AsianScientist (July 26, 2017) – Professor Paul Tam Kwong Hang, Chair of Paediatric Surgery and Li Shu-Pui Professor in Surgery at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), was presented the Denis Browne Gold Medal by the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) in a ceremony held during BAPS’s Annual International Congress on July 20, 2017.
The Denis Browne Gold medal is named after Sir Denis Browne, regarded as the father of pediatric surgery in the United Kingdom and a pioneer of the specialty worldwide. The award is made on an annual basis to one individual from worldwide nominations. Previous recipients of this highest honor conferred by the BAP include Dr. Ovar Swenson who developed the operation for Hirschsprung’s disease and Dr. Morio Kasai who developed the operation for biliary atresia.
Since its inception in 1968, only three other surgeons in Asia have received this medal and Tam is the first surgeon from Hong Kong to be inducted into this hallowed company.
“I am deeply honored to be included in the list of Denis Browne medallists, which reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ for pediatric surgery. It has to be a dream come true for any pediatric surgeon,” said a delighted Tam.
Tam currently serves as the provost and deputy vice-chancellor of HKU and is particularly interested in minimally invasive surgery, genetics and regenerative medicine of birth defects such as Hirschsprung’s disease. He has made significant contributions to pediatric surgery and serves on many international professional associations.
Over the past two decades, Tam has led a number of projects on developing pediatric surgery in less affluent communities, especially in China. He has nurtured a generation of over 2,000 pediatric surgeons in China through a training program, with far-reaching impact.
“I accept the award both with humility and on behalf of all those associated with me, for this is not a personal recognition but rather a recognition of my family, colleagues, mentors, students, friends, peers and patients. While I cannot hope to inspire the next generation of pediatric surgeons the way those giants of the past generation inspired me, I hope my experience in one form or another can encourage my younger colleagues to enjoy and advance the specialty we all love and care about,” Tam added.
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Source: University of Hong Kong; Photo: British Association of Paediatric Surgeons.
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