS virus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''seve ...
, despite not being a
respiratory system
The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies ...
expert.
The hospital was one of the epicenters, after an infected patient was treated there.
Holding a Croucher Senior Research Fellowship, he went on a 6-month sabbatical in 2004 at
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Bloomberg may refer to:
People
* Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer
* Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian
* Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and m ...
; he became the Founding Director and Advisor of the CUHK Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases upon returning.
As a
gastroenterologist
Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, ...
, his research spans
intestinal bleeding
Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleed), also called gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIB), is all forms of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. When there is significant blood loss over a short time, symptoms may include ...
, ''
Helicobacter pylori
''Helicobacter pylori'', previously known as ''Campylobacter pylori'', is a gram-negative, microaerophilic, spiral (helical) bacterium usually found in the stomach. Its helical shape (from which the genus name, helicobacter, derives) is thoug ...
'' infection,
peptic ulcer
Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines ...
, and
gastrointestinal cancer. His team was the first in showing a 1-week course of
antibiotic therapy can cure ''H. pylori'' infection, treat peptic ulcer and minimize its relapse. He also pioneered the use of
endoscopic procedure in treating ulcer bleeding, reducing the need for
surgery. Sung also chaired the Asia Pacific Working Group on
Colorectal Cancer, founded in 2004 with the goal to set up regional guidelines on the prevention and screening for colorectal cancer.
Sung has published over 1700
scientific articles
: ''For a broader class of literature, see Academic publishing.''
Scientific literature comprises scholarly publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences. Within an academic field, scient ...
, and was listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by
Clarivate
Clarivate Plc is a British-American publicly traded analytics company that operates a collection of subscription-based services, in the areas of bibliometrics and scientometrics; business / market intelligence, and competitive profiling for ph ...
in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He has edited or authored more than 15 books,
including ''Principles and Practice of Clinical Medicine in Asia'' (2nd ed.), ''Gastrointestinal Bleeding'' (2nd ed.) and ''Atlas of Clinical Gastrointestinal Endoscopy'' (3rd ed.). Sung has penned many chapters in major textbooks as well, including the ''
Oxford Textbook of Medicine
The ''Oxford Textbook of Medicine'' is an international textbook of medicine. First published in 1983, it is now in its sixth edition. It is primarily aimed at mature physicians looking for information outside their area of particular expertise, ...
'' (6th ed.), ''
Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease'' (8th ed.) and ''Textbook of Gastroenterology'' (5th ed.).
Personal life
Sung and his wife, an
obstetrician and gynecologist, were both
MBBS students at the
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the f ...
, and they went to the same
hospital for
internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
training. They got married on 1 January 1989. Both of them are
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
.
Sung's two daughters both pursued medicine. His elder daughter went to
Diocesan Girls' School
Diocesan Girls' School (DGS) (), and Diocesan Girls’ Junior school, one of the oldest girls' schools in Hong Kong and a well known secondary and primary school in Kowloon, HK, was founded in 1860 by the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church (Hong K ...
, and was admitted into
CUHK Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) () was established in 1981 and consists of five schools which offer an array of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the field of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public ...
in 2011. His younger daughter was an MBBS student in the Global Physician-Leadership Stream at
CUHK
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
, as of 2019. In 2016 at her Year 2, she received the Innovation and Technology Scholarship Award from the
Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, and went to study at the Centre for Integrative Medicine at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
.
Honours and awards
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sung, Joseph
1959 births
Living people
Hong Kong medical doctors
Alumni of the University of Hong Kong
Vice-Chancellors of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
University of Calgary alumni
Alumni of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Recipients of the Silver Bauhinia Star
Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chinese gastroenterologists
Hong Kong Christians
Hong Kong Protestants