Strength and Expertise
With the proliferation of the number of treatments of digestive disease, the management of this disorder has becoming increasingly complex and multi-disciplinary. The Institute of Digestive Disease (IDD) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong is one of the fastest growing clinical and research facilities in Hong Kong for the treatment of digestive disorder. Since its establishment in 2006, the IDD provides tertiary care to a local population of 1.5 million and is the quaternary referral center for difficult cases within the region. The Shaw Endoscopy Center is equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities to provide advanced diagnostic and minimally invasive therapeutic procedures. The large clinical load in an academic institution with close collaborations from various disciplines, including gastroenterology, surgery, radiology, pathology, microbiology, psychiatry, bio-science and engineering, provides a unique environment for research leading to advancement in patient care.
Our strength is in conducting clinical trials that address questions focusing on clinical practice. We have embarked on studying various GI and liver diseases ranging from large-scale multi-center clinical trials to mechanistic studies at molecular levels. Disease types such as the following are some examples of our clinical research studies:
- Upper GI: Peptic ulcer disease, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Lower GI: Inflammatory bowel disease, Irritable bowel disease, Colorectal cancer screening
- Liver: Viral hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.


Collaboration, Partners and Multi-centre Trials Capability
Apart from collaborations within the Faculty of Medicine and other faculties including engineering, social science, and the School of Chinese Medicine, we are also working closely with other local tertiary institutions as well as renowned scientists and experts in clinical medicine in the mainland. Internationally we are research partners to other universities such as University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Michigan, and Houston Medical Center.
Indicative of our research enterprise, our group has, since the last decade, published over 350 papers in top-notched scientific journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, Annals of Surgery, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Gut.
In August 2006, the IDD has been accredited as a State Food and Drug Administration (SDFA) Center, making it possible to conduct industry drug trials recognized by SFDA for registration in China.

