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Teaching Staff

Professor CHOW, Billy Kwok Chong

Professor CHOW, Billy Kwok Chong

Associate Director (Molecular & Cell Biology) and Professor, Chair of Endocrinology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, HKU

B.Sc. Hon. (First Class), Physiology, University of British Columbia. Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of British Columbia

    • 3917 3850
    • 2858 3477
    • KBSB 4N12

    Teaching Areas

    • Endocrinology
    • Molecular Biology

    Research Interests

    • Bioactive Peptides and G Protein-coupled Receptors
    • Neuroendocrinology of Secretin
    • Drug discovery

    Current Research

    • Role of Secretin and its receptor in thirst regulatory neural circuits
    • Co-evolution of function and structure of PACAP with the hypothalamo-pituitary axis from invertebrates to vertebrates.
    • Discovery of new drug candidates for allergy and hypertension

    Research Team

    Technician:

    Ms. Elisa Lau

    Post-doc:

    Dr. Duraisamy Karthi

     

    PhD students:

    Mr. Zhang Fengwei

    Mr. Liu Yuchu

    Mr. Luo Yifan

    Mr. Shaik Abdullah Nawabjan

    Mr. Su Liuru

    Mr. Lin Minghui Leo

    Mr. Jian Wei

     

    Research Assistant:

    Ms. Ng Ka Man

    Mr. Wan Chi Nok

     

    Fellowships

    • Croucher Senior Research Fellow
    • University of Kyoto
    • University of British Columbia

    Selected Publications

    https://scholar.google.com.tw/citations?user=kjfd3oAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

    • K Duraisamy, K Singh, M Kumar, B Lefranc, E Bonnafé, M Treilhou, J Leprince, BKC Chow. P17 induces chemotaxis and differentiation of monocytes via MRGPRX2-mediated mast cell-line activation. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In press.
    • H Lin, Y Yan, Y Luo, WY So, X Wei, X Zhang, X Yang, J Zhang, Y Su, X Yang, B Zhang, K Zhang, N Jiang, BKC Chow, W Han, F Wang, F Rao. 2021. IP6-assisted CSN-COP1 competition regulates a CRL4-ETV5 proteolytic checkpoint to safeguard glucose-induced insulin secretion. Nature Communications. 12(1): 2461.
    • Y Heshiki, R Vazquez-Uribe, J Li, Y Ni, S Quainoo, L Imamovic, J Li, M Sørensen, BKC Chow, GJ Weiss, A Xu, MOA Sommer, G Panagiotou. 2020. Predictable modulation of cancer treatment outcomes by the gut microbiota. Microbiome, 8 (1), 1-14
    • T Zheng, J Li, Y Ni, K Kang, MA Misiakou, L Imamovic, BKC Chow, AA Rode, P Bytzer, M Sommer, G Panagiotou. 2019. Mining, analyzing, and integrating viral signals from metagenomic data. Microbiome. 7(1): 21 
    • SOK Mak, L Zhang, BKC Chow. 2019. In vivo actions of SCTR/AT1aR heteromer in controlling Vp expression and release viacFos/cAMP/CREB pathway in magnocellular neurons of PVN. FASEB Journal. 33 (4): 5389-5398.
    • JJ Bai, BKC Chow 2017 Secretin is involved in sodium conservation through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. FASEB Journal 31(4): 1689-1697.
    • JSW On, C Duan, BKC Chow, LTO Lee 2015 Functional pairing of class B1 ligand- GPCR in cephalochordate provides evidence of the origin of PTH and PACAP/glucagon receptor family. Mol. Biol. Evol. 32(8):2048-59.
    • LTO Lee, SYL Ng, JYS Chu, R Sekar, KG Harikumar, LJ Miller, BKC Chow 2014 Transmembrane peptides as unique tools to demonstrate the in vivo action of a cross-class GPCR heterocomplex. FASEB J 28(6):2632-44.
    • R Sekar, BKC Chow 2014 SCTR-knockout mice are resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity and exhibit impaired intestinal lipid absorption. FASEB J 13(2):4753-56.
    • Zhang L, Chung, SK, BKC Chow 2014 The Knockout of Secretin in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells Impairs Mouse Motor Coordination and Motor Learning. Neuropsychopharmacology 39(6):1460-68.
    • CYY Cheng, JYS Chu, BKC Chow 2011 Central and peripheral administration of secretin inhibits food intake in mice through the activation of the melanocortin system. Neuropsychopharmacology. 36(2):459-71.
    • VHY Lee, LTO Lee, JYS Chu, IPY Lam, FKY Siu, H Vaudry, BKC Chow 2010 An indispensable role of secretin in mediating the osmoregulatory functions of angiotensin II. FASEB Journal. 24(12):5024-5032.
    • JYS Chu, LTO Lee, CH Lai, H Vaudry, YS Chan, WH Yung, BKC Chow 2009 SCT as a neurohypophysial factor regulating body fluid homeostasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(37):15961-66.
    • LTO Lee, FKY Siu, JKV Tam, ITY Lau, AOL Wong, MCM Lin, H Vaudry, BKC Chow 2007 Discovery of GHRHs and receptors in non-mammalian vertebrates Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104(7):2133-38.
    • WH Yung, PS Leung, SSM Ng, J Zhang, SCY Chan, BKC Chow 2001 SCT facilitates GABA transmissionin the cerebellum. J Neurosci 21(18):7063-68

    Awards and Honours

    • 2017        Alumni Builder Award, University of British Columbia
    • 2010        Research Output Prize, The University of Hong Kong.
    • 2007        Akira Arimura Young Investigator Award: By the international  VIP/PACAP society.  In memory of Prof Arimura who founded this research area, I was awarded the first Akira Arimura young investigator award in 2007 in recognition of my contributions in understanding the pleiotropic activities of secretin in our body.
    • 2005        Grace Pickford Medal: By the International Federation of Comparative Endocrine Societies (IFCE). This is the most prestigious award for comparative endocrinologists, given out once every 4 years in the international comparative endocrinology meeting. I am the first scientist from Hong Kong receiving this honor.
    • Outstanding Researcher Award, By The University of Hong Kong.
    • 2004        Croucher Senior Research Fellow by Croucher Foundation.
    • 1995         Travel award for young scientist, International congress Neuroscience.
    • 1992          Medical Research Council, Canada, Postdoctoral Fellowship. 
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