ProfessorCHOW, Billy Kwok Chong

Professor, Chair of Endocrinology, School of Biological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, HKU

B.Sc. Hon. (First Class), Physiology, University of British Columbia. Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of British Columbia

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[javascript protected email address]
2299 0850
2559 9114
KBSB 4N12

Teaching Areas

Endocrinology
Molecular Biology

Research Interests

Bioactive Peptides and G Protein-coupled Receptors
Neuroendocrinology of Secretin
Drug discovery

Current Research

Role of Secretin and its receptor in thirst regulatory neural circuits
Co-evolution of function and structure of PACAP with the hypothalamo-pituitary axis from invertebrates to vertebrates.
Discovery of new drug candidates for allergy and hypertension

Research Team

Technician:
Ms. Elisa Lau
Post-doc:
Dr. Duraisamy Karthi
PhD students:
Mr. Zhang Fengwei
Mr. Liu Yuchu
Mr. Luo Yifan
Mr. Shaik Abdullah Nawabjan
Mr. Su Liuru
Mr. Lin Minghui Leo
Mr. Jian Wei
Research Assistant:
Ms. Ng Ka Man
Mr. Wan Chi Nok

Fellowships

Croucher Senior Research Fellow
University of Kyoto
University of British Columbia

Selected Publications

https://scholar.google.com.tw/citations?user=kjfd3oAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
K Duraisamy, KSingh, M Kumar, B Lefranc, E Bonnafé,M Treilhou, J Leprince, BKC Chow. P17 induces chemotaxis and differentiation of monocytes via MRGPRX2-mediated mast cell-line activation. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In press.
H Lin, Y Yan, Y Luo, WY So, X Wei, X Zhang, X Yang, J Zhang, Y Su, X Yang, B Zhang, K Zhang, N Jiang, BKC Chow, W Han, F Wang, F Rao. 2021. IP6-assisted CSN-COP1 competition regulates a CRL4-ETV5 proteolytic checkpoint to safeguard glucose-induced insulin secretion. Nature Communications. 12(1): 2461.
Y Heshiki, R Vazquez-Uribe, J Li, Y Ni, S Quainoo, L Imamovic, J Li, M Sørensen, BKC Chow, GJ Weiss, A Xu, MOA Sommer, G Panagiotou. 2020. Predictable modulation of cancer treatment outcomes by the gut microbiota. Microbiome, 8 (1), 1-14
T Zheng, J Li, Y Ni, K Kang, MA Misiakou, L Imamovic, BKC Chow, AA Rode, P Bytzer, M Sommer, G Panagiotou. 2019. Mining, analyzing, and integrating viral signals from metagenomic data. Microbiome. 7(1): 21
SOK Mak, L Zhang, BKC Chow. 2019. In vivoactions of SCTR/AT1aR heteromer in controlling Vp expression and releaseviacFos/cAMP/CREB pathway in magnocellular neurons of PVN. FASEB Journal. 33 (4): 5389-5398.
JJ Bai, BKC Chow 2017 Secretin is involved in sodium conservation through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. FASEB Journal 31(4): 1689-1697.
JSW On, C Duan, BKC Chow, LTO Lee 2015 Functional pairing of class B1 ligand- GPCR in cephalochordate provides evidence of the origin of PTH and PACAP/glucagon receptor family. Mol. Biol. Evol. 32(8):2048-59.
LTO Lee, SYL Ng, JYS Chu, R Sekar, KG Harikumar, LJ Miller, BKC Chow 2014 Transmembrane peptides as unique tools to demonstrate the in vivo action of a cross-class GPCR heterocomplex. FASEB J 28(6):2632-44.
R Sekar, BKC Chow 2014 SCTR-knockout mice are resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity and exhibit impaired intestinal lipid absorption. FASEB J 13(2):4753-56.
Zhang L, Chung, SK, BKC Chow 2014 The Knockout of Secretin in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells Impairs Mouse Motor Coordination and Motor Learning.Neuropsychopharmacology 39(6):1460-68.
CYY Cheng, JYS Chu, BKC Chow 2011 Central and peripheral administration of secretin inhibits food intake in mice through the activation of the melanocortin system. Neuropsychopharmacology. 36(2):459-71.
VHY Lee, LTO Lee, JYS Chu, IPY Lam, FKY Siu, H Vaudry, BKC Chow 2010 An indispensable role of secretin in mediating the osmoregulatory functions of angiotensin II. FASEB Journal. 24(12):5024-5032.
JYS Chu, LTO Lee, CH Lai, H Vaudry, YS Chan, WH Yung, BKC Chow 2009 SCT as a neurohypophysial factor regulating body fluid homeostasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(37):15961-66.
LTO Lee, FKY Siu, JKV Tam, ITY Lau, AOL Wong, MCM Lin, H Vaudry, BKC Chow 2007 Discovery of GHRHs and receptors in non-mammalian vertebrates Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104(7):2133-38.
WH Yung, PS Leung, SSM Ng, J Zhang, SCY Chan, BKC Chow 2001 SCT facilitates GABA transmissionin the cerebellum. J Neurosci 21(18):7063-68

Awards and Honours

2017 Alumni Builder Award, University of British Columbia
2010 Research Output Prize, The University of Hong Kong.
2007 Akira Arimura Young Investigator Award: By the international VIP/PACAP society. In memory of Prof Arimura who founded this research area, I was awarded the first Akira Arimura young investigator award in 2007 in recognition of my contributions in understanding the pleiotropic activities of secretin in our body.
2005 Grace Pickford Medal: By the International Federation of Comparative Endocrine Societies (IFCE). This is the most prestigious award for comparative endocrinologists, given out once every 4 years in the international comparative endocrinology meeting. I am the first scientist from Hong Kong receiving this honor.
Outstanding Researcher Award, By The University of Hong Kong.
2004 Croucher Senior Research Fellow by Croucher Foundation.
1995 Travel award for young scientist, International congress Neuroscience.
1992 Medical Research Council, Canada, Postdoctoral Fellowship.