George Lau

Dr. George Lau graduated from The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong in 1987. After graduation, he was recruited by Prof Sir David Todd to be trained in Internal Medicine at the University Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. He then obtained his membership from the Royal Colleges of Physician (MRCP) in 1990. In 1992, he was awarded Hong Kong- Standford scholarship to support his further training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Stanford University, USA. In 1998, he was recommended by Professor Roger Williams to be further his work on clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen after adoptive immunity transfer at the Institute of Hepatology, University College of London, UK (supported by Royal Society Award). In 2002, he was promoted to Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. At the same year, he was awarded The Most Outstanding Youth in Hong Kong.

In clinical research, he discovered the clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen with adoptive immunity transfer after allogenic bone marrow transplantation, established the discipline on the use of pre-emptive nucleoside analogues to prevent HBV reactivation in hepatitis B infected patients after immunosuppressive or chemotherapy, lead the clinical trials for the registration of pegylated interferon alpha-2a for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B by the EMA and US FDA. Dr. Lau has more than 500 publications, including original articles in New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet as lead author, with citation over 10,000. Dr Lau had served as the Associate Editor for Journal of Hepatology and Liver International and is currently reviewer for over 50 international journals. In 2006, he was promoted to Clinical Professor and assistant Dean, Li Ka Sing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. He was admitted to Fellow of the Royal College of Physician (London) in 2006. In 2009, he was elected as 19th President of The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL). With his contribution in the field, he is now life-member of the Steering committee of APASL.

In 2009, he founded and become Chairman and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Humanity and Health Medical Group, Hong Kong. Concurrently, he was appointed as the Director and Chair Professor, Beijing 302-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Liver Diseases and Transplant Center, The Fifth Medical Centre of Chinese People Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China. In 2015, he was made fellow of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. In 2016, he was awarded National Science and Technology Progress Award (State Science and Technology Prizes)- Technological Advancement in Chronic hepatitis B infection management (China). Currently, he serves as the co-chairman of the APASL HBV guideline committee and panel member of the APASL HCV and HCC guideline committee. In 2019, he was elected to the governance board of The Asian Pacific Digestive Week Federation (APDWF).