From Consensus to Clinic: Integrating Biomarker-based Algorithms into HCC Surveillance

Professor Grace Lai-Hung Wong MBChB (Hons), MD (CUHK), FRCP (Lond, Edin), FHKCP, FHKAM (Medicine) Kuok Group Professor in Gastroenterology and Hepatology Director, Medical Data Analytics Centre (MDAC) Deputy Director, Center for Liver Health Assistant Dean (Learning Experience), Faculty of Medicine The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Prof Grace Wong is the Kuok Group Professor in Gastroenterology and Hepatology of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2001 with honors and distinctions in Medicine. In 2010, she received the Doctoral Degree of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Prof Grace Wong’s main research interest includes big data research in hepatology, chronic viral hepatitis, and risk prediction and risk reduction of hepatocellular carcinoma, and non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis. She has published over 560 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Nature Medicine, Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, and Gastroenterology. She is currently the Associate Editor of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has been awarded for the Young Investigator Award of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver in 2009, the Distinguished Research Paper Award for Young Investigators of the Hong Kong College of Physicians in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong (香港十大傑出青年) in 2014, Sir David Todd Lectureship of Hong Kong College of Physicians in 2016, the Distinguished Young Fellow of Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 2017, the Emerging Leader Lectureship of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation (JGHF), the Presidential Awards in the Global Hepatitis Summit 2021 and the Richard Yu Lectureship of Hong Kong College of Physicians in 2021, Best Reviewer Award 2022 of the Journal of Hepatology, and Highly Cited Researchers 2023, 2024 and 2025, Clarivate Analytics. She is the panel member of the EASL HBV Clinical Practice Guidelines 2025 and APASL HBV Clinical Practice Guidelines 2026.

Prof Ming-Lung Yu is a distinguished Taiwanese hepatologist and academic leader who currently serves as the President of Kaohsiung Medical University, a position he assumed in July 2024. Heavily embedded in national healthcare policy, he also serves as a consultant for the presidential Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee and sits on multiple councils for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Over the past decade, Prof Yu has held numerous prominent scholastic and hospital appointments. At National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), he served as Senior Vice President, Dean of the College of Medicine, and Director of the Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Diseases. He is currently a Chair Professor at both KMU and NSYSU. Clinically, he has been an Attending Physician in the Division of Hepatology at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital since 1994, previously serving as the hospital’s Vice Superintendent.

An internationally recognized researcher, Prof Yu holds key leadership roles in major professional societies, including Executive Director positions within the Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver (TASL) and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan (GEST). In 2025, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and joined the Global Council of the International Association for the Study of the Liver (IASL). He also serves as an editor for prestigious journals, including Clinical and Molecular Hepatology and JAMA Internal Medicine.

Prof Yu's extensive contributions to viral hepatitis and fatty liver disease research have earned him global acclaim. He has consistently ranked among the Top 2% of Scientists in the world and was recognized as a worldwide expert in Hepacivirus (ranking 2nd in Taiwan). His prestigious accolades include the 2025 APASL Powell-Sarin Achievement Award, the 20th Tien-Te Lee Biomedical Award (2024), the National Science Council's Outstanding Research Award (2013, 2023), and the 29th Wang Ming-Ning Award (2019) for exceptional academic contributions to medical science

Dr. Apichat Kaewdech is a prominent Thai gastroenterologist, hepatologist, and clinical epidemiologist currently serving as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. He joined the university's Division of Internal Medicine as a Medical Instructor in 2019, clinicalizing his practice at the NKC Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology within Songklanagarind Hospital. He was promoted rapidly from Assistant Professor (2021–2023) to his current rank of Associate Professor.

Dr. Kaewdech earned his medical degree from Prince of Songkla University in 2013. He later completed his specialty training, becoming a Diplomate of the Thai Board of Internal Medicine in 2017 and the Thai Subspecialty Board of Gastroenterology in 2019, before pursuing his Ph.D. in Health Sciences and Clinical Epidemiology starting in 2021.

His extensive research portfolio focuses on viral hepatitis (specifically off-therapy outcomes in chronic hepatitis B), biomarker discovery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance, and utilizing artificial intelligence in ultrasound imaging to detect liver cancer. His work has been recognized with the Professor Mindie H. Nguyen Award for Outstanding Clinical Research by Early Career Investigators from the AASLD in 2021, alongside a research award from the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand.

In addition to serving on the steering and research committees for the Thai Association for the Study of the Liver (THASL), Dr. Kaewdech sits on the Young Member Committee of the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO). He is a highly active member of the international scientific community, serving as an editorial board member for journals such as Scientific Reports and BMC Gastroenterology, and acting as an EASL Social Media Ambassador.

Dr. Chitchai Rattananukrom is an accomplished Thai gastroenterologist and hepatologist who serves as an Assistant Professor within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, at Khon Kaen University's Srinagarind Hospital. He earned his medical degree with first-class honors from the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand in 2014. Over the last decade, he has established a strong institutional footprint at Srinagarind Hospital, progressing from an internship and internal medicine residency to joining the medical staff in 2018.

Dr. Rattananukrom has pursued high-level global training to advance his clinical specialization. He completed an ACP-RCPT International Fellowship Exchange Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (2017–2018), followed by a clinical fellowship at Ramathibodi Hospital (2019–2021). Most recently, he was selected for the prestigious ILTS Global Liver Transplantation Mentorship Program (2025–2026).

A highly productive researcher, Dr. Rattananukrom serves as the Principal Investigator for numerous ongoing clinical trials and AI-driven prognostic modeling projects centered around hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance, liver cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis B and C. His work is heavily featured across top-tier international hepatology platforms, including the 2026 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) meeting and the Asia-Pacific Associated Study of Liver (APASL) conferences.

His academic contributions have been recognized with major national honors, including the Best Abstract Award from the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand (2025) and a Young Investigator Award topic selection at APASL (2026). Additionally, he actively shapes regional clinical practice by co-authoring several official guidelines for the Thai Transplantation Society and the Thai Association for the Study of the Liver.