Prof Joseph Sung appointed as Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Vice President of National Technological University, Singapore
Prof Joseph Sung, Founding Member of ASHK, has been appointed as the Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences) of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Prof Sung will begin his tenure at NTU on 1 April 2021.
Prof Joseph J Y Sung received his medical degree (MB BS) from The University of Hong Kong in 1983, and was conferred PhD in biomedical sciences by the University of Calgary in 1992 and MD by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 1997. Prof Sung holds fellowships from the Royal Colleges of Physicians of Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Australia, the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, the Hong Kong College of Physicians, and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. He was the 7th Vice-Chancellor / President of CUHK and is concurrently Mok Hing Yiu Professor of Medicine of CUHK, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering of the People's Republic of China, and Academician of the Eurasian Academy of Sciences.
As a renowned scientist in gastroenterology, Prof Sung’s research interests include intestinal bleeding, Helicobacter Pylori, peptic ulcer, hepatitis B, colorectal cancer, and other cancers related to the digestive system. Prof Sung and his team proved the relationship between H. Pylori and peptic ulcer diseases. They were first in demonstrating that a course of antibiotics lasting a week can cure H. Pylori infection and successfully treat peptic ulcers and minimize their relapse. At the same time, he and his research team pioneered the use of endoscopic treatment for ulcer bleeding to reduce the need for operative surgery. These research results have a major impact on and have changed the practice of gastroenterology worldwide.
Prof Sung is a renowned researcher in gastroenterology and hepatology. He led a group of experts from 15 Asia-Pacific countries to launch colorectal cancer screening research in 2004, and has laid down clear guidelines and promoted colorectal screenings in the region. Because of his work in cancer screening and prevention, Prof Sung was honoured by the Prevent Cancer Foundation of the United States with the Laurel Award in 2008. In 2009, his seminal lectures on peptic ulcer bleeding won him the Marshall and Warren Lecture Award. In the same year, he was also awarded the Endoscopy Award of the German Society of Gastroenterology. In 2013, he received the Master of the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) Award from the World Gastroenterology Organization & WGO Foundation.
In recognition of his contributions to the advancement of medical sciences and academic development, Prof Sung has received numerous local and international awards, including the Laurel Award in 2008, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Advancement Prize in 2011 and the Hong Kong Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award (HKSAR Government) in 2014.