Chiu Wai Kwan, Rossa

Biography

Rossa Chiu is currently Professor at the Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is also an Honorary Consultant Chemical Pathologist at the New Territories East Cluster of Hospitals. Prof Chiu attended medical school at the University of Queensland, Australia and was awarded Doctor of Philosophy by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (Pathology). Prof Chiu’s research interests lie in the analysis of circulating nucleic acids found in human plasma. She has made significant contributions to the development of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis which led to the worldwide introduction of non-invasive plasma DNA tests for Down syndrome screening. Recently, she has been investigating the detection of cancer-derived DNA in human plasma with an aim to develop non-invasive blood tests for cancer detection. To date, Prof Chiu has published over 120 peer-reviewed research articles and has 20 granted patents or patent applications. Prof Chiu has received a number of awards for her research, including the 2011 International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Young Investigator Award, the 2011 Professors’ Prize endowed by the Association of Academic Heads of Clinical Biochemistry Departments in the UK, the 2012 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education, the 2012 China Women in Science Fellowship, the 2013 Science and Technology Award for Chinese Youth and the 2013 American Association of Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Scientific Contributions for a Young Investigator. She was the President of the Hong Kong Society of Clinical Chemistry between 2003 and 2004. Rossa Chiu is currently Professor at the Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is also an Honorary Consultant Chemical Pathologist at the New Territories East Cluster of Hospitals. Prof Chiu attended medical school at the University of Queensland, Australia and was awarded Doctor of Philosophy by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (Pathology). Prof Chiu’s research interests lie in the analysis of circulating nucleic acids found in human plasma. She has made significant contributions to the development of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis which led to the worldwide introduction of non-invasive plasma DNA tests for Down syndrome screening. Recently, she has been investigating the detection of cancer-derived DNA in human plasma with an aim to develop non-invasive blood tests for cancer detection. To date, Prof Chiu has published over 120 peer-reviewed research articles and has 20 granted patents or patent applications. Prof Chiu has received a number of awards for her research, including the 2011 International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Young Investigator Award, the 2011 Professors’ Prize endowed by the Association of Academic Heads of Clinical Biochemistry Departments in the UK, the 2012 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education, the 2012 China Women in Science Fellowship, the 2013 Science and Technology Award for Chinese Youth and the 2013 American Association of Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Scientific Contributions for a Young Investigator. She was the President of the Hong Kong Society of Clinical Chemistry between 2003 and 2004.

Research Interest

Development of non-invasive prenatal diagnostic approaches by maternal plasma DNA analysis• Development of cancer diagnostics by plasma nucleic acid analysis• Clinical applications of circulating nucleic acid analysis• Understanding of the biology of circulating nucleic acids• Development of novel molecular diagnostic strategies and innovative applications of molecular analysis tools