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Dr LI Philip Hei

Dr Philip Li

Chief of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
Deputy Director of Student Affairs
Deputy Director of MBBS Admissions
Clinical Assistant Professor

  • MBBS, M Res (Med), PDipID, PDipMDPath, MRCP, FHKCP, FHKAM (Medicine), FRCP (Glasg)
email liphilip@hku.hk
email 2255-5995
email ORCID
Biography

Dr Philip Li is a Specialist in Immunology & Allergy and Clinical Assistant Professor under the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine at The University of Hong Kong. He graduated with his MBBS and Master of Research in Medicine at the University of Hong Kong in 2012, and joined the Department of Medicine of Queen Mary Hospital in 2013. He underwent overseas training at the Department of Allergy at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, as well as the Departments of Immunology at the Royal Free Hospital and Royal London Hospital in London. Dr Li completed his specialist training in Immunology & Allergy and was conferred Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Physicians and Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 2019. He currently serves as Chief of the Division of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology of the Department of Medicine.

Dr Li also leads the Immunology & Allergy services of the Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster. Dr Li also established Hong Kong’s first specialist training centre in Immunology & Allergy and leads the territory-wide Hong Kong Drug Allergy Delabelling Initiative (HK-DADI). He has led and authored many of Hong Kong’s Immunology & Allergy guidelines, including consensus statements on anaphylaxis and COVID19 vaccine allergy safety.  In recognition of his services, he received the HKUMed Clinical Service Excellence Award and Chief Executive's Commendation for Public Service in 2022.

Dr Li has special interests in anaphylaxis, drug hypersensitivity and immunodeficiency. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles in the fields of allergy, immunology and autoimmunity; and serves on the Editorial Boards of Frontiers in Immunology, Frontiers in Allergy, and Journal of Clinical Rheumatology and Immunology. Dr Li also authored the book “Living with Allergies” and the first Immunology & Allergy chapter of the “Handbook of Internal Medicine”. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator of multi-disciplinary “HOPE” (HKU Optimizing Protection and Effectiveness) of COVID19 vaccines study. 



Selected publications
  1. Chiang V, Kan AKC, Yim JSH, Lee E, Au EYL, Li PH (Corresponding Author). Disproportionate rate of female referrals for suspected COVID-19 vaccine allergies. Allergy 2022 Sep 20;10.1111/all.15522. doi: 10.1111/all.15522.
  2. Chiang V, To KWK, Saha C, Yim SH, Wong JCY, Au, EYL, Kan AKC, Hong YD, Ye J, Ng CS, Ho TKC, Lau CS, Lam TTY, Chan EWY, Quan J, Li PH (Corresponding Author). COVID-19 Vaccine Allergy Safety Track (VAS-Track) pathway: real-world outcomes on vaccination rates and antibody protection. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2022 (Accepted – in press)
  3. Kan AKC, Wong TTH, Chiang V, Lau CS, Li PH (Corresponding Author). Chronic spontaneous urticaria in Hong Kong: clinical characteristics, real-world practice and implications for COVID-19 vaccination. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2022 Nov;14(6):e50. doi: 10.4168/aair.2022.14.e50.
  4. Kan AKC, Hui HKS, Li TS, Chiang V, Wong JCY, Chan TS, Kwan IYK, Shum WZ, Yeung MSC, Au EYL, Ho CTK, Lau CS, Li PH (Corresponding Author). Comparative effectiveness, safety and real-world outcomes of a nurse-led, protocol-driven penicillin allergy evaluation from the Hong Kong Drug Allergy Delabelling Initiative (HK-DADI). J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2022 Sep 17 doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2022.08.052.
  5.  Wong JCY, Chiang V, Lam K, Tung E, Au EYL, Lau CS, Li PH (Corresponding Author). Prospective Study on the Efficacy and Impact of Cascade Screening and Evaluation of Hereditary Angioedema (CaSE-HAE). J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2022 Aug 12. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2022.07.035.
  6. Chiang V, Saha C, Yim SH, Au EYL, Hui KSH, Li TS, Lo WLW, Hong YD, Ye J, Ng CS, Ko WWK, Ho CTK, Lau CS, Quan J, Li PH (Corresponding Author). The Role of the Allergist in COVID-19 Vaccine Allergy Safety: A Pilot Study on a “Hub-and-Spoke” Model for Population-Wide Allergy Service. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2022.05.011.
  7. Chiang V, Mok WSS, Chan KCJ, Leung WY, Ho TKC, Au YLE, Lau CS, Lee TH, Li PH (Corresponding Author). Experience of the first 1127 COVID-19 Vaccine Allergy Safety patients in Hong Kong – clinical outcomes, barriers to vaccination and urgency for reform. World Allergy Organ J. 2021 Dec 20;100622. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2021.100622.
  8. Li PH (Corresponding Author), Wong WWY, Leung ENY, Lau CS, Au E. Novel mutations identified in the first Chinese pedigree of complete C6 deficiency. Clin Transl Immunology 2020; 9(7): e1148. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1148.
  9. Li PH (Corresponding Author), Yeung HHF, Lau CS, Au EYL. Prevalence, Incidence, and Sensitization Profile of β-lactam Antibiotic Allergy in Hong Kong. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 May 1;3(5):e204199. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4199.
  10. Li PH (Corresponding Author), Siew LQC, Thomas I, Watts TJ, Ue KL, Rutkowski K, Lau CS. Beta-lactam allergy in Chinese and factors predicting genuine allergy. World Allergy Organ J. 2019 Sep 16; 12(8): 100048. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2019.100048

