Calvin Pang

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Prof PANG Chi Pui Calvin

S.H. Ho Professor of Visual Sciences

BSc (Lond), DPhil (Oxon), FARVO

Contact :

(852) 3943 5801

cppang@cuhk.edu.hk

Academic Appointments

  • S.H. Ho Professor of Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Professor ( By courtesy ), School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Director, CUHK Ophthalmic Research Centre
  • Honorary Advisor, Hong Kong Eye Hospital
  • Honorary Advisor, New Territories East Cluster Ophthalmology Service
  • Director, Joint Shantou International Eye Center

Biography

Prof Pang received a BSc (Hon) in Biochemistry in 1978, University of London, and DPhil in 1982, University of Oxford, on an EP Abraham Research Fund Scholarship, followed by postdoctoral research in Oxford. In December 1983, Prof Pang was appointed Lecturer in Chemical Pathology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and became a Professor in 1995. In 1998, Prof Pang moved to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS) of CUHK. He was Chairman of DOVS during 2012-2015.

Prof Pang has served as academic assessor and reviewer for the Wellcome Trust (UK), National Eye Institute (USA), ARVO (USA), National Medical Research Council (Singapore), Health Research Board (Ireland), Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research (Spain), National Science Foundation China, Changjiang Scholar Program China, and other funding organisations. He is also an academic reviewer, external examiner and honorary or visiting Professor of more than 30 clinical, research and tertiary academic institutions in Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas, including University of Melbourne, Purdue University, National University of Singapore, Peking University, University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has been co-chair of Asia-ARVO and APAO congresses, and convener of visual sciences programs of APAO and WOC. Prof Pang has delivered more than 200 invited lectures internationally.

Prof Pang received the China State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (SSTPA) second-class award in 2016, Special Achievement Award of Chinese Ophthalmological Society in 2017, and Senior Achievement Award, APAO in 2018. He is also ARVO Silver Fellow. He has contributed more than 410 publications in SCI international peer review journals and 16 book chapters

Research Areas

  1. Genomics and gene mapping of glaucoma, retina diseases, cataracts and myopia.
  2. Molecular genetics and mechanisms of primary open angle glaucoma, primary angle closure glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, myopia, uveitis, retinoblastoma, Graves’ ophthalmopathy, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, keratoconus and cornea dystrophies.
  3. Biology of ocular stem cells and retinal ganglion cells.
  4. Biological effects of herbal molecules and GHRHR (growth hormone related hormone receptor) agonists on ophthalmic inflammation and retina degeneration.

Academic Activities

Convener (Visual Sciences Program) World Ophthalmology Congress 2018 (Spain)
Scientific Program Committee and Convener (Visual Sciences Program) The 33rd Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress 2018 (Hong Kong)
Co-Chair Asia-ARVO Annual Meeting 2017 (Australia)
Invited Faculty World Glaucoma Congress 2017 (Finland)
Convener (Visual Sciences Program) World Ophthalmology Congress 2016 (Mexico)
Scientific Program Committee and Convener (Visual Sciences Program) The 31st Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress 2016 (Taiwan)

Research Highlights

Research Programmes

  1. Molecular genomics and gene mapping on glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, polypoidal choridal vasculopathy, myopia, and congenital cataracts.
  2. Molecular genetics and mechanisms of glaucoma, macular diseases, high myopia, uveitis, etinoblastoma, Bietti crystalline dystrophy, Graves’ ophthalmopathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, retinitis pigmentosa, keratoconus, and cornea dystrophies.
  3. Therapeutic effects of herbal molecules and GHRHR (growth hormone related hormone receptor) agonists and antagonists in eye diseases.
  4. Animal models of ophthalmic inflammation and retina degeneration.
  5. Analytical studies: gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry. Sample molecules, including herbal molecules and peptides, identification, characterization, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

