• New Faces
• Expressions Winter 2022

Welcome to HKU

Academic Staff Joins the Dental Family

Despite the 7,667-kilometer distance between Jordan and Hong Kong, Dr Alhadidi, an Oral and Maxillofacial radiologist, travelled here to accept the position as Senior Clinical Practitioner in Applied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care because “HKU Faculty of Dentistry provides a vibrant mix of stellar researchers, excellent clinicians, and passionate educators creating great opportunities for collaboration and teamwork.”

Before joining HKU Faculty of Dentistry, Dr Alhadidi was an Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology as well as the head of the Department of Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Periodontology at the School of Dentistry, the University of Jordan. She is excited to share with us her current research. “I have been lucky to start working with multiple teams in Restorative Dental Sciences and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery on research projects that aims to employ AI and image analysis techniques in detection of disease processes and to increase the efficiency of dental implant digital dentistry workflow”, she says. Additionally, with the support of the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology team, we are modifying the teaching and learning activities of the undergraduate and the graduate Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology courses to further integrate three-dimensional imaging into the curriculum.

Outside of her busy professional life, Dr Alhadidi is studying an MBA at the HKU Business School, which offers her the experience she needs to be an effective leader. “The curriculum gave insight and a comprehensive approach to establishing effective teams, making decisions, and fostering innovation”, she said.

When it comes to pastimes, she enjoys travelling as every part of the world has a special blend of people, culture, music, scenery, and cuisine. Florence, Paris, Cape Town, and San Diego are amongst the places she enjoyed most.

Dr Abeer Alhadidi enjoys travelling

Dr Lam obtained her BDS and MDS at the HKU Faculty of Dentistry. She joined the Faculty recently and has been working as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Paediatric Dentistry. “I have fond feelings for my alma mater, I aspire to work with my dental family here in HKU Faculty of Dentistry,” Dr Lam expressed.

“Joining my alma mater feels like receiving a Kinder Surprise Egg. It can fulfil my three wishes in one go,” she said. Her three wishes, coming from a big-heart, not only include helping the local community but also go beyond. “Firstly, I can pass on the knowledge I gained here to educate and train the future local dentists. Secondly, I get to collaborate with renowned researchers here in the Faculty and advance my own research. Last but not the least, I love to serve the HK community and around the globe through knowledge exchange and community service.” she elaborated.

Dr Lam is particularly interested in children’s health and special care dentistry. “When I carried out my service projects during my training time in Hong Kong, it was really upsetting to encounter a lot of local children and special-needs patients with unmet dental needs,” she shared. Dr Lam will contribute in improving children’s oral health, making dental treatments cost-effective and affordable to all in her research.

Aside from her regular dentist routine, Dr Lam enjoys a wide range of activities.

Dr Lee obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Laboratory Science from Catholic University of Pusan, Korea in 2012; a Master of Science degree in Maxillofacial Biomedical Engineering and a PhD degree in Dental Materials from Kyung Hee University, Korea in 2014 and 2017 respectively. Before joining the Applied Oral Sciences and Community Dental Care of our Faculty, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“I set off my dentistry journey from being a dental laboratory scientist. It led me to being an oral scientist now,” Dr Lee said. He got all-round experience in dentistry including technical issue, clinical problems and applying knowledge to improve patients’ health. “I’m currently investigating an oral science to promote damaged oral tissue regeneration for the benefit of patients’ oral health,” he added.

“It is an amazing opportunity to work in HKU Faculty of Dentistry. I adore the fantastic staff and supportive workplace environment here,” Dr Lee expressed. He looks for a work environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork. “I know the Faculty encourages interdisciplinary, interfaculty, and inter-institutional research collaboration. The research facilities here support Faculty staff to strive to achieve excellence in research,” he shared. He believes the Faculty can maintain high rank in the dentistry society not only because of its remarkable performance in research, but also solid organisational structure and pleasant working environment. He aspires to contribute to the Faculty.

