Department of Biomedical Engineering
City University of Hong Kong
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. CHAN, W. Y., Kannie

Prof. CHAN, W. Y., Kannie

BSc(HKU), PhD(HKU)

Professor

Research Interest

  • MRI, CEST-MRI
  • Biomaterials
  • Nanosensors for cellular imaging
  • Hydrogel and its neurotheranostics

    • Phone: +852 3442-9141
    Email: KannieW.Y.C@cityu.edu.hk
    Address: YEUNG-Y6709

    Prof. Kannie WY Chan is a Professor in Department of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and an Adjunct Professor at Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHMI). She serves as the Director of InnoHK - Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE) and the Council member of HKIE. Prof. Chan received the Senior Fellow at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (https://www.ismrm.org/25m/fellows/); ISMRM - the premium international society for MRI research with memberships worldwide, including clinicians, engineers and physicists, and the RGC research Fellow. Prof. Chan is recognized as one of the Stanford's top 2% most highly cited scientists.

    Prof. Chan is an internationally recognized leader in the field of MRI research, in particular the CEST MRI. She has made seminal contributions to in vivo CEST MRI methods and their advanced biomedical applications. Her work includes pioneering efforts in the early detection of neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease, imaging myelin-related neuropathology, imaging efficacy of theranostic hydrogels in brain tumors, sensing extracellular pH of tumors using hydrogel microbeads and the deep-learning based post-processing of CEST images for neurodegenerative diseases. Prof. Chan has published 100 original research articles, mostly in leading and high impact journals in the field, including a cover article in Nature Materials (Cover), Science Advances, Theranostics, Stroke, J Controlled Release. She serves on several leading journal editorial boards, including the deputy editor in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine to oversee manuscripts related to CEST MRI on a global scale.

