Expertise

• Breast surgery

Biography

Professor Ava Kwong is Daniel C K Yu Professor in Breast Cancer Research and Clinical Professor at The University of Hong Kong, Chief of Division of Breast Surgery at Queen Mary Hospital, Tung Wah Hospital and was Chief of Division of Breast Surgery of The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital.

Professor Kwong founded and is Chairman of the Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry in 2007. In 2012, she was appointed as the co-leader of the Cancer Work Group in the development of Cancer Services planning of the Hong Kong West Cluster. In 2013, she was elected to be the Deputy Chief and Committee Member of the Shenzhen Breast and Endocrine Cancer Society, China. She was then appointed a member of the Cancer Coordinating Committee of the Health Bureau, the Government of the HKSAR in 2014. She is also currently a member of several committees including Working Group on Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme of Department of Health, Central Committee on Cancer Service of Hospital Authority and Hong Kong West Cluster Committee on Genetic and Genomic Services and Operations Workgroup.

She is also a member of the Asian Hereditary Breast Cancer Consortium and is a member of The Hong Kong Genetic Counselling Practice Consortium of the Hong Kong Genome Institution to enhance the development of genetic counselling.

Professor Kwong’s research interests focus on breast and ovarian cancer genetics, advanced surgical technologies, epidemiology, psychosocial and clinical trials in oncological treatment. She has received grant support from the Government of the HKSAR including a commissioned grant to study the risk factors of breast cancer in 2015 and various HHSRF grants, Innovation and Technology Fund, Research Grant Council and National Institute of Health in the USA. In 2018, she was awarded a RMB 12 million San Ming Project of Medicine Grant from the Health and Family Planning Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, Government of Shenzhen, China. She has gained multiple awards in various local and international meetings including the “Excellent Research Award” of Health Research Symposium in 2021, “Uccio Querci della Rovere Award” of BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery in 2019, “Young Investigator Awards” of Hong Kong international Cancer Congress in 2006 and 2008. In 2023, she shared HKU’s Faculty Clinical Service Excellence Awards for her dedication and clinical excellence.

She has authored chapters in local and international textbooks including ‘Psycho-oncology (4th edition), ‘ABC of Breast Disease’, ‘Breast Surgery: Companion to Specialist Surgical Practice ‘(5^th,6^th & 7th edition) and ‘Up To Date’ on-line medical website. She also has over 290 peer reviewed publications in reputable international journals.

She also founded and was elected chairlady of the Women’s Surgical Chapter, College of Surgeons of Hong Kong and elected the Chair of the International Committee of the Association of Women Surgeons, USA. She became the first woman council member of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong in 2011. She is also the first female Clinical Professor in Surgery in Hong Kong. She has been invited to a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Hong Kong in 2022.

Research interests

• Breast cancer
• Advance surgical technology
• Biomarker and translational research
• Psychosocial studies
• Epidemiology
• Neoadjuvant and adjuvant clinical trials
• Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome

Publications and achievements

HKU Scholars Hub/ ORCID