Dr. AU Wai Ting Doris (歐慧婷)

Member of State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution

Dr. Doris WT Au, Ph.D. (The University of Hong Kong and Portsmouth University, UK), is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong.

The DA lab is interested in toxicology research. Her team applies omics, molecular, biochemical and cellular approaches, together with relevant whole organismal phenotypic endpoints, to identify underlying mechanisms and to predict population level consequences. Her current research is focused on the investigation of multigenerational toxicity, with special interest in studying transgenerational inheritance of skeletal deformity, reproductive and immune impairments induced by environmental contaminants and physical stresses (including endocrine disruptors, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hypoxia) using various medaka models.  The primary goals are for elucidating the underlying epigenetic/genetic mechanisms, developing novel prognostic/diagnostic epigenetic biomarkers and assessment of ecological and public health risks. She also has a keen interest in studying telomere and telomerase biology in fish and developing medaka as an alternative vertebrate model for aging research. Dr Au has over 120 peer reviewed publications and delivered over thirty invited symposia/plenary/ keynote lectures.

In 2015, Dr Au received the Brain Pool Fellowship, awarded by the prestigious Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, South Korea. She was also the Distinguished Lecturer in Toxicology, awarded by the Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2008. Dr Au is currently the co-Chair of the International Scientific Committee for the International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment (ISTA), which is a signature toxicology symposia series since 1983.  She is/was the guest editor for the journals Marine Pollution Bulletin and Environmental Science & Pollution Research, editorial board of the Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.

• Environment and human health
• Molecular and cellular toxicology
• Biomarker development
• Medaka models

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• Consultant for many milestone projects (with total contract value exceeded $22M) commissioned by the Hong Kong SAR government, including the development of bioindicator systems for marine pollution monitoring, development of chronic tests for toxicity identification and impact assessment, and establishment of marine water quality standards for Hong Kong.
• Member of eight Council/Board/Advisory Committee, appointed by the Hong Kong SAR Government, including the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong (VSB), the Food and Heath Bureau (the Council on Human Reproductive Technology and the Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene), the Environment Bureau (the Appeal Board), the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (the Appeal Board), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).
• Organizer/lecturer of over ten regional training courses for various international organizations (including United Nations and APEC), the State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution and State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences in China.
• Chair/Secretary/Committee member of thirteen international conferences/symposia