TARGet Kids! Epidemiologist, Xuedi Li, recently visited Hong Kong to explore opportunities for collaboration with Professor Patrick Ip’s research team at Queen Mary Hospital. In this article, Xuedi shares an overview of her visit, reflecting on her experience connecting with Professor Ip’s team and exploring avenues for partnership.
In October 2024, I had the opportunity to represent TARGet Kids! during a visit with Professor Patrick Ip’s research team at Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. This visit followed Professor Ip and his team’s trip to Toronto in May 2024, where they presented their extensive work on child and adolescent health at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children. During their visit, we discovered many shared research interests, including child growth and development, mental health, health behaviours, and educational outcomes. These initial discussions inspired both teams to consider potential collaborations, given the alignment of our measures and research objectives. The goal of my visit to Hong Kong was to deepen this connection, learn more about their cohorts and databases, and lay the groundwork for potential research collaboration.
This visit was truly eye-opening. From the moment I arrived, Professor Ip and his team were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and open to sharing details about their work in Hong Kong. On the first day, I had the opportunity to present an overview of TARGet Kids! and the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children, sharing our ongoing research and areas of interest. In return, Professor Ip's team introduced me to their extensive cohort and database systems in Hong Kong, highlighting their well-established data infrastructure. Their research spans multiple cohorts, including a birth cohort, a school readiness cohort, a population-based student health database, and a physical activity cohort, addressing a range of health domains such as growth, mental health, genetics, and sexual and reproductive health. I was also impressed by their substantial international collaborations with the European Commission, Mainland China, South Korea, and others worldwide. Professor Ip is a strong advocate for fostering collaboration between our groups to advance shared research goals.
On the second day, I met with Professor Ip’s trainees and Dr. Winnie Tso, a developmental pediatrician who played a key role in establishing the Chinese Early Development Instrument cohort in Hong Kong. Together, we explored the overlap in our measured variables and assessment tools, including areas such as child screen use, height and weight, cardiometabolic risk, mental health, and academic achievement. I gained valuable insights into Hong Kong’s healthcare system, which is well-structured and supported by extensive services and programs, making data readily accessible for research. Our discussions also highlighted shared challenges. Namely, fostering effective collaboration across healthcare and education sectors, an area with great potential for impact, as well as patient engagement and attrition.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Professor Ip and his team for their hospitality, the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children for making this visit possible, and the TARGet Kids! team for their invaluable support. This visit highlighted the importance of in-person interactions. Being able to observe the team’s working environment and engage in conversations with Professor Ip and his team provided insights beyond what virtual meetings typically offer. Both teams recognize the potential impact of combining our aligned measures and shared research goals.
Comments