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Dr. Alexander YL LAU
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics
Head of Neuroimmunology Unit and Integrative Neuroscience Unit, Division of Neurology
Associate Director and Convener (Neuroscience), Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine
Co-Director, Analytic and Clinical Cooperative Laboratory for Integrative Medicine, Joint laboratory between CUHK and University of Sydney
Prince of Wales Hospital
Specialist in Neurology
Honorary Associate Consultant, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics
Academic and Professional Qualifications
SB (Chicago), MB ChB (CUHK), MRCP (UK), FHKCP, FHKAM (Medicine)Contact Information
Tel.: (852) 2873 3093
Biography
Alex is a neurologist and working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK. He is also the Associate Director and Convener (Neuroscience) of the Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine of CUHK. After receiving undergraduate education in biochemistry at the University of Chicago in 1998, Alex returned to Hong Kong and obtained his medical degree from CUHK in 2003, followed by physician training in internal medicine and neurology at the Prince of Wales Hospital, the teaching hospital of CUHK. He was awarded the gold medal of Best Thesis Award by the Hong Kong College of Physicians in 2010. In 2011, he went to the University of California San Francisco for post-doctoral fellowship as a recipient of Croucher Foundation Fellowship and CUHK Henry Leung Fellowship. Alex joined CUHK Faculty of Medicine in 2015 and his research focuses on stroke, multiple sclerosis, and integrative medicine.
At the Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine (HKIIM), Alex is developing integrative care models and exploring evidence-based treatment for neurological diseases through big-data analytics and pragmatic clinical trials. He has been working closely with TCM informatics (iTCM) team at the University of Sydney on big-data research in stroke. Through building a team of clinician-engineer-scientists, and integrating big-data analytics, biostatistics, informatics in a multidisciplinary team-approach, he has focused on identifying new treatment approach and understanding of diseases for synergistic development of Chinese and Integrative medicine. He was instrumental in the establishment of the joint big-data laboratory with the School of Information Technologies of the University of Sydney, known as Analytic and Clinical Cooperative Laboratory in Integrative Medicine (ACCLAIM). ACCLAIM has continued to extend her collaboration with international counterparts, which include the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, UK, as well as The China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) in Beijing, China.
Dr. Alexander YL LAU
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics
Head of Neuroimmunology Unit and Integrative Neuroscience Unit, Division of Neurology
Associate Director and Convener (Neuroscience), Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine
Co-Director, Analytic and Clinical Cooperative Laboratory for Integrative Medicine, Joint laboratory between CUHK and University of Sydney
Prince of Wales Hospital
Specialist in Neurology
Honorary Associate Consultant, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics
Research Interests
- Clinical distinction and management for multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, including integrating traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine for managing fatigue and cognitive deficits
- Data analytics and evidence synthesis in integrative medicine, as lead physician and co-director of joint big-data laboratory for integrative medicine research with the University of Sydney
- Stroke and intracranial atherosclerosis - risk stratification and integrative medicine for stroke prognosis and recovery.
Honorary Appointments in Other Professional Activities
- Honorary Senior Lecturer, School of Information Technologies, Faculty of Engineering and IT, The University of Sydney, Australia
Awards
- The Most Promising Young Researcher Award, HKSAR Food and Health Bureau (2019)
- Best free-paper presentation, Hong Kong Neurological Society Annual Scientific Meeting (2007, 2009, 2011)
- Young Physician's Scholarship, World Stroke Organization (2010)
- Gold Medal of Best Thesis Award, Hong Kong College of Physicians (2010)
- Croucher Foundation Fellowship (2011)
- Young Investigator Research Grant, Hong Kong College of Physicians (2013)
- Best free-paper prize, 14th Asian and Oceanic Congress of Neurology (2014)
Selected Publications
- Ip B, Lam C, Ip V, Chan A, Mok V, Au E, Chan E, Lau AY. Autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy associated meningoencephalomyelitis and bilateral sensorineuronal deafness. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorder. 2020; 40: 101922 doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2019.101922.
- Lau AY, Lui GCY, Chan KP, Au C, Mok VCT, Ziemssen T. Pneumocystis pneumonia in a patient treated with alemtuzumab for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 2019; 38:101503 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2019.101503.
- Hung C, Wu XY, Chung V, Tang E, Wu J, Lau AY*. Overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses on acupuncture in post-stroke cognitive impairment and depression management. Integrative Medicine Research. 2019; 8 (3)H:145-159. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2019.05.001.
- Lu T, Zhao L, Sun X, Au C, Huang Y, Yang Y, Bao J, Wu A, Kermode AG, Qiu W, Lau AY*. Comparison of multiple sclerosis patients with and without oligoclonal IgG bands in South China. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2019; 66: 51-55. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2019.05.025.
- Zhong XN, Zhou YF, Chang YY, Wang JQ, Shu YQ, Sun XB, Peng LS, Lau AY, Kermode AG, Qiu W. Seizure and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated encephalomyelitis in a retrospective cohort of Chinese patients. Frontiers in Neurology. 2019; 10:415. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00415.
