Professor Chan graduated with honours from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. After completing postgraduate training as Croucher Foundation research fellow in Canada, he joined his alma mater in 1997 as lecturer. Rising through the ranks to become Professor of Medicine in 2005, and in 2010 the Director of the Institute of Digestive Disease and Associate Dean (Clinical), he was appointed Dean in 2013. Currently, he is the Director of Centre for Gut Microbiota Research at CUHK, and Co-director of the Microbiota I-Center (MAGIC) Limited under the Health@InnoHK Scheme of the Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong SAR Government.
An outstanding teacher, he received the Faculty’s Teacher of the Year Award for 5 consecutive years and twice the Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award.
A world-renowned clinician-scientist in gastrointestinal diseases, Professor Chan has published over 500 full scientific articles in high impact international journals and his h-index is 109. His research on NSAIDs and aspirin-related gastrointestinal bleeding has led to major revisions to clinical practice guidelines in the U.S., Europe and the Asia Pacific region. His contributions to medical research have been recognized worldwide with many national and international honours and awards such as The David Y. Graham Lecturer; The Andy Martynoga Memorial Lecturer; 27th Seah Cheng Siang Memorial Lecture; Vikit Viranuvatti Plenary Lecture; and the 23rd AJS McFadzean Oration. In 2018, he was elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree by the Osaka City University, an honour that only 12 doctorates were awarded in its 138-year history. He is the first Chinese and second in Asia to be conferred the International Leadership Award by the American College of Gastroenterology in 2018 to recognize his remarkable achievements and leadership in gastroenterology. In 2019 ExpertScape named him top 0.06% world expert in Aspirin, Helicobacter Infections and Peptic Ulcer.
He received the honour of JP in 2010 for his contribution to detecting silent SARS infection for Hong Kong citizens. In 2019, he was conferred the Silver Bauhinia Star for contributions to advisory and governing boards of public bodies in the medical and health sector.