The Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism has served as a tertiary referral centre for the territory since the 1950’s, and has provided opportunities for training and stimulus for research for clinicians and scientists locally, nationally and internationally. The availability of expertise in endocrine imaging, pituitary and endocrine surgery, and an updated and externally accredited clinical laboratory also help to establish within the Queen Mary Hospital a centre of excellence in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism.

In addition to an inpatient Endocrine Ward and the Endocrine Day Centre, we run 7 clinics on general endocrinology, thyroid, diabetes (general, home monitoring/insulin pump and gestational), osteoporosis and multiple endocrine neoplasia, respectively. Ambulatory service in diabetes was started in 1989. The KK Leung Diabetes Centre, first of its kind in Hong Kong, has provided comprehensive service on diabetes care since Jan 1994 and received the Outstanding Team Award from the Hospital Authority in 1997. In 2011, the Integrated Diabetes Care Centre was established to provide regular control and complication assessment for all patients with diabetes within the Hong Kong West Cluster. This multidisciplinary program received the Outstanding Team Award of the Hong Kong West Cluster in 2013. The Osteoporosis Centre, started in 2000, also provides multidisciplinary care for patients with osteoporosis.

The above establishments have provided opportunities for training and knowledge exchange in endocrinology, diabetes and osteoporosis. For example, the Division pioneered the training of diabetes in Hong Kong which was started in 1989, and provided structured training to diabetes practitioners and nurses from China since 1994. The certificate course on diabetes nursing and education, conducted annually since 1998, has provided training to close to 1700 nurses over the years. These clinical establishments have also facilitated clinical and epidemiological research, resulting in various large cross-sectional and prospective databases, such as the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study (CRISPS) with long-term follow-up since 1995, the Hong Kong West Diabetes Registry since 2008 and the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study with follow-up since 1995.

The Endocrine Laboratory, started in the 1960s and relocated to the 8th floor of the Laboratory Block, Medical Faculty Building in 2003, provides state-of-the-art facilities for genomic, proteomic, cell and animal based research, focusing on obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Our laboratory is also equipped for comprehensive metabolic and vascular phenotyping of various genetically modified animal models we have established to study the mechanisms underlying cardiometabolic complications of obesity, diabetes and diabetic complications. Our division members play leadership positions at the Partner State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology which focuses on diabetes and obesity (http://www.sklpb.hku.hk). We have also established the HKU Antibody and Immunoassay Services (http://www.antibody.hku.hk) for service and collaboration, locally and internationally, and a course on "Master of Medical Sciences in Metabolic Medicine" to promote research on Metabolic Medicine in Hong Kong.