- Chan MT, Wong JY, Leung AK, Lu G, Poon WS, Lau A, Chan WY, Wong G. Plasma and CSF miRNA dysregulations in subarachnoid haemorrhage reveal clinical courses and underlying pathways. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2019; 62:155-161. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2018.11.038.
- Chau J, Lo S, Lee V, Choi KC, Shum E, Hung Z, Mok V, Siow E, Ching J, Lam S, Yeung J, Li SH, Lau A. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a virtual multidisciplinary stroke care clinic for community-dwelling stroke survivors and caregivers: a randomised controlled trial protocol. BMJ Open. 2019; 9: e026550. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026500.
- Shu Y, Long Y, Wang S, Hu W, Zhou J, Xu H, Chen C, QU Y, Lu Z, Lau A, Yu X, Kermode A, Wei Q. Brain histopathological study and prognosis in two patients with MOG-antibody-associated demyelinating pseudotumor. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. 2019; 6: 392-396. DOI: 10.1002/acn3.712.
- Wen T, Liu B, Wan X, Zhang X, Zhang J, Zhou XZ, Lau AY, Zhang Y. Risk factors associated with 31-day unplanned readmission in 50,912 discharged patients after stroke in China. BMC Neurology. 2018; 18:218. DOI: 10.1186/s12883-018-1209-y.
- Zhou Q, Pei J, Poon J, Lau AY, Zhang L, Wang Y, Liu C, Huang L. Worldwide research trends on aristolochic acids (1957-2017): Suggestions for researchers. Plos One. 2019; 14: e0216135. Doi: 10.1371/journal.prone.0216135.
- Lau A, Mok V, Lee J, Fan Y, Zeng J, Lam B, Wong A, Kwok C, Lai M, Zee B. Retinal image analytics detects white matter hyperintensities in healthy adults. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. 2019; 6(1): 98-105 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.688.
- Lau A*, Qiu W, Kermode A, Au C, Ng A, Wong A, Ma SH, Au L, Ma K, Ip B, Mok V. High prevalence and indexes of anti-John Cunningham virus antibodies in a cohort of Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal – Experimental, Translational and Clinical. 2018 Jul 17; 4(3): 1-4. DOI: 10.1177/2055217318788699.
- Lau AY, Ip WK, Au C, Lau KK, Wong W, Yip KK, et al. Prevalence of neutralising antibodies to interferon-beta and clinical response in Chinese patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2017;3(4):2055217317733485.
- Poon SK, Poon J, Lam MK, Yin Q, Sze DM, Wu JC, Mok VC, Ching JY, Chan KL, Cheung WH, Lau AY. An ensemble approach for record matching in data linkage. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2016;227:113-9.
- Starrossom SC, Veremeyko T, Yung AW, Dukhinova M, Au C, Lau AY, Weiner HL, Ponomarev ED. Platelets play differential role during initiation and progression of autoimmune neuroinflammation. Circ Res. 2015;117(9):779-92.
- Lau A, Zhao Y, Chen C, Leung TW, FU J, Huang Y, Suwanwela N, Han Z, Tan KS, Ratanakorn D, Markus HS, Wong KS. Dual antiplatelets reduce microembolic signals in patients with TIA and minor stroke: subgroup analysis of CLAIR study. Int J Stroke. 2014 9 Suppl A100:127-32. doi: 10.1111/ijs.12003. Epub 2013 Mar 12.
- Lau A, Wong KS, Lev M, Furie K, Smith W, Kim AS. Burden of intracranial steno-occlusive lesions on initial CT angiography is predictive of poor outcomes in patients with stroke and TIA. Stroke. 2013; 44:1310-6
- Ip VH, Lau AY, Au LW, Fan FS, Chan AY, Mok VC, Wong KS. Rituximab reduces attacks in Chinese patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders - initial experience in Hong Kong. J Neurol Sci. 2013; 324:38-9
- Lau A, Wong E, Wong A, Leung T, Mok V, Wong KS. Significance of good collateral compensation in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2012; 33:517-524 DOI: 10.1159/000337332
- Lau A, Wong E, Leung T, Mok V, Wong KS. Intravenous alteplase for Chinese stroke patients with borderline-eligibility. J Clin Neurosci 2012; 19(10): 1383-6. DOI: 10.1016/ j.jocn.2012.01.027
- Lau A, Chan A, Mok V. Refractory bulbar and respiratory dysfunction in a young Chinese woman with seronegative, muscle-specific kinase antibody (MuSK) positive myasthenia gravis - the response to cyclophosphamide and rituximab treatment. Hong Kong Med J. 2011; 17(1): 77-9
- Lau A, Soo Y, Graham CA, Woo WK, Wong EH, Leung H, Chan AY, Au LW, Ip VH, Leung CS, Hui V, Shum WC, Abrigo J, Siu DY, Yu SC, Wong LK, Leung TW. An expedited stroke triage pathway is the key to shortening the door-to-needle time in delivery of thrombolysis treatment. Hong Kong Med J. 2010; 16(6): 455-62