The SPMS was nominated by the university to participate in the 37th International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products, which as held in Geneva in May 2009. Over 40 countries and 700 exhibitors participated in this event. The SPMS team won the gold medal in Class M (medicine, surgery, hygiene, orthopaedics and material for the handicapped). On 26 May, 2009, a press briefing and a prize giving ceremony were held to acknowledge the achievement of the award winning participants of the university. The Consul General of Switzerland was invited, asthe guest of honour, to present the prize, and he had a highregard for the awardees.

AUTUMN / 2009

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The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) has been providing high-quality internationally benchmarked entry-level education to occupational therapists and physiotherapists for 30 years. Our graduates are competent professionals serving clients in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and many other countries. We also offer excellent opportunities to practitioners and researchers for pursuing further education from a disciplinary-specific or multidisciplinary perspective in rehabilitation sciences. In order to achieve its mission of providing high-quality education and mediating professional development, our Department still has a lot to do in the future. Your support is vital to facilitate this process!

Please offer your support by making a donation. Your donation, no matter whether big or small, will make an impact on the future of rehabilitation in Hong Kong and throughout the world.

Donation FormName: Prof. / Dr. / Mr. / Mrs. / Ms. / Miss

Address:

Contact Tel. No.: Email:

Company: Position:

Year of Graduation: (For RS alumni only)

Donation Amount:

I wish to contribute to the development of RS; please allocate my donation for the following purpose(s). (Please add a “✓ ” where appropriate)❏ Research conducted by RS❏ RS student development❏ At the discretion of RS❏ Other (Please specify):

Please make your cheque payable to:THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITYand mail it to:Department of Rehabilitation SciencesThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

** A donation receipt will be issued by the University for tax deduction purposes

Signature: Date:

Your BIG or small Donationwill make an Impact !

AU T U M N / 2 0 0 9

Cover Story

Also in this issue:

Foot Care Service in the Rehabilitation Clinic

p.5

Serena Yang Lecture Series in Rehabilitation

Sciences 2009p.3

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Touching lives, making an impact

Smart Pressure Monitored Suit (SPMS)

Prof. Cecilia Li-Tsang(Associate Head)

Burn injuries rank 3rd among the typesof diseases in developing countries(WHO, 2008). More than 300,000 persons suffer from burns injuries inMainland China (China National BurnsSociety, 2007). Post-burn hypertrophicscars (HS) often result in disfigurement,limb contracture and deformities.

In Hong Kong, occupationaltherapists (OTs) have been heavilyinvolved in the provision of pressure therapy for patients with post-burn HSand the results have been promising.However, the fabrication of a pressuregarment for individual patients is labourintensive: a patient has to be measuredmanually and then a pattern has to bemade manually by therapists before itcan be fabricated into a garment. Thepressure generated by the garment maynot be consistent due to variations in thefabric materials or the measurementmethods among therapists.

With the support from the Innovation and TechnologyFund, Prof. Cecilia Li and her project team have successfullydeveloped a SMART PRESSURE MONITORED SUIT (SPMS) tocater for the needs of therapists and patients. The SPMS is produced using a software (YUKA) specially designed to convertthe 3D dimensions of the human body into 2D patterns. With aspecially selected fabric (powernet materials), 2D patterns aremanufactured into a tailored pressure suit. The powernet materials are scientifically proven for their elasticity, durabilityand comfort. The total time spent in manufacturing a SPMS froma human subject is significantly shortened. The workload of clinicians is thus greatly reduced.

Innovation in SCAR management

team would also like to extend itsappreciation to Mr. Clement Lam, ChiefManager of Pacific Textile Limited, forhis expert advice on the selection of thefabric materials for manufacturing theSPMS. The research team is indebted to Mr. Law Yu Wing, who has donated a significant amount to the team'sresearch grant: he has personally suffered from burns injuries and hisvision is to help burns victims throughadvancements in technology.

Prof. MichaelFeuerstein was the keynotespeaker for the Serena YangOpen Lecture, titled'Occupational Rehabilitation inIndustrialized Asia: Challengesand Opportunities', which washeld on the evening of 15October. Mr. David Mong represented Dr. Serena Yang in attending the lecture andpresented souvenirs to all ourguest speakers.

Plenary speakersfrom other Asian countries were also invited to share their experiences in local practices,

including Dr. Kay-Fei Chan, medical doctor (Singapore), Ms. CharlieTan Wah Chiar, occupational therapist (Malaysia) and Dr. Dan Tang,medical doctor (Mainland China). Local experts included Dr. HenryKwok, MD, Manager in Occupational Medicine, Hospital Authority,and Dr. Philip Wang To Leong, MD from private practice.

This Serena Yang Lecture Series has provