Prof. Chan Kwan-chee, Allen
Associate Vice-President (Knowledge Transfer)
Chairman of the Department of Chemical Pathology
Professor of Chemical Pathology
Curriculum Vitae
Current Professional Appointments
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Education
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Fellowships & Memberships
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Publications
| No of publications: 192 h-index: 65 Total number of citations: 16,526 |
Five representative publications:
- Chan KCA, Woo JKS, King A, Zee BCY, Lam WKJ, Chan SL, Chu SWI, Mak C, Tse IOL, Leung SYM, Chan G, Hui EP, Ma BBY, Chiu RWK, Leung SF, van Hasselt AC, Chan ATC, Lo YMD. Analysis of Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(6):513-522.
- Chan KCA, Lam WKJ, King A, Lin VS, Lee PPH, Zee BCY, Chan SL, Tse IOL, Tsang AFC, Li MZJ, Jiang P, Ai QYH, Poon DMC, Au KH, Hui EP, Ma BBY, Van Hasselt AC, Chan ATC, Woo JKS, Lo YMD. Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA and Risk of Future Nasopharyngeal Cancer. NEJM Evid. 2023;2(7):EVIDoa2200309.
- Lam WKJ, Kang G, Chan CML, Lee VCT, Ma ML, Zhou Q, Jiang P, Tse IOL, King AD, Wong KCW, Hui EP, Ma BBY, Chan ATC, Chan KCA, Lo YMD. Fragmentomics profiling and quantification of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA enhance prediction of future nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer Cell. 2025:S1535-6108(25)00054-6.
- Chan KCA, Jiang P, Chan CW, Sun K, Wong J, Hui EP, Chan SL, Chan WC, Hui DS, Ng SS, Chan HL, Wong CS, Ma BB, Chan AT, Lai PB, Sun H, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Noninvasive detection of cancer-associated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(47):18761-8.
- Chiu RWK, Chan KCA, Gao Y, Lau VY, Zheng W, Leung TY, Foo CH, Xie B, Tsui NB, Lun FM, Zee BC, Lau TK, Cantor CR, Lo YMD. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy by massively parallel genomic sequencing of DNA in maternal plasma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105(51):20458-63.
Research Grants
Professor Chan has secured over HKD 1.17 billion in research grants as a principal or co-principal investigator. |
Patents & Inventions
Professor Chan is a co-inventor of the noninvasive prenatal test for Down syndrome using plasma DNA analysis in pregnant women. He has filed over 2,500 patent applications in 120 families of inventions in the fields of noninvasive prenatal testing and cancer detection, with over 1,500 patents granted globally. |
Entrepreneurial Experience
Professor Chan is a co-founder of four successful startups, each specializing in advanced genomic diagnostics. In 2013, he co-established Xcelom, which became Hong Kong’s market leader in noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), capturing over 80% of the local market. He later co-founded Cirina in 2015, a cancer detection research company that merged with Grail in 2017 and was subsequently acquired by Illumina for US$8 billion in 2020. In 2018, he co-established Take2, which provides noninvasive screening for nasopharyngeal cancer across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Most recently, he co-founded Insighta, a company dedicated to developing next-generation plasma DNA-based cancer screening technologies. The company successfully completed its first funding round, achieving a post-money valuation of US$200 million. Professor Chan’s ventures highlight his expertise in translating genomic research into commercial diagnostic solutions with significant market impact. |
Knowledge Transfer For Public Service
Professor Chan facilitated the transfer of NIPT technology to the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong (“HA”), enabling the provision of free NIPT services to pregnant women through the public healthcare system since 2016. Professor Chan also transferred the nasopharyngeal cancer screening technology to the HA, leading to the utilization of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA analysis for triaging patients suspected of nasopharyngeal cancer since 2024. These initiatives have significantly contributed to enhancing healthcare accessibility and cancer screening efficacy in the region. |
Awards & Honours
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