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Esther_Chan_S
Professor CHAN, Esther
Professor
Assistant Dean (Health Sciences Education)
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy
LKS Faculty of Medicine
The University of Hong Kong
 ewchan@hku.hk 
Rm 105G, 5 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam
 (852) 2831 5110
About me

Professor Chan’s research focuses on determining the safety and effectiveness of medicines, and expanding knowledge about the application of medicines using big data and innovative study designs. Professor Chan has completed several multi-centre randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing sedative and antipsychotic drugs for the management of behavioural emergencies. Her research findings have led to the inclusion of drug dosing recommendations in the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines and the addition of olanzapine to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Accident and Emergency drug formulary. Findings from her latest multi-centre RCT were cited in the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Accident and Emergency Clinical Guidelines 2021 to support the use of intramuscular olanzapine in the management of acute agitation. (Click here for Press Release)

Professor Chan’s research has been published in leading journals including JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Gut and Annals of Emergency Medicine. Her research is supported by funding bodies including the RGC Early Career Scheme (2013) and National Natural Science Fund of China (NSFC) – Young Scientist Fund (2018); and awards including the Faculty Outstanding Research Output Award (12 awards between 2012-2024) and the Outstanding Young Researcher Award in 2018. In 2020, she was awarded the NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Fund. Professor Chan’s research is featured in the HKU Growing Human Capital through the Strategically Oriented Research Themes (SORT)HKU Bulletin as well as Medical Faculty News. Her adaptation of RCT research methodology in both teaching and research is featured in Teaching and Learning Connections, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL).

Professor Chan has taken on the role of Assistant Dean (Health Sciences Education) at the LKS Faculty of Medicine. She is committed to collaborating with departments and schools across the different faculties of the university, to develop innovative and engaging health sciences education programs. Her primary focus is to work with program directors to continuously innovate and create new programs that incorporate multidisciplinary expertise. Professor Chan is passionate about integrating cutting-edge fields such computer science, artificial intelligence, and engineering into the health science curriculum. Her vision is to discover new and effective ways to communicate ideas to students and empower them to build upon these concepts using current and future technologies.

 
Current Research Project

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Chan led the set-up of the central dilution area in the Ap Lei Chau Community Vaccination Centre in the Hong Kong SAR. In collaboration with The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong (SHPHK) and the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing, she developed online training programme platforms for the Preparation of BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Preparation of Paediatric BioNTech Vaccine for healthcare professionals across Asia.

 
Research Interests

Big Data for Medication Safety and Pharmacoeconomics

  • Big data research: pharmacoepidemiology and medication safety
  • Prospective clinical study design; clinical and practice-based research
  • Pharmacotherapy management of communicable and non-communicable disease areas including behavioural emergencies and mental health; cardiovascular and respiratory health, gastroenterology, infectious diseases and oncology
  • Pharmacoeconomics analyses; decision-analytic models, budget impact studies, willingness-to-pay
  • Pharmacy practice and service development