Room: 313A, BMSB Office: 2609 6839 Email: hsiaocchan@cuhk.edu.hk

CHAN, Hsiao Chang

Li Ka Shing Professor of Physiology

B. S (1983) University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
Ph. D. (1988) University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Director, Epithelial Cell Biology Research Centre (http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ecbrc/)
Director, Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine (The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Jinan University) -Key Lab of Ministry of Education of China

Epithelial Cell Biology/Ion channels in Reproductive health and diseases

The epithelium is a continuous layer of cells that covers external body surface and forms lining of body cavities and exocrine glands. Disturbances of epithelial cell functions give rise to a wide spectrum of diseases as common as diarrhea and as lethal as cancer. We are interested in understanding how epithelial secretion may affect physiological functions, reproduction in particular, and how defects in epithelial ion channels may lead to diseases and infertility.

• Functional genomics: investigation and functional elucidation of reproductive tract-specific new genes
• Epithelial transport in the reproductive tracts and signaling mechanisms: receptors, ion channels expression & regulation
• Epithelial-mediated body defense and regulation of immune response: mucosal defense mechanisms in GI and reproductive tracts
• Epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis: signal transduction in carcinogenesis and cancer metastasis
• Stem cells and regenerative medicine: microenvironment affecting stem cell differentiation into different lineages including neurons and epithelial cells
• Development of traditional Chinese medicine: pharmacological studies and rapid screening of active ingredients by in vitro and in vivo functional assays

1. Electrophysiology: patch-clamp, oocyte-clamp (with microinjection), short-circuit
   current measurement
2. Molecular Biology: DNA array, RT-PCR, northern and western blot analysis,
   mammalian cell line transfection and expression
3. Cell Biology: cell culture (primary and continuous cell lines) , immunohistochemical
   and ELISA techniques, microfluometry, spectro-luminescence (for intracellular
   ions and pH), and flowcytometry.
4. Animal models: knockout mice of CFTR, iNOS, eNOS, nNOS; transgenic GFP-mice

Visiting Professor, Shanghai Institute of Life Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Visiting Professor, Jinan University

Visiting Professor, Fourth Military Medical University

Visiting Professor, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research

Visiting Professor, Zhengzhou University

Visiting Professor, Nanjing Medical University

Visiting Professor, Academy of Military Medical Sciences

Visiting Professor, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences

Honorary Director, Chongqing Center for Children’s Nutrition Research

Visiting Professor, Sun Yat-Sen University

Visiting Professor, China Medical University

Visiting Professor, Harbin Medical University

Visiting Professor, Dalian Medical University

Honorary Director, Reproductive Endocrinology Unit, Harbin Medical University

Visiting Professor, Third Military Medical University

Visiting Professor, Zhejinag University

Associate Editor for Journal of Physiological Sciences

Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Physiology

Editorial Board of Reproductive and Developmental Biology

Editorial Board of Cell Biology International

Editorial Board of Reproduction & Contraception

Editorial Board of Physiology

Honors

1997 National Natural Science Award of China

1999 Inclusion in Who's Who in the World (Marquis Publisher, 16th Edition)

2000 Distinguished Young Investigator Fund (Natural Science Foundation of China)

2007 Croucher Senior Research Fellowship

2008 Cheung Kong Scholar Achievement Award (Ministry of Education of China)

Selected Recent Publications:

• Wang XF, Zhou CX, Shi QX, Yuan YY, Yu MK, Ajonuma LC, Ho LS, Lo PS, Tsang LL, Liu Y, Lam SY, Chan LN, Zhao WC, Chung YW, Chan HC (2003) Involvement of CFTR in uterine bicarbonate secretion and the fertilizing capacity of sperm. Nature Cell Biology 5: 902-906
  
  
  


• Zhu H, Zhu JX, Lo PS, Li J, Leung KM, Rowlands DK, Tsang LL, Yu MK, Jiang JL, Lam SY, Chung YW, Zhou Z, Sha J, Chan HC. Rescue of defective pancreatic secretion in cystic-fibrosis cells by suppression of a novel isoform of phospholipase C. Lancet. 362:2059-65,2003
  
  
  
  
• Zhou CX, Zhang YL, Xiao L, Zheng M, Leung KM, Chan MY, Lo PS, Tsang LL, Wong HY, Ho LS, Chung YW, Chan HC. (2004) An epididymis-specific beta-defensin is important for the initiation of sperm maturation. Nat Cell Biol. 6(5):458-64.
  
  
  
  
• Yin X, Ouyang S, Xu W, Zhang X, Fok KL, Wong HY, Zhang J, Qiu X, Miao S, Chan HC, Wang L. YWK-II protein as a novel Go-coupled receptor for Mullerian inhibiting substance in cell survival. J Cell Sci. 120:1521-8, 2007.
  
  
• Xu WM, Chan HC et al. CFTR is vital to sperm fertilizing capacity and male fertility. PNAS 104(23):9816-9821, 2007.
  
  
  

Edited book:

H.C. Chan, Z.D. Wang & G.Q. Yang (2003) Exocrine Physiology, Science Press, Beijing.