Leong Centre Rounds: From Birth to Adolescence - Tackling Child Health Challenges in Hong Kong and Beyond

DATE: Thursday, May 2
TIME: 12:00 – 1:15pm (ET)
METHOD: Hybrid* – due to building security protocol, you must have a SickKids or visitors badge to access the room for this event
REGISTRATION: https://forms.office.com/r/F2nA0hckkR

Click to register

SPEAKERS:

Patrick Ip, MD, MPH, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests lie in child health and developmental behavioral paediatrics, specifically, working with disadvantaged pediatric populations to ensure equal access to high-quality early childhood development and early learning opportunities.

Hing Wai Tsang, PhD, MSc, is an Assistant Research Officer in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. His main areas of focus are translational research and studying biomarkers to assess child health.

Keith T. S. Tung, PhD, MPH, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on the interaction between food intake and genetic susceptibility to non-communicable diseases in childhood.

Rosa S. Wong, PhD, MPhil, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Counselling at the Education University of Hong Kong. She is particularly interested in exploring how biological, psychological, and social factors contribute to individual differences in responses to stressors.

TITLE: From Birth to Adolescence: Tackling Child Health Challenges in Hong Kong and Beyond

DESCRIPTION:

Hong Kong is a city with a high population density and significant income inequality. The high cost of living, limited access to education and healthcare, and restricted social mobility in densely populated areas further exacerbate social comparison and competition for resources, resulting in negative lifelong outcomes, particularly for those who are disadvantaged. Given that health disparities in adulthood often have their roots in childhood, promoting good health and well-being at an early age is crucial for laying the foundation for lifelong wellness. In Hong Kong, greater attention and resources are being directed towards the implementation of a life course approach that involves monitoring and intervening from early childhood, or even before birth, in an effort to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Participants will hear from a panel of speakers about the importance of interdisciplinary planning in cohort and intervention design to promote holistic biopsychosocial well-being.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the importance of interdisciplinary research.
2. Understand the biopsychosocial mechanisms that make disadvantaged children vulnerable.
3. Discuss ways to help disadvantaged children reach their fullest health potential.