Honorary Fellow Professor YEUNG Shu Biu William (2017)

Professor William Yeung is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong. He is a renowned reproductive scientist.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science in 1979 and Doctor of Philosophy in 1985 from the University of Hong Kong. In 1985, he received his post-doctoral training in the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Then he worked in the Hong Kong Polytechnic as lecturer for 2 years before joining the University of Hong Kong as lecturer in 1989. Since then, he has been working in the Reproduction Team of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Currently, he is the laboratory-in-charge of the Reproductive Medicine Centre at Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital and the University of Hong Kong-Family Planning Association Andrology Laboratory, and also the Deputy Director (Basic Research) of the of Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Fertility Regulation.

Professor Yeung’s research is on reproductive biology focusing on fertilization, interaction of the sperm and embryos with the female reproductive tract, as well as implantation. The main contributions of his research to the field include discovery of two isoforms of glycodelin, a glycoprotein with important functions in fertilization and early pregnancy, unravelling the detrimental effects of high estradiol and progesterone levels on endometrial receptivity in assisted reproduction treatment, developing a novel in-vitro model for studying human implantation using embryo surrogates derived from human embryonic stem cells, as well as exploring the actions of microRNAs in fertilization and implantation. Some of these research findings have been published in prestigious journals including Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Diabetes and Journal of Cell Science. These researches have enabled Professor Yeung’s team to be awarded numerous external competitive grants in Hong Kong, China and also internationally.

Professor Yeung has published more than 270 articles in international referred journals and has an h-index of 39. He is reviewer of over 25 international journals including the top ranking journals in the field. He was a member of the editorial board of the latest edition of the “WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen?published by the World Health Organization. He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and the National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology Diseases.

Apart from teaching medical students, Professor Yeung also contributes largely to postgraduate education. He has supervised 17 PhDs and 17 MPhils, and is coordinating a Master of Medical Sciences module on “Assisted Reproduction Technology (Laboratory)? He had served as external examiner for postgraduate students both locally and overseas. He also contributes an essential part in sub-specialty training in reproductive medicine for our College as well as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He has also helped training a number of clinicians and scientists in reproductive medicine in China and other Asian countries, some of whom have now become imminent leaders in the field.

Being a clinical scientist, Professor Yeung also plays a major role in clinical service. He is running the largest assisted reproduction laboratory in Hong Kong at Queen Mary Hospital. He was the first in Hong Kong to achieve a successful pregnancy by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. His team also produced the first pregnancy by preimplantation genetic diagnosis in Hong Kong. He is the person responsible for the University of Hong Kong-Family Planning Association Andrology Laboratory and the Honorary Advisor of the assisted reproduction laboratory at Kwong Wah Hospital.

Apart from departmental work, Professor Yeung also plays an active role in many administrative positions both within and outside the University, as well as in community services. He has served on numerous professional bodies in the field of reproductive medicine. He is a member of the Inspection Committee and an ad-hoc lead investigator of the Investigation Committee of the Council on Human Reproductive Technology, Hong Kong. He was appointed as consultant by the United Nations Population Fund to advise the Mongolia Government on infertility services and to advise the National Center for Maternal and Child Health, Ulaanbaatar, in setting up an assisted reproduction unit.

It is the first time that our College confer honorary fellowship to a non-clinical colleague. There is no doubt that Professor Yeung has been serving prominent and important roles in our specialty of obstetrics and gynaecology, both in training and research, as well as clinical advancement, with his dedication and expertise.

Mr. President, I would like to present Professor William Yeung to you as Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Professor NG Hung Yu Ernest
at the conferment ceremony in 2017