Awards
  • Clinical Service Excellence Award (LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU) 2022
  • Chief Executive’s Commendation for Public Service (Government of Hong Kong SAR) 2022
  • Best Poster Presentation (Supervisor) (Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Clinical Immunology) 2022
  • Best Poster Presentation (Supervisor) (Hong Kong Institute of Allergy, Hong Kong) 2021
  • Best Abstract in Clinical Research (Oral) (Medical Research Conference, Hong Kong) 2021
  • Award for Excellence (Publication Award) (Department of Medicine, HKU) 2020-21
  • Award for Highest Score in Advanced Internal Medicine (Hong Kong College of Physicians) 2020
  • Best Abstract in Clinical Medicine (Oral) (Medical Research Conference, Hong Kong) 2020
  • Best Thesis Award (Hong Kong College of Physicians) 2019
  • Outstanding Team Award – Clinical Immunology and Allergy (Hospital Authority) 2019

Grants as Principal Investigator
  • HKSR Project Fund (Hong Kong Society of Rheumatology) - 2022
    Project: PULSE – Personalizing and Understanding Lupus with Subphenotype Exploration
    Amount: HK$200,000           
  • Health and Medical Research Fund (Food and Health Bureau) - 2021
    Project: HKU Optimizing Protection and Effectiveness (HOPE) of COVID19 Vaccines
    Amount: HK$12,511,372      
  • Knowledge Exchange Fund (Knowledge Exchange, HKU) – 2020
    Project: A Book to Empower Allergy Patients in Hong Kong – “Living with Allergies”
    Amount: HK$150,000           
  • Love Can Help Fund (LKS Foundation) - 2020
    Project: A study of feasibility and cost-effectiveness of subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement for antibody deficiency patients in Hong Kong
    Amount: HK$700,000           
  • Young Investigator Research Grant (Hong Kong College of Physicians - 2019
    Project: Impact of penicillin allergy testing in Hong Kong
    Amount: HK$50,000 
  • HKIA Research Grant (Hong Kong Institute of Allergy) -  2019
    Project: Impact of NSAID Allergy Testing in Hong Kong
    Amount: HK$40,000 

Key Offices
  • Board of Directors, Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (since 2022)
  • Member of Department of Health Expert Committee on Clinical Events Following COVID-19 Immunization (since 2021) 
  • Council Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Allergy (since 2020)
  • Regional Medical Advisor of Hereditary Angioedema International (HAEi) (since 2020)
  • Convener of Hong Kong Society of Rheumatology Immunology Special Interest Group (since 2020)
  • APAAACI Drug Allergy Committee Member (since 2019)
  • Executive Committee Member and Advisor of Hong Kong Allergy Association (since 2019)