About Us

Physiology is the scientific study of the functions of living organisms and their parts.  Research and teaching in our department focus on the fundamental and mechanistic understanding of relevant biological functions at levels spanning from molecules to human.

The Department of Physiology was established in 1917 (see picture). It was relocated in 2001, together with other clinical and basic science departments, including Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Pharmacology, to the present medical campus on Sassoon Road (see picture). The medical site is well supported by the Medical Library, Laboratory Animal Unit, Computer Laboratory, Restaurant, Student Amenities Centre and Residential Halls. Also housed in this medical complex is the Genome Research Centre, which is equipped with the latest and most sophisticated core facilities for genomic and molecular research.

The department currently has 12 academic staff and its primary mission is to foster independent research that advances our knowledge of the physiological processes. State-of-the-art methods and interdisciplinary approaches are frequently employed in our studies, and most research projects involve the participation of postgraduate students, technicians, research assistants and visiting scholars. Research activities are supported by the University, by external funding bodies such as the Research Grants Council and the Croucher Foundation, as well as by donations. We have an active network of research collaboration with other research institutions in Hong Kong, China and worldwide. Locally, we collaborate with other workers in the clinical and basic science departments, as well as with those outside our Faculty. The department regularly organizes regional and international meetings to promote scientific exchange. These meetings and worldwide collaborations bring in a constant flow of distinguished visitors and scholars. The standard of research in the Department of Physiology is reflected by publications in high-impact journals and success in securing external grants, while international recognition is attested by invitations to institutes and meetings abroad, organization of international symposia, and editorships of international journals.

In addition to conducting fundamental research, the Department is dedicated to excellence in teaching. We have vibrant programs for training undergraduate and postgraduate (doctorate and master levels) students, as well as postdoctoral fellows to conduct basic research in physiology. Many of our graduates are active researchers that hold research and academic appointments at both regional and international levels. We also participate fully in designing and teaching clinical disciplines, including Medicine and Surgery, Nursing, Dentistry, Chinese Medicine, and Medical Engineering. This year, we are teaching physiology at the undergraduate level to 288 medical students through the "system-based modules", which occupy the first 2-3 years of their degree, and contributing further to their medical training in the integrated clinical curriculum which occupies the last 2-3 years of the MBBS degree. We also teach 53 dental students per year through a "problem-based learning" curriculum, and 268 nursing students every year receive a more formal training involving lectures, tutorials and practical classes. At the postgraduate level, teachers are involved in a variety of specialized courses concerned with recent advances in research. Physiology teachers contribute further by providing a broadening course, "The Human Body", to non-science students and participate in the multidisciplinary degree program in Cognitive Science. Teaching is usually conducted in the form of small-group tutorials, didactic lectures and laboratory sessions.