    1. Z. Chen, J. H. C. Lai, J. Xu, H. Zhang, J. Huang, K. W. Y. Chan*. The effect of aquaporin-4 inhibition on cerebrospinal fluid-tissue water exchange in mouse brain detected by magnetization transfer indirect spin labeling MRI. NMR Biomed. 2024:37:e5093. DOI:10.1002/nbm.5093. PMID: 38163739.
    2. J. Huang#, Z. Chen#, P. C. M. van Zijl, L. H. Law, R. S. P. Prabakaran, S. W. Park, J. Xu, K. W. Y. Chan*. Effect of inhaled oxygen level on dynamic glucose-enhanced (DGE) MRI in mouse brain. Magn. Reson. Med. 2024:92:57-68. DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30035. PMID: 38308151.
    3. S. W. Park, J. H. C. Lai, X. Han, V. W. M. Leung, P. Xiao, J. Huang, K. W. Y. Chan*. Preclinical application of CEST MRI to detect early and regional tumor response to local brain tumor treatment. Pharmaceutics 2024:16(1):101. DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16010101. PMID: 38258112.
    4. Z. Chen, J. Huang, J. H. C. Lai, K. H. Tse, J. Xu, K. W. Y. Chan*. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI detects myelin changes in cuprizone mouse model at 3T. NMR Biomed. 2023:e4937. DOI:10/1002/nbm.4937. PMID: 36965064.
    5. L. H. Law, J. Huang, P. Xiao, Y. Liu, Z. Chen, J. H. C. Lai, X. Han, G. W. Y. Cheng, K. H. Tse, K. W. Y. Chan*. Multiple CEST contrast imaging of nose-to-brain drug delivery using Iohexol liposomes at 3T MRI. J Control. Release. 2023:354:208-220. DOI:10/1016/j.jconrel.2023.01.011. PMID: 36623695.
    6. J. H.C. Lai, J. Liu, T. Yang, J. Huang, Y. Liu, Z. Chen, Y. Lee, G. K. K. Leung, and K. W.Y. Chan*. CEST MRI for longitudinal assessment of intracerebral hemorrhage and deferoxamine treatment at 3T. Stroke. 2023:54(1):255-264. DOI: 10/1161/STROKEAHA.122.040830. PMID: 36416125.
    7. P. Xiao, J. Huang, X. Han, J. W. Cheu, Y. Liu, L. H. Law, J. H. C. Lai, J. Li, S. W. Park, C. C. L. Wong, R. H. W. Lam, K. W. Y. Chan*. Monitor Tumor pHe and Response Longitudinally during Treatment using CEST MRI-detectable Alginate Microbeads. ACS App. Mater. Inter. 2022:14(49):54401-54410. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c10493. PMID: 36448714.
    8. J. Huang, J. H. C. Lai, X. Han, Z. Chen, P. Xiao, Y. Liu, L. Chen, J. Xu, K. W. Y. Chan*. Sensitivity schemes for dynamic glucose enhanced (DGE) MRI to detect glucose uptake and clearance in mouse brain at 3T. NMR Biomed. 2022:35(3):e4640. DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4640. PMID: 34750891. (Cover)
    9. J. Huang, J. H. C. Lai, K. H. Tse, G. W. Y. Cheng, Y. Liu, Z. Chen, X. Han, L. Chen, J. Xu, K. W. Y. Chan*. Deep neural network based CEST AREX processing: application in imaging a model of Alzheimer’s disease at 3T. Magn. Reason. Med. 2022:87(3):1529-1545. DOI:10.1002/mrm.29044. PMID: 34657318 (MRM Highlights Pick; Top cited papers in 2023)
    10. J. Huang, J. Xu, J. H. C. Lai, Z. Chen, C. Y. Lee, H. K. F. Mak, K. H. Chan, K. W. Y. Chan*. Relayed nuclear Overhauser effect weighted (rNOEw) imaging identifies multiple sclerosis. NeuroImage: Clinical. 2021:32:102867. DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102867. PMID: 34751151.
    11. J. Huang, L. Chen, X. Xu, P. C. M. van Zijl, J. Xu, K. W. Y. Chan*. Relayed nuclear Overhauser enhancement imaging with magnetization transfer contrast suppression at 3T. Magn. Reson. Med. 2021:85(1):254-267. DOI:10.1002/mrm.28433. PMID:32738080
    12. J. Huang, P. C. M. van Zijl, X. Han, C. M. Dong, G. W. Y. Cheng, K. H. Tse, L. Knutsson, L. Chen, J. H. C. Lai, E. X. Wu, J. Xu*, K. W. Y. Chan*. Altered D-glucose in brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid of early Alzheimer’s disease detected by dynamic glucose enhanced MRI. Science Advances 2020:6:eaba3884. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3884.
    13. X. Han, J. Huang, A. K.W. To, J. H.C. Lai, P. Xiao, E. X. Wu, J. Xu, K. W. Y. Chan*. CEST MRI detectable liposomal hydrogels for multiparametric monitoring in the brain at 3T. Theranostics 2020:10:2215-2228.
    14. X. Xu, J. Xu, L. Knutsson, J. Liu, H. Liu, Y. Li, B. Lal, J. Laterra, D. Artemov, G. Liu, P. C. M. van Zijl*, K. W. Y. Chan*. The effect of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin on glucoCEST signal in a preclinical model of glioblastoma. Magn. Reson. Med. 2019:81:3798-3807.
    15. X. Xu*, K. W. Y. Chan*, L. Knutsson, D. Artemov, J. Xu, G. Liu, Y. Kato, B. Lal, J. Laterra, M. T. McMahon, P. C. M. van Zijl. (*, authors contributed equally) Dynamic glucose enhanced (DGE) MRI for combined imaging of blood-brain barrier break down and increased blood volume in brain cancer. Magn. Reson. Med. 2015:74:1556-1563.
    16. T. Yu*, K. W. Y. Chan*, A. Anonuevo, X. Song, B. S. Schuster, S. Chattopadhyay, Q. Xu, N. Oskolkov, H. Patel, L. M. Ensign, P. C. M. van Zjil, M. T. McMahon, J. Hanes. (*, authors contributed equally) Liposomal mucus-penetrating particles (MPP) for efficient mucosal delivery and intravaginal diamagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (diaCEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nanomed.: Nanotechnol. Biol. Med. 2015:11:401-405.
    17. K. W. Y. Chan, G. Liu, P. C. M. van Zijl, J. W. M. Bulte, M. T. McMahon. Magnetization transfer contrast MRI for non-invasive assessment of innate and adaptive immune responses against alginate-encapsulated cells. Biomaterials 2014:53:7811-7818.
    18. K. W. Y. Chan, T. Yu, Y. Qiao, Q. Liu, M. Yang, H. Patel, G. Liu, K. W. Kinzler, B. Vogelstein, J. W. Bulte, P. C. M. van Zijl, J. Hanes, S. Zhou, M. T. McMahon. A diaCEST MRI approach for monitoring liposomal accumulation in tumors. J Control. Release 2014:180:51-59.
    19. K. W. Y. Chan, G. Liu, X. Song, H. Kim, T. Yu, D. R. Arifin, A. A. Assaf, J. Hanes, P. Walczak, P. C. M. van Zijl, J. W. M. Bulte, M. T. McMahon. MRI-detectable pH nanosensors incorporated into hydrogels for in vivo sensing of transplanted cell viability. Nature Materials 2013:12:268-275. (Cover Article; ISI Citation: 94; Highly Citation Award, Web of Science in 2015)
    20. K. W. Y. Chan, M. T. McMahon, Y. Kato, G. Liu, J. W. M. Bulte, Z. M. Bhujwalla, D. Artemov, P. C. M. van Zijl. Natural D-glucose as a biodegradable MRI contrast agent for detecting cancer. Magn. Reson. Med. 2012:68:1764-1773

    NICE-Lab recruitment

    Our lab is looking for passionate and talented graduate students, research assistants and senior research assistants. If you are interested in our research, please send your CV to KannieW.Y.C@cityu.edu.hk

    Lab website: https://sites.google.com/site/kannienicelab

    Last modified on 25 July 2025