Date : 17 April 2026 (Friday)
Time : 3:00- 4:00pm
Format : Hybrid
Venue : CJT-7.01, 7/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Registration : https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=106240

Abstract:
Transgender and gender diverse people experience significant health disparities, including disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. These disparities are not inherent to being trans but are driven by social determinants including stigma, discrimination, and barriers to affirming healthcare. In this seminar, Professor Ada Cheung, endocrinologist and leader of the Trans Health Research Group at The University of Melbourne, will share how she entered this field, introduce key concepts and terminology, and present findings from her group’s latest research. This includes a randomised clinical trial demonstrating that early access to testosterone therapy significantly reduced gender dysphoria, depression, and suicidality. She will outline what the evidence tells us about improving health and wellbeing for trans communities, and offer practical recommendations for how faculty and postgraduate students can be effective allies in their research, teaching, and institutional culture.

About the speaker:
Ada Cheung is a clinician scientist and Professor at The University of Melbourne, Australia where she established and leads the Trans Health Research Group. Since 2017, her multidisciplinary research program has focused on the physiological and mental health effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy, spanning longitudinal cohorts, randomised clinical trials, and multi-omics approaches. Her work has directly informed the development of new gender clinics, a statewide training program for health professionals, and hormone therapy guidelines. Her research is distinguished by deep community partnership and co-design, recognised by the GLOBE LGBTI Ally of the Year award. She is an avid science communicator known for translating complex evidence into accessible insights for clinicians, policymakers, and mainstream media. Her awards include the Allen Distinguished Investigator Award in Sex Hormones and the Victorian Tall Poppy Science Award of the Year 2025 for research excellence and outstanding science communication. Her deep commitment to gender equity led to her induction into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a Change Agent and she has been named one of Cosmos Magazine’s most remarkable and inspirational female scientists in Australia.

For enquiries, please contact Mr. Sam Lee at snslee@hku.hk.