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The Centre for Bioethics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) hosted the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Distinguished Lecture cum International Health Policy Fellowship Seminar on 4 December, with guests, faculty members, and students from Hong Kong and overseas joining the event physically or online. The event was graced by Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and the distinguished lecturer, Dr Victor Dzau, President of NAM in the US.

Dr Dzau delivered a lecture on “Science, Medicine, and Society: A Brave New World”, while Professor Vincent Chung, the second NAM International Health Policy Fellow and Associate Professor at The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine), delivered a Fellowship Seminar on “Toward an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Code of Conduct for Health and Healthcare”. Their insightful talks highlighted the conscientious use of AI, and the opportunities and risks of using emerging technologies in medical science. This aligned with the four pillars of the CUHK Centre for Bioethics: bioethics education, end-of-life care, genetics and genomics, and AI and emerging technologies.

Opportunities and risks in emerging medical science and technology

Dr Victor Dzau is a globally recognised leader in health and medicine. His lecture addressed the transformative potential of scientific and technological advances in health and medicine, highlighting the need for strategic vision, governance and an ethical framework to guide these developments.

In his lecture, Dr Dzau stated, “I think innovation has made major strides in health and medicine and years from now, we will have technology that can collectively cure, prevent, and treat all diseases. The real question is, will we be able to cure and prevent disease in all people? If current trends of health and social inequities continue, the answer will be no. In other words, these transformative innovations can benefit those who can afford them but may leave many behind. We need to address these inequities now.

The current market-driven approach is not designed to address gaps in innovation. It is neither mission-oriented nor incentivised to support the public good. To address these issues, we must reshape our innovation ecosystem to better prioritise equity. We need to develop a mission-driven, equity-based innovation system and economy. The way we think about and implement these changes will be critical in shaping a more equitable future.”

Regulating AI in health and medicine

Professor Vincent Chung’s presentation emphasised sustainability, human-centredness, inclusiveness, fairness and transparency in the development and deployment of AI technologies in healthcare. Professor Chung said, “Engaging stakeholders in all phases of AI lifecycle and governance and providing open and understandable information on AI development and its associated outcomes is essential not only in removing or reducing algorithmic bias but also in safeguarding proper use of AI.”

The event successfully bridged the gaps between science, ethics and policy in healthcare, fostering an environment of learning and collaboration. The CUHK Centre for Bioethics is committed to enhancing bioethical awareness and fostering international dialogue in the field.

Selection of the third CUHK NAM International Health Policy Fellow

With the staunch support of Dr Edgar Cheng Wai-kin, the Patron and Special Advisor of the CUHK Centre for Bioethics, the NAM’s first-ever International Health Policy Fellowship Program was established in 2017 in collaboration with the CUHK Centre for Bioethics, with a mission to support early- to mid-career scholars in the fields of bioethics, medical ethics and law, economics and health policy, and healthcare who are interested in and committed to improving health and access to healthcare for people domestically and globally.

The CUHK Centre for Bioethics is pleased to announce the selection of Professor Kim Chow, Assistant Professor from the School of Life Sciences, as the third NAM Fellow from CUHK. Professor Chow’s interdisciplinary research includes metabolic plasticity, neurodegenerative disorders and mitochondrial bioenergetics. With the support of the Fellowship, she will embark on a two-year Fellowship, spending 25% of her time residing in Washington, DC, to learn about the NAM and/or National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and select a National Academies report to examine what could bridge her ongoing research focus to the level of health care policies.