Currently, Dr Lee is generating new dental biomaterials to fit in dentistry for clinical application. “To cite an example, I am investigating facile stem cells delivery system by using injectable hydrogel incorporating nano/microparticles with growth factor together,” he explained. In the future, he would like to set up a perfect dental tissue engineering system. “Through close collaboration with Faculty members who share similar goals with me, I will provide my research system for the Faculty to recover damaged oral health of the community,” he revealed.

Dr Sang Jin Lee is a gourmet

Dr Wu is a scientist with areas of research expertise in craniofacial development, congenital disease, neural crest development and craniofacial birth defects. In view of the diversity, inclusiveness and leading role in dental teaching and research of the Faculty, Dr Wu joined us by end of 2021.

Along with his professional interest, he has been teaching craniofacial embryology for undergraduate students and conducting relevant research. “I aspire to expand our understanding of the mechanisms of craniofacial development and defects,” he said. In the near future, he wishes to acquire and adapt the knowledge to improve the outcome for patients with craniofacial defects.

Dr Wu is not only fond of craniofacial research, but also cats. In his spare time, he draws, hikes and plays badminton. He is a gourmet who enjoys food, especially those around Sai Ying Pun. So, if you are a foodie or interested in art, science or cats, Dr Wu welcomes you to grab a coffee with him!

Dr Zhaoming Wu - Assistant Professor in Applied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care

Dr Yang is an academic surgeon in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He obtained a Bachelor and a Master of Stomatology from Sun Yat-sen University and pursued a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the HKU Faculty of Dentistry.

After working as a post-doctoral fellow at the Faculty, Dr Yang decided to stay and continue his academic career as a Clinical Assistant Professor. “I believe that HKU and the Faculty of Dentistry is the ideal place for me to become a surgeon and academic researcher,” he said. His research focuses are 3D printing, implant surface engineering and bone regeneration. He endeavours to conduct research based on clinical needs and hopes to apply research findings effectively to the clinic.

In addition to clinical research, he teaches undergraduate classes in the extraction clinic and supervises a research-postgraduate student. “I wish to contribute as much as I can to dental education and research,” Dr Yang said.

Dr Yang likes to spend time in the sun around Hong Kong after a busy week of work. “Hong Kong is one of the best coastal cities in the world - a combination of urban high-rises and natural landscapes. I always enjoy a blue sky from my office window during the summer or watch the tide from a bench by the sea even though it has been a stressful time amid COVID-19,” he shared.

Dr Teddy Yang enjoys the costal line of Hong Kong

Dr Ye came from Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, a beautiful historical city by the Yangtze River of China. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, he continued his PhD study in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, the United States. He was trained as an engineer and materials scientist and started to get into dentistry during his first postdoctoral training at the School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota.

“When I started to look for an independent academic position, HKU Faculty of Dentistry was among the top of my choices in terms of world-renowned reputation,” Dr Ye shared. He believes the open culture and academic environment of HKU would provide an excellent nest to hatch his ideas into new findings or products to benefit the society.

Dr Ye is working on developing new biomaterials in the format of hydrogels or scaffolds, leveraging the dynamics of supramolecular materials to solve the emerging problems in dental and other healthcare settings. “These types of materials are not explored much in dentistry yet, and I aim to pioneer the applications of such materials in oral and craniofacial regenerations,” he said.

“I like traveling, cooking and tasting delicious food,” Dr Ye revealed. During his stay in the United States for more than 10 years, he explored the whole country except Alaska. His passion for travelling is rooted in his love for exploring challenges since he was a child. He had never visited Hong Kong before, so he is keen to explore the energetic city and try some local cuisines. “Mixing different ingredients when cooking is very similar to synthesizing new chemicals and materials. It is like using magic to enhance taste. I have a lot of fun with culinary and science!” he expressed.

“Talking with dentists and clinicians is always inspiring to me because it opens up new ideas and opportunities,” he said. As someone with an engineering background, he hopes to contribute to the Faculty of Dentistry by conducting his own research as well as collaborations with his colleagues.

Dr Ye loved seeing new places