Accomplishments

  1. Through international consortiums and collaboratiions, novel gene loci and variants have been identified for complex eye diseases in the past two years: (i) Khor C.C. et.al., Genomewide association study identifies five new susceptibility loci for primary angle closure glaucoma. Nat Genet. 2016 May;48:556-62. (ii) Huang L. et.al., A missense variant in FGD6 confers increased risk of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Nat Genet. 2016 Jun;48:640-7. (iii) Fan Q. et.al., Meta-analysis of gene-environmentwide association scans accounting for education level identifies additional loci for refractive error. Nat Commun. 2016 Mar;7:11008. (iv) Li Z., et.al., A common variant near TGFBR3 is associated with primary open angle glaucoma. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Jul;24:3880-92. (v) Huang LZ et.al., Whole-exome sequencing implicates UBE3D in age-related macular degeneration in East Asian populations. Nat Commun. 2015 Apr;6:6687. (vi) Cheng C.Y. et.al., New loci and coding variants confer risk for age-related macular degeneration in East Asians. Nat Commun. 2015 Jan;6:6063.
  2. New genes and gene variants identified for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV): (i) Ma L. et.al.,. Identification of ANGPT2 as a New Gene for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in the Chinese and Japanese Populations. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017 Feb;58:1076-1083. (ii) Ma L., et.al. Association of ABCG1 With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in Chinese and Japanese. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Oct;57:5758-5763. (iii) Ng T.K. et.al., HTRA1 promoter variant differentiates polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy from exudative agerelated macular degeneration. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun;6:28639. (iv) Chen L.J. et.al. Identification of PGF as a New Gene for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Chinese Population. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Apr;57:1714-20. (v) Ma L. et.al. Association of toll-like receptor 3 polymorphism rs3775291 with age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2016 Jan;6:19718.
  3. We are establishing ethnic differentiation in the glaucoma genes: (i) Rong SS, et.al. Ethnic specific association of the CAV1/CAV2 locus with primary open-angle glaucoma. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun;6:27837. (ii) Rong SS, et.al. Genetic Associations of Primary Angle-Closure Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology. 2016 Jun;123:1211-21.
  4. We further establish the anti-oxidative properties of green tea catechins in tissue cells in a rat model: (i) Zhang XY, et.al. Continuous exposure to non-lethal doses of sodium iodate induces retinal pigment epithelial cell dysfunction. Sci Rep. 2016 Nov;6:37279. (ii) Yang Y, et.al. Green tea catechins are potent anti-oxidants that ameliorate sodium iodate-induced retinal degeneration in rats. Sci Rep. 2016 Jul;6:29546.
  5. We have proved the involvements of ocular and gastric cancer of the Growth hormonereleasing hormone, Growth hormone, Insulinlike growth factor-1 (GHRH-GH-IGF1) Axis. The therapeutic potential of GHRH-R antagonist is confirmed. (i) Chu WK, et.al. Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor induce apoptosis specifically in retinoblastoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Dec;113:14396-14401, (ii) Gan J, et.al. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonists inhibit human gastric cancer through downregulation of PAK1-STAT3/NF-3κB signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Dec;113:14745-14750.
  6. In collaboration with Dr Y Fai Leung of Purdue University, USA, who is world leader in retina investigations in zebrafish models, novel retina disease mechanisms are revealed: (i) Liu Y, et.al. Statistical Analysis of Zebrafish Locomotor Behaviour by Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Sci Rep. 2017 Jun;7:2937. (ii) Ganzen L, et.al. Utilizing Zebrafish Visual Behaviors in Drug Screening for Retinal Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Jun;18(6). (iii) Zhang L, et.al. A Naturally-Derived Compound Schisandrin B Enhanced Light Sensation in the pde6c Zebrafish Model of Retinal Degeneration. PLoS One. 2016 Mar;11:e0149663. (iv) Gao Y, et.al. Computational classification of different wild-type zebrafish strains based on their variation in light-induced locomotor response. Comput Biol Med. 2016 Feb;69:1-9. (v) Liu Y, et.al. Statistical Analysis of Zebrafish Locomotor Response. PLoS One. 2015 Oct;10(10):e0139521

Representative Publications:

