The unexpected discovery of a foetus’ DNA in its mother’s bloodstream led Professor Allen Chan on a blazing trail of lifesaving innovations.

This talk introduces the elegant method of blood testing for pre-birth screening of Down syndrome, the outcome of a decade of hard work which substantially minimised the risks of prenatal testing.

As the high uncertainty in a scientific research deters many from pursuing it as a career, this talk also provides an overview of the research prospects in Hong Kong. Professor Chan received his medical training from the University of Hong Kong and PhD training from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, Hong Kong College of Pathologists and Hong Kong Academy of Medicine.
His main research interest regards the development of new diagnostic approaches based on circulating DNA analysis. He is an inventor of the noninvasive prenatal test for Down syndrome using plasma DNA analysis in pregnant women, and currently has over 40 patents/patent applications on molecular diagnostics.
Right now, he is working on a research project regarding cancer diagnosis through taking blood samples. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx