Chris Lo
Biography
Chris joined the SGDP as a PhD student in Social, Genetics and Developmental Psychiatry Research in October 2022. Before joining the SGDP, he received his BPharm degree at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). During his time at SGDP, he will be utilizing polygenic risk scores and metabolomics to achieve personalized prescribing of antidepressants in major depressive disorders.
During his undergraduate study, Chris’s research interests lie in big data research on medication safety and therapeutics. During his time with the Department of Medicine at HKU, he reviewed the evidence on cardiovascular outcomes in antidiabetics and evaluated the associations between blood lead levels and hypertension using data from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Chris also worked in the Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research of HKU in 2021. He engaged in systematic review and data analysis of electronic health records as a part of his final year project, funded by the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Programme of HKU. He evaluated the associations between montelukast, a drug used in asthma, and the development of neuropsychiatric events.
After completing his BPharm degree at HKU, Chris decided to pursue his PhD at the SGDP. He now works closely with collaborators from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium to construct polygenic risk score models for predicting treatment response to antidepressants in major depressive disorders.
Research Interests
- Statistical Genetics
- Pharmacogenomics
- Precision Medicine
- Psychiatric Disorders
Research Groups
- The Statistical Genetics Unit
Key Publications
Lo CWH, Fei Y, Cheung BMY. Cardiovascular Outcomes in Trials of New Antidiabetic Drug Classes. Card Fail Rev. 2021 Mar 5;7:e04. doi: 10.15420/cfr.2020.19. PMID: 33747548; PMCID: PMC7970669.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33747548/
Tsoi MF, Lo CWH, Cheung TT, Cheung BMY. Blood lead level and risk of hypertension in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2016. Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 4;11(1):3010. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82435-6. PMID: 33542319; PMCID: PMC7862639.
Research
The Statistical Genetics Unit
Led by Professor Cathryn Lewis, it is a cross-school unit, comprising 20 researchers in the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre and in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics. Our aims are to develop and apply statistical methods to identify and characterise the genetic component to common, complex disorders.
Research
The Statistical Genetics Unit
Led by Professor Cathryn Lewis, it is a cross-school unit, comprising 20 researchers in the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre and in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics. Our aims are to develop and apply statistical methods to identify and characterise the genetic component to common, complex disorders.