HKU Bulletin September 2007 (Vol. 9 No. 1)

34 35 The Outstanding Researcher Award is conferred for exceptional research accomplishments of international merit. Professor Daniel Chan Tak Mao Personal Professor, Department of Medicine P rofessor Chan’s research interests include the treatment and disease mechanisms of lupus nephritis and viral hepatitis in patients with kidney failure. Lupus nephritis is a common cause of kidney failure, especially in Asian patients, and Professor Chan’s basic research team showed how anti-DNA antibodies and kidney cells interacted to give rise to this disease. Professor Chan has won international acclaim for his pioneering work in establishing mycophenolate mofetil as a new treatment for lupus nephritis, and this treatment is becoming a standard therapy worldwide. His research has also helped to define the clinical course and improve the treatment of viral hepatitis in patients on dialysis or after transplantation. dtmchan@hku.hk http://www.hku.hk/medicine/nephrology_staff.htm Outstanding Researcher Awards Outstanding Young Researcher Awards Dr Ben Young Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering D r Young studies the fundamental behaviour of metal structures using advanced approaches and experimental techniques. He has developed a pioneering test rig for cold-formed steel column tests, which can measure the complex buckling modes of steel structures. He has also developed a unified equation for predicting the material properties of structural steel under fire conditions. Knowing how different metals behave under different conditions is crucial to good engineering design, and Dr Young’s work has influenced government specifications for the design and use of steel in construction projects both in Hong Kong, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. young@hku.hk http://www.hku.hk/civil/staff/youngb.html