Our state key lab has established an integrated pipeline for cardiometabolic research, including unique biobanks, multiomics, and platforms for development of bioassays, therapeutic antibodies and proteins, and metabolic and cardiovascular phenotyping.

Our clinician scientists have built up two unique clinical biobanks, including Hong Kong CRISPS Study, which is the longest community-based longitudinal study in Asia with well-preserved blood samples, and Hong Kong Western Diabetes Registry study with over 5000 diabetic patients being followed up for 15 years. Furthermore, we have established a nationwide biobank with multiple tissue biopsies from 1200 obese Chinese underwent bariatric surgery. These biobanks provide rich clinical resources to discover novel biomarkers and hormones related to obesity, diabetes and complications.

We have established Olink-based proteomics platform for biomarker discovery, which can simultaneously detect over 3000 biomarkers in less than 6 ul samples with super sensitivity and specificity.

To enable the quantitative measurement of biomarkers with wide dynamic ranges, we have developed a comprehensive range of bioassay platforms with different sensitivity. The SIMOA digital detection system can detect single molecule in bloodstream.

We have developed an advanced platform for generation and genetic engineering of therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies, including traditional hybridoma method and single B cell technology, with Biacore system to evaluate the affinity and drugability of monoclonal antibodies. We have also established multiple systems for protein expression and production.

Our investigators have generated a large number of animal models for pathophysiological and therapeutic exploration of metabolic diseases, supported by state-of-the-art metabolic and cardiovascular phenotyping platforms, including NMR-based body composition analyzer, CLAMS metabolic cages, rodent 8-channel treadmill, Seahorse metabolic bioanalyzer, high-resolution ultrasound imaging system, in vitro perfusion system to measure vascular tone and 7.0T MRI scanner.