Prof YUEN Man Fung

Prof Prof Yuen

Deputy Department Chairperson
Chief of Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Master of Lap-Chee College, The University of Hong Kong
Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professor in Medicine
Chair of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

  • DSc, MD, PhD, MBBS, FRCP (Edin), FRCP (Glasg), FRCP (Lond), FHKCP, FHKAM(Med)
Biography

Professor Yuen obtained his first bachelor degree of medicine in 1992. He further pursued his academic excellence through the achievement of obtaining 3 doctoral degrees including Doctor of Medicine with Sir Patrick Manson Gold Medal in 2001, Doctor of Philosophy in 2005 and Doctor of Science in 2017.

Professor Yuen's research interests include prevention, natural history, serology, virology and treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C, and hepatocellular carcinoma. He is one of the top internationally renowned researchers in the field of hepatitis B disease. He has now published more than 450 papers in world renowned medical journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Oncology.

As a world-class clinician scientist, Professor Yuen is now leading most of the international trials examining new drugs including antiviral and immunomodulatory agents for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. He is also actively performing cutting edge research on novel markers for hepatitis B infection and occult hepatitis B infection.

With all these international academic and professional achievements, Professor Yuen is an invited member serving as key opinion leader for several international coalition committees on hepatitis B disease. Professor Yuen is also honourably invited by The Novel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet to nominate candidates for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for both 2020 and 2021.

As a specialist of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Professor Yuen have been providing clinical care and services for patients in Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong for more than 20 years. He is also serving as medical advisor and consultant for different health related sectors of the Government of Hong Kong, many academic centres and commercial enterprises for different aspects related to the diseases of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In the recent years, he has been greatly involved in assisting the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong by acting as an active member for Innovation and Technology Fund, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.


Selected Publications
  1. Yuen MF, Gane EJ, Kim DJ, Weilert F, Chan HLY, Lalezari J, Hwang SG, Nguyen T, Flores O, Hartman G, Liaw S, Lenz O, Kakuda TN, Talloen W, Schwabe C, Klumpp K, Brown N. Antiviral activity, safety, and pharmacokinetics of capsid assembly modulator NVR 3-778 in patients with chronic HBV infection. Gastroenterology 2019;156(5):1392-1403.
  2. Seto WK, Lo YR, Pawlotsky JM, Yuen MF. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Lancet 2018;392(10161):2313-2324.
  3. Fung J, Cheung KS, Wong DK, Mak LY, To WP, Seto WK, Lai CL, Yuen MF. Long-term outcomes and predictive scores for hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance after hepatitis B e-antigen seroclearance. Hepatology 2018;68:462-472
  4. Wooddell CI*, Yuen MF*, Chan HLY, Gish RG, Locarnini SA, Chavez D, Ferrari C, Given BD, Hamilton J, Kanner SB, Lai CL, Lau JYN, Schuluep T, Xu Z, Lanford RE, Lewis DL. RNAi-based treatment of chronically infected patients and chimpanzees reveals that integrated hepatitis B virus DNA is a source of HBsAg. Sci Transl Med 2017;9(409). * co-first author
  5. Fung J, Wong T, Chok K, Chan A, Cheung TT, Dai JW, Sin SL, Ma KW, Ng K, Ng KT, Seto WK, Lai CL, Yuen MF, Lo CM. Long-term outcomes of entecavir monotherapy for chronic hepatitis B after liver transplantation: Results up to 8 years. Hepatology 2017;66(4):1036-1044.
  6. Seto WK, Sau-Yan Chan T, Hwang YY, Wong DK, Fung J, Liu KS, Gill H, Lam YF, Lau EH, Cheung KS, Lie AK, Lai CL, Kwong YL, Yuen MF. Hepatitis B reactivation in occult viral carriers undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A prospective study. Hepatology 2017;65(5);1451-1461.
  7. Seto WK, Wong DH, Chan TY, Hwang YY, Fung J, Liu KS, Gill H, Lam YF, Cheung KS, Lie AK, Lai CL, Kwong YL, Yuen MF. Association of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen With Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Occult Viral Carriers Undergoing High-Risk Immunosuppressive Therapy. Am J Gastroenterol 2016;111(12):1788-1795.
  8. Yuen MF, Ahn SH, Lee KS, Um SH, Cho M, Yoon SK, Lee JW, Park NH, Kweon YO, Sohn JH, Lee J, Kim AE, Lai CL, Han KH. Two-year treatment outcome of chronic hepatitis B infection treated with besifovir vs. entecavir: results from a multicentre study. J Hepatol 2015;62(3):526-32.
  9. Fung J, Wong DKH, Seto WK, Kopaniszen M, Lai CL, Yuen MF. Hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance: relationship to hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance and hepatitis B e antigen-negative hepatitis. Am J Gastroenterol 2014;109(11):1764-70.
  10. Seto WK, Liu K, Wong DKH, Fung J, Huang FY, Hung IFN, Lai CL, Yuen MF. Patterns of hepatitis B surface antigen decline and HBV DNA suppression in Asian treatment-experienced chronic hepatitis B patients after three years of tenofovir treatment. J Hepatol 2013;59(4):709-16.