  1. Cen LP, Ng TK, Liang JJ, Zhuang X, Yao X, Yam GH, Chen H, Cheung HS, Zhang M, Pang CP. Human Periodontal Ligament-Derived Stem Cells Promote Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival and Axon Regeneration After Optic Nerve Injury. Stem Cells. 2018 Jun;36:844-855.
  2. Wang YM, Ng TK, Choy KW, Wong HK, Chu WK, Pang CP, Jhanji V. Histological and microRNA Signatures of Corneal Epithelium in Keratoconus. J Refract Surg. 2018 Mar; 34:201-211.
  3. Fan Q, Maranville JC, Fritsche L,……, Pang CP, Tai ES, Khor CC, Wong TY, Runz H, Cheng CY. HDL-cholesterol levels and risk of age-related macular degeneration: a multiethnic genetic study using Mendelian randomization. Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Dec;46:1891-1902.
  4. Chu WK, Law KS, Chan SO, Yam JC, Chen LJ, Zhang H, Cheung HS, Block NL, Schally AV, Pang CP. Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor induce apoptosis specifically in retinoblastoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Dec 13;113:14396-14401.
  5. Huang L, Zhang H, Cheng CY, ……,Pang CP, Yoshimura N, Yang Z. A missense variant in FGD6 confers increased risk of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Nat Genet. 2016 Jun;48:640-7.
  6. Chen LJ, Ma L, Chu WK, ……, Pang CP. Identification of PGF as a New Gene for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Chinese Population. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Apr;57:1714-20
  7. Qin YJ, Chan SO, Chong KK, Li BF, Ng TK, Yip YW, Chen H, Zhang M, Block NL, Cheung HS, Schally AV, Pang CP. Antagonist of GH-releasing hormone receptors alleviates experimental ocular inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Dec 23;111:18303-8.
  8. Chen Y, Lin Y, Vithana EN, ……, Pang CP, Sun X, Yang Z. Common variants near ABCA1 and in PMM2 are associated with primary open-angle glaucoma. Nat Genet. 2014 Oct;46 :1115-9
  9. Verhoeven VJ, Hysi PG, Wojciechowski R, …., Pang CP, Chen LJ, … Saw SM, Bailey-Wilson JE, Stambolian D, Klaver CC, Hammond CJ. Genome-wide meta-analyses of multiancestry cohorts identify multiple new susceptibility loci for refractive error and myopia. Nat Genet. 2013 Mar;45:314-8
  10. Liu K, Chen LJ, Tam PO, Shi Y, Lai TY, Liu DT, Chiang SW, Yang M, Yang Z, Pang CP. Associations of the C2-CFB-RDBP-SKIV2L locus with age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Ophthalmology. 2013 Apr;120:837-43.
  11. Lu Y, Vitart V, Burdon KP,……, Pang CP, Thorsteinsdottir U, Lotery AJ, Hammond CJ, van Duijn CM, Hauser MA, Rabinowitz YS, Pfeiffer N, Mackey DA, Craig JE, Macgregor S, Wong TY. Genome-wide association analyses identify multiple loci associated with central corneal thickness and keratoconus. Nat Genet. 2013 Feb;45:155-63.
  12. Vithana EN, Khor CC, Qiao C….., Pang CP, Wang N, Aung T. Genome-wide association analyses identify three new susceptibility loci for primary angle closure glaucoma. Nat Genet. 2012 Oct;44:1142-6.
  13. Lee SK, Teng Y, Wong HK,……, Pang CP. MicroRNA-145 Regulates Human Corneal Epithelial Differentiation. PLoS One. 2011;6(6):e21249.
  14. Chu KO, Chan KP, Wang CC, Chu CY, Li WY, Choy KW, Rogers MS, Pang CP. Green tea catechins and their oxidative protection in the rat eye. J Agric Food Chem 2010 Feb;58:1523-34.
  15. DeWan A, Liu M, Hartman S, ……, Pang CP, Hoh J. HTRA1 promoter polymorphism in wet age-related macular degeneration. Science Nov 2006; 314:989-92.

In the Media

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5/2/2018 香港中文大學彭智培教授一行來我院訪問交流

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