HKU Bulletin August 2010 (Vol. 11 No. 3)

2 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin 3 August 2010 Professor Paul Tam Kwong-hang and Professor Godfrey Chan Chi-fung each took a big gulp this spring and said goodbye to their hair to promote a good cause and achieve empathy with young cancer patients. The two academics participated in a head-shaving event to raise money for children’s cancer research, organized by the Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, an international group. Professor Tam’s wife, Amy Chum, who is a council member of the CCF, was the driving force behind the shave-in and also went under the razor. Professor Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research, paediatric surgeon and Chair Professor in the Department of Surgery, said the event had value for him both personally and as a teacher. “As a doctor, you always feel for your patients and this is a meaningful way to relate to them and show solidarity with them. As a teacher, I would like to think our students are inspired by this act and will do something even more worthwhile to help society,” he said. A BALD MOVE FOR CHARITY The event was held before a packed audience and raised some $1.3 million in donations on the day. Staff, students, friends and members of the CCF and St. Baldrick’s all came to watch, along with a large contingent of media. Some in the audience took turns shaving the heads of the three volunteers, including paediatric patients. Professor Chan, from the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, was happy to let them have a go. “I said to them, I give you chemotherapy and I inflict pain and hair loss on you, now it’s your chance to do it back to me,” he said, smiling. “I’m a paediatric oncologist and this event is very much in my heart. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of children receive treatment and lose their hair. Some doctors and adults may not realize that this has a major psychological impact on them.” The St. Baldrick’s event makes them sit up and notice. It was begun in 2000 in the US and has raised more than US$87 million around the world. This is the first time the head-shaving event was held at a Hong Kong tertiary institution. The Dean of Medicine, Professor Lee Sum- ping, said he was deeply inspired by the actions of Professor Tam, Professor Chan and Ms Chum. “This is a true expression of one’s generosity and selflessness and love and concern for people who are less lucky than us. It involves not only these three who are being shaved, but those who have so generously given support. “The important thing is to raise the awareness of the public and for those of us in healthcare to focus on our children and their well-being. I hope this meaningful action will serve as a reminder to us all about the kinder side of human nature.” From left: Professor Godfrey Chan, Ms Amy Chum and Professor Paul Tam. As one of the leading research institutions in Asia and the world, HKU upholds the highest standards of professional conduct in research and is well in step with the global trend to encourage discussion and awareness of research integrity. Recently seminars were organized for new and existing staff, and young and experienced researchers, to reinforce awareness and ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the responsible conduct of research. The three seminars were tailored to different discipline-based research cultures and attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellors. Presentations covered such topics as the responsible conduct of research, conflicts of interest, and ethical clearance for human participants in research. “Through these seminars, we want to raise awareness and let colleagues and the community within and beyond HKU know how much value we place on research integrity and proper research conduct,” Professor Paul Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, said. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences and views, and case studies were discussed in break-off groups. Some of the issues raised included publication authorship, copyright, patents, data ownership, PhD theses, hiring and appointments, peer review, participant consent, and the ethical review process. “The seminars provided an interdisciplinary perspective. We learned what others experience and think and we could share information, for example on research design and data collection,” Dr Anatoly Oleksiyenko of the Faculty of Education said. They also were a good refresher course for experienced hands. “We are already aware of the standards and good practice to follow, but seminars such as this are beneficial in reminding us, and they’re a good chance to potentially improve what we are doing,” Dr Chan Kwok-ping of the Department of Computer Science said. A fourth seminar is planned for later in the year. In the meantime, participants were introduced to CITI – the Collaborative Institutional Training Institute, a worldwide online training programme for human participants and scientific research ethics. HKU is now a CITI member and modules will be adapted to suit the Hong Kong and Mainland China research context. Our research students are required to undertake CITI modules, and staff are encouraged to access the programme because it provides research integrity training and certification recognized by some US funding bodies. Professor Lap-Chee Tsui UPHOLDING RESEARCH INTEGRITY News in Brief