Grant Record
Principal Supervisor
  • An artificial intelligence system for the detection and characterization of early licer cancer 2019 – 2021
    Principal investigator: Dr. Seto Wai Kay
    Amount awarded: HK $ 4,712,540
    From: Innovation and Technology Fund, Innovation and Technology Commission, The Government of HKSAR
  • Regression of liver fibrosis after HBsAg loss: a prospective matched case-control evaluation using transient elastography and serum Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test 2019 - 2021
    Principal Investigator: Dr. Mak Lung Yi, Loey
    Amount awarded: HK $ 991,232
    From: Health and Medical Research Fund, Food and Health Bureau, The Government of HKSAR
Principal Investigator
  • Screening, enhancement of access to care and prioritization of treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection in high-risk populations in Hong Kong 2018 - 2020
    Amount awarded: US $ 328,035 (HK $2,558,673)
    From: Gilead Sciences, USA

Esteem Measures

Top researcher on hepatitis B featured in web in Nature Microbiology on World Hepatitis B Day 2017: https://naturemicrobiologycommunity.nature.com/channels/1162-world-hepatitis-day-2017/posts/18744-snapshot-man-fung-yuen

 

Invited author-in-charge for review articles “Chronic hepatitis B virus infection” and “Hepatitis B virus infection” in two top journals in the field of general medicine: The Lancet and Nature Review Disease Primers in 2018

 

World Expert on hepatitis B in 2019: Top 0.1% of scholars writing about Hepatitis B over the past 10 years (ranked second in the world in this category) (http://www.expertscape.com/ex/hepatitis+b)


Key Offices

Hong Kong Government

  1. Member, Enterprise Support Scheme (ESS) Assessment Panel under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The People’s Republic of China, 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2021.
  2. Member, Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis, Food and Health Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The People’s Republic of China, 1 July 2018 - 30 June 2021.
  3. Member, Innovation and Technology Fund Research Projects Assessment Panel, Innovation and Technology Commission, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The People’s Republic of China, 1 January 2017 - 31 December 2020.

The University of Hong Kong

  1. Member, Research Award Sub-committee, The University of Research Committee (URC), The University of Hong Kong, 1 September 2019 – 31 August 2021
  2. Member, Governance Committee of Residential college on Lung Wah Street, The University of Hong Kong, 6 March 2018 - 10 December 2019.
  3. Member, Faculty Sub-committee for appointment of honorary senior teachers, The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 1 July 2017 – 30 June 2020.

Hospital Authority, Hong Kong

  1. Member, Cluster Research Governance Committee (CRGC), New Territories West Cluster (NTWC), Hospital Authority, June 2016 - present
  2. Member, Hospital Governing Committee of Tuen Mun Hospital, 1 April 2015 – present.
  3. Chairman, Clinical Ethics & Professional Standard Committee, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hospital Authority 1st Aug 2013 – present
  4. Member, Hong Kong West Cluster CSP Steering Committee, Hospital Authority, 2014 – present

Hong Kong College of Physicians

  1. Council Member, Hong Kong College of Physicians, 19 Oct 2013 – present
  2. Chairman, Scientific Committee, Hong Kong College of Physicians, Oct 2016 - present
  3. Programme Director, Specialty Board in Gastroenterology and Hepatology of Hong Kong Region, Hong Kong College of Physicians, 1 July 2013 - till present

Public Health Organization

  1. Council member of Liver Foundation, Hong Kong 2011 – present
  2. Chairman, Research Committee, Liver Foundation, Hong Kong 2013 – present

Editorial Board Memberships
  • Associate Editorship
  • Journal of Hepatology
  • Hepatology International
  • Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology