Department of Pathology

Research Area

To better women’s health

Clinical Service

Director (Molecular Pathology), University Pathology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong
Pathologist in charge, Cervical Cytology Screening Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong
Honorary Consultant and Laboratory Director, CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, Hospital Pathology Service Laboratory, Queen Mary Hospital
Chief of Service (Pathology), HKU-Shenzhen Hospital

Community Services

International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) Board of Directors
Commissioner, Lancet Commission on Diagnostics
Standing member, WHO Classification of Tumours 5th Edition editorial board
Advisor to Executive Board, Asian Oceania Research on Genital Infections and Neoplasia
Subcommittee on Gynaecological Pathology, Chinese Society of Pathology, China Medical Association
Member, Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, Department of Health, Hong Kong
Ex-President, Hong Kong College of Pathologists
Ex-President, Hong Kong Society of Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology
Ex-Council member, International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy
Ex-Council Member at Large, International Society of Gynaecological Pathologists
Ex-Regional Director for Asia, World Association of Societies of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (WASPaLM) Bureau

Research Description

Studies on gynaecological cancers

Professor Cheung’s research focuses on tumours of female genital tract aiming at investigating diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as molecular targets for better therapy of cancers of ovary, endometrium and cervix as well as gestational trophoblastic disease.

Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in endometrial, ovarian and trophoblastic carcinogenesis
Application of novel technical platforms including HPV assays in cervical cytology for cervical cancer screening
Molecular signaling in gynaecological cancers

Major Rersearch Grants

RGC - Competitive Earmarked Research Grants

Characterization of NUAK2 pathways and functions in ovarian cancer
FBI-1 (Pokemon) in Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF)

p53 related proteins and gestational trophoblastic disease
Placental biology of Down Syndrome in relation to increased gene dosage

Awards and Honors

Best Teachers Award (Medical Society, H.K.U.S.U.) (1996)
Faculty Teaching Medal (2002)
University Teaching Fellow (2005)
Sir Patrick Manson Gold Medal 1998-1999 for outstanding M.D. thesis
Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Technology in 17th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning (2006)
Scholar-in-Training Awards for postgraduate students and fellow by the American Association for Cancer Research (2003, 2004, 2006)
Hong Kong West Cluster and Queen Mary Hospital Outstanding Teams Award for “Gynae-Oncology Team, QMH” (2009)
Best RFCID Poster Presentation Award. Health Research Symposium, organised by Food and Health Bureau, HKSAR (2010)
HKU Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award (2011-2012)
Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowship (2014-2015)
Fellow of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (2014)
Fellow of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore (2015)

Selected Publications

Researcher Profile on HKU Scholars Hub

Click here for detail publication list on PubMed

Wong OG, Li J, Cheung AN. Targeting DNA damage response pathway in ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Frontiers in Oncology. 2021 Oct. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.666815.
Fleming KA, Horton S, Wilson ML, Atun R, DeStigter K, Flanigan J, Sayed S, Adam P, Aguilar B, Andronikou S, Boehme C, Cherniak W, Cheung AN, Dahn B, Donoso-Bach L, Douglas T, Garcia P, Hussain S, Iyer HS, Kohli M, Labrique AB, Looi LM, Meara JG, Nkengasong J, Pai M, Pool KL, Ramaiya K, Schroeder L, Shah D, Sullivan R, Tan BS, Walia K. The Lancet Commission on diagnostics: transforming access to diagnostics. Lancet. 2021 Oct 5:S0140-6736(21)00673-5. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00673-5.
Rao L, Mak VC, Zhou Y, Zhang D, Li X, Fung CC, Sharma R, Gu C, Lu Y, Tipoe GL, Cheung AN, Mills GB, Cheung LW. p85β regulates autophagic degradation of AXL to activate oncogenic signaling. Nat Commun. 2020 May 8;11(1):2291.
Wong OG, Ng IFY, Tsun OK, Pang HH, Ip PP, Cheung AN. Machine Learning Interpretation of Extended Human Papillomavirus Genotyping by Onclarity in an Asian Cervical Cancer Screening Population. J Clin Microbiol. 2019 Nov 22;57(12):e00997-19. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00997-19. PMID: 31511337; PMCID:PMC6879281.
Chan KK, Wong ES, Wong IT, Cheung CL, Wong OG, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. Overexpression of iASPP is required for autophagy in response to oxidative stress in choriocarcinoma. BMC Cancer. 2019 Oct 15;19(1):953. doi:10.1186/s12885-019-6206-z. PMID: 31615473; PMCID: PMC6792270.
Li X, Mak VC, Zhou Y, Wang C, Wong ES, Sharma R, Lu Y, Cheung AN, Mills GB, Cheung LW. Deregulated Gab2 phosphorylation mediates aberrant AKT and STAT3 signaling upon PIK3R1 loss in ovarian cancer. Nat Commun. 2019 Feb 12;10(1):716. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08574-7. PMID: 30755611; PMCID: PMC6372715.
Lam TH, Wong KH, Chan KK, Chan MC, Chao DV, Cheung AN, Fan CY, Ho J, Hui EP, Lam KO, Law CK, Law WL, Loong HH, Ngan RK, Tsang TH, Wong MC, Yeung RM, Ying AC, Ching R. Recommendations on prevention and screening for colorectal cancer in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Med J. 2018 Oct;24(5):521-526. doi: 10.12809/hkmj177095. PMID: 30318477.
Chan KK, Wong OG, Wong ES, Chan KK, Ip PP, Tse KY, Cheung AN. Impact of iASPP on chemoresistance through PLK1 and autophagy in ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Int J Cancer. 2018 Sep 15;143(6):1456-1469.
Lam TH, Wong KH, Chan KK, Chan MC, Chao DV, Cheung AN, Fan CY, Ho J, Hui EP, Lam KO, Law CK, Law WL, Loong HH, Ngan RK, Tsang TH, Wong MC, Yeung RM, Ying AC, Ching R. Recommendations on prevention and screening for breast cancer in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Med J. 2018 Jun;24(3):298-306. doi: 10.12809/hkmj177037. PMID: 29926793.
Tang MK, Yue PYK, Ip PP, Huang RL, Lai HC, Cheung AN, Tse KY, Ngan HY, Wong AS. Soluble E-cadherin promotes tumor angiogenesis and localizes to exosome surface. Nat Commun. 2018 Jun 11;9(1):2270. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04695-7. PMID: 29891938; PMCID: PMC5995921.
Chan KK, Wong ES, Wong OG, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. Identification of nonsynonymous TP53 mutations in hydatidiform moles. Mutat Res. 2018 May;809:20-23. doi: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2018.03.006. Epub 2018 Mar 29. PMID: 29655027.
Wong OG, Ho MW, Tsun OK, Ng AK, Tsui EY, Chow JN, Ip PP, Cheung AN. An automated quantitative DNA image cytometry system detects abnormal cells in cervical cytology with high sensitivity. Cytopathology. 2018 Jun;29(3):267-274. doi: 10.1111/cyt.12540. Epub 2018 Mar 26. PMID: 29578257.
Wong OG, Cheung AN. Stem cell transcription factor NANOG in cancers--is eternal youth a curse? Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2016;20(4):407-17.
Siu MK, Kong DS, Ngai SY, Chan HY, Jiang L, Wong ES, Liu SS, Chan KK, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. p21-Activated Kinases 1, 2 and 4 in Endometrial Cancers: Effects on Clinical Outcomes and Cell Proliferation. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 28;10(7):e0133467. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133467. PMID: 26218748; PMCID: PMC4517872.
Mak VC, Wong OG, Siu MK, Wong ES, Ng WY, Wong RW, Chan KK, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. FBI-1 Is Overexpressed in Gestational Trophoblastic Disease and Promotes Tumor Growth and Cell Aggressiveness of Choriocarcinoma via PI3K/Akt Signaling. Am J Pathol. 2015 Jul;185(7):2038-48. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.03.011. PMID: 26093985.
Zhao F, Siu MK, Jiang L, Tam KF, Ngan HY, Le XF, Wong OG, Wong ES, Gomes AR, Bella L, Khongkow P, Lam EW, Cheung AN. Overexpression of forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) in ovarian cancer correlates with poor patient survival and contributes to paclitaxel resistance. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 20;9(11):e113478. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113478. PMID: 25411964; PMCID: PMC4239070.
Ho J, Du Y, Wong OG, Siu MK, Chan KK, Cheung AN. Downregulation of the gli transcription factors regulator Kif7 facilitates cell survival and migration of choriocarcinoma cells. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 29;9(9):e108248. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108248. PMID: 25265279; PMCID: PMC4180749.
Kwok AL, Wong OG, Wong ES, Tsun OK, Chan KK, Cheung AN. Caution over use of ES2 as a model of ovarian clear cell carcinoma. J Clin Pathol. 2014 Oct;67(10):921-2. doi: 10.1136/jclinpath-2014-202430. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PMID: 25049276.
Mak VC, Lee L, Siu MK, Wong OG, Lu X, Ngan HY, Wong ES, Cheung AN. Downregulation of ASPP2 in choriocarcinoma contributes to increased migratory potential through Src signaling pathway activation. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Sep;34(9):2170-7. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgt161. Epub 2013 May 13. PMID: 23671128.
Siu MK, Kong DS, Chan HY, Wong ES, Ip PP, Jiang L, Ngan HY, Le XF, Cheung AN. Paradoxical impact of two folate receptors, FRα and RFC, in ovarian cancer: effect on cell proliferation, invasion and clinical outcome. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e47201. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047201. Epub 2012 Nov 7. PMID: 23144806; PMCID: PMC3492371.
Chan KK, Liu SS, Wei N, Ngu SF, Chu MM, Tse KY, Lau LSK, Cheung AN, Ngan HY. Primary HPV testing with cytology versus cytology alone in cervical screening-A prospective randomized controlled trial with two rounds of screening in a Chinese population. Int J Cancer. 2020 Aug 15;147(4):1152-1162. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32861. Epub 2020 Jan 24. PMID: 31922265.
Chan KK, Wong OG, Wong ES, Chan KK, Ip PP, Tse KY, Cheung AN. Impact of iASPP on chemoresistance through PLK1 and autophagy in ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Int J Cancer 2018,143(6):1456-1469.
Wong OG, Cheung CL, Ip PP, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. Amyloid precursor protein overexpression in Down syndrome trophoblast reduces cell invasiveness and interferes with syncytialization. Am J Pathol 2018,188(10):2307-2317.
Wong OGW, Tsun OKL, Tsui EY, Chow JNK, Ip PP, Cheung AN. HPV genotyping and E6/E7 transcript assays for cervical lesion detection in an Asian screening population-Cobas and Aptima HPV tests. J Clin Virol 2018,109:13-18.
Mak VC, Wong OG, Siu MK, Wong ES, Ng WY, Wong RW, Chan KK, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. FBI-1 is overexpressed in gestational trophoblastic disease and promotes tumor growth and cell aggressiveness of choriocarcinoma via PI3K/Akt signaling. Am J Pathol 2015,185(7):2038-48.
Mak VC, Lee L, Siu MK, Wong OG, Lu X, Ngan HY, Wong ES, Cheung AN. Downregulation of ASPP2 in choriocarcinoma contributes to increased migratory potential through Src signalling pathway activation. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Sep;34(9):2170-7.
Siu MK, Kong DS, Chan HY, Wong ES, Ip PP, Jiang L, Ngan HY, Le XF, Cheung AN. Paradoxical impact of two folate receptors, FRα and RFC, in ovarian cancer: effect on cell proliferation, invasion and clinical outcome. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e47201.
Cheung AN, Chan KK. Perplexing hCG profile after evacuation of hydatidiform mole. Lancet. 2012 Jan 14;379(9811):98-100. Epub 2011 Nov 28.
Siu MK, Wong ES, Kong DS, Chan HY, Jiang L, Wong OG, Lam EW, Chan KK, Ngan HY, Le XF, Cheung AN. Stem cell transcription factor NANOG controls cell migration and invasion via dysregulation of E-cadherin and FoxJ1 and contributes to adverse clinical outcome in ovarian cancers. Oncogene. 2012 Sep 3. doi: 10.1038/onc.2012.363.
Jiang L, Siu MK, Wong OG, Tam KF, Lu X, Lam EW, Ngan HY, Le XF, Wong ES, Monteiro LJ, Chan HY, Cheung AN. iASPP and Chemoresistance in Ovarian Cancers: Effects on Paclitaxel-Mediated Mitotic Catastrophe. Clinical Cancer Research. 2011 Nov 1;17(21):6924-6933. Epub 2011 Sep 16.
Siu MK, Kong DS, Chan HY, Wong ES, Ip PP, Jiang L, Ngan HY, Le XF, Cheung AN. Paradoxical impact of two folate receptors, FRα and RFC, in ovarian cancer: effect on cell proliferation, invasion and clinical outcome. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e47201.
Mak VC, Siu MK, Wong OG, Chan KK, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. Dysregulated stemness-related genes in gynecological malignancies. Histology and Histopathology. 2012 Sep;27(9):1121-30.
Wong OG, Lo CK, Chow JN, Tsun OK, Szeto E, Liu SS, Ngan HY, Cheung AN. Comparison of the GenoFlow human papillomavirus (HPV) test and the Linear Array assay for HPV screening in an Asian population. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2012 May;50(5):1691-7.