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Professor MAK Lung Yi, Loey

Prof Loey Mak

Clinical Assistant Professor

  • MBBS(HK), MD(HK), MRCP(UK), PDipID (HK), FHKCP, FHKAM (Medicine), FRCP (Glasg)
email lungyi@hku.hk
email 2255-4477
email ORCID
Citation Report: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/303654
Biography
Prof Mak received her medical education at The University of Hong Kong. She completed her specialty training in year 2018 in Queen Mary Hospital Hong Kong as a gastroenterologist and hepatologist. She joined the academic faculty in year 2020 and obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the field of clinical liver diseases in year 2021. Prof Mak’s research interests include clinical and translational research of liver diseases, especially in the field of chronic viral hepatitis, fibrosis assessment and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. She has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles in reputable journals, with >60 being first-authored/ co-first authored articles. Highlights include 3 first-authored or co-first authored original articles and 1 review article in Journal of Hepatology (impact factor 25), and 3 original articles in Hepatology (impact factor 15). She is an Honorary Research Fellow of The Centre for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London since Jan 2022 to conduct research in the field of HBV immunology, and received the Croucher Fellowship for post-doctoral research.

Prof Mak has received numerous academic awards, highlight being The Emerging Leader Award by The European Association for the Study of Liver, which is a yearly award specifically dedicated to young fellows and will be given to 2-3 young scholars. Prof. Mak is the first Chinese woman to receive this award. Other national or international recognition for her contribution to liver research include The Top 10 Original Research Articles in Portal Hypertension and Cirrhosis from China, Chinese Portal Hypertension Alliance (CHESS), Best Oral Presentation Award in The 32nd Conference of Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) 2023, The Young Investigator’s Award in the 30th Conference of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver, The Young Investigators Award in the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology 3rd Clinical Forum on Inflammatory Bowel Disease in 2018, and the travel award for the 7th Annual Meeting of Asian Organization of Crohn's & Colitis.

Prof. Mak leads the hepatitis C virus micro-elimination efforts in Hong Kong, and pioneered such strategy in persons under custody in correctional facilities. She established the Specialty Out-Patient Clinic for Steatotic Liver Disease in Queen Mary Hospital. Prof Mak is the principal investigator and co-investigator for numerous projects funded by externally-competitive grants. She is currently the Honorary Secretary for The Hong Kong Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (HKASLD), and Council Member for The Hong Kong Obesity Society.


Selected publications
  1. Mak LY, Gane E, Schwabe C, Yoon KT, Heo J, Scott R, Lee JH, Lee JI, Kweon YO, Weltman M, Harrison SA, Neuschwander-Tetri B, Cusi K, Loomba R, Given B, Christianson D, Garcia-Medel E, Yi M, Martin JS, Hamilton J, Yuen MF. ARO-HSD, an RNA interference therapeutic for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a phase 1/ 2 study. J Hepatol 2023; 78: 684-692.
  2. Lee CH*, Mak LY*, Tang EHM*, Lui DTW, Mak JHC, Li L, Wu T, Chan WL, Yuen MF, Lam KSL, Wong CKH. SGLT2i reduces risk of developing HCC in patients with co-existing T2D and CHB infection – A territory-wide cohort study in Hong Kong. Hepatology 2023; 78: 1569-1580 (*Co-first authors)
  3. Mak LY, Hui RWH, Lee CH, Mao X, Cheung KS, Wong DKH, Lui DTW, Fung J, Yuen MF, Seto WK. Glycemic burden and the risk of adverse hepatic outcomes in chronic hepatitis B patients with type 2 diabetes. Hepatology 2023; 77: 606-618
  4. Mak LY*, Wong D*, Kuchta A, Hilfiker M, Hamilton A, Chow N, Mao X, Seto WK, Yuen MF. HBV pgRNA and HBcrAg reductions at week 4 predict favourable HBsAg response upon long-term nucleos(t)ide analogue in CHB. Clin Mol Hepatol 2023; 29: 146-162 (*Co-first authors)
  5. Wong CKH*, Mak LY*, Au ICH, Lai FTT, Li X, Wan EYF, Chui CSL, Chan EWY, Cheng WY, Cheng FWT, Yuen MF, Wong ICK. No increase in risk of acute liver injury following the mRNA (BNT162b2) and inactivated (CoronaVac) COVID-19 vaccines: A self-controlled case series study. J Hepatology 2022; 77(5): 1339-1348 (*Co-first authors)
  6. Mak LY, Cheung KS, Hui RWH, Wong DKH, Fung J, Seto WK, Yuen MF. Enhanced liver fibrosis score stratifies hepatocellular carcinoma risk in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75: 2257-2259.
  7. Mak LY, Cloherty G, Wong DKH, Gersch J, Seto WK, Fung J, Yuen MF. HBV RNA profiles in chronic hepatitis B patients under different disease phases and anti-viral therapy. Hepatology 2021; 73:2169-2179.
  8. Mak LY, Hui RWH, Fung J, Liu F, Wong WKH, Cheung KS, Yuen MF, Seto WK. Diverse effects of hepatic steatosis on fibrosis progression and functional cure in virologically quiescent chronic hepatitis B. J Hepatol 2020; 73: 800-806.
  9. Mak LY, Huang Q, Wong DKH, Stamm L, Cheung KS, Ko KL, Yan R, Ouyang L, Fung J, Seto WK, Yuen MF. Residual HBV DNA and pgRNA viraemia is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients on antiviral therapy. J Gastroenterol 2021; 56:479-88.
  10. Mak LY, Wong DKH, Pollicino T, Raimondo G, Hollinger FB, Yuen MF. Occult hepatitis B infection and hepatocellular carcinoma: epidemiology, virology, hepatocarcinogenesis and clinical significance. J Hepatol 2020; 73:952-64.


Grant Record
  • Health and Medical Research Fund: Regression of liver fibrosis after HBsAg loss: a prospective matched case-control evaluation using transient elastography and serum Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test
  • Health and Medical Research Fund: Effectiveness of a smartphone app in promoting weight loss in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a pilot multi-centre randomized controlled trial
  • Health and Medical Research Fund: Development of a hepatitis C infection care model for prisoners: a pilot program for micro-elimination of hepatitis C infection in Hong Kong
  • Innovation and Technology Fund – Partnership Research Programme (PRP): Frequency-difference electrical impedance tomography (fdEIT) detection and characterization of fatty liver disease
  • The Li Shu Pui Medical Foundation Research Grant: Detection of hepatic graft steatosis and fibrosis after transplantation using MRI-PDFF and MRE techniques
  • Gilead Sciences research grant for investigator-initiated research for CHIME: Screening, enhancement of access to care and prioritization of treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection in high-risk populations in Hong Kong (co-PI with Prof. MF Yuen)
  • State Key Laboratory of Liver Research (The University of Hong Kong) Young Researcher Support Scheme 2020: Stopping antiviral treatment and subsequent flare in chronic hepatitis B infection: immunological and virological profiling
  • State Key Laboratory of Liver Research (The University of Hong Kong) Young Researcher Support Scheme 2022: Investigation of the Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) in exploration of tissue conductivity for focal liver lesions


Key Office
  • Honorary Secretary, The Hong Kong Association for Study of Liver Disease
  • Associate Member, State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong
  • Associate Editor, Clinical Molecular Hepatology, section on MASLD
  • Editorial Board, Hepatology Communications (Basic Science)
  • Editorial Board, Frontiers in Microbiology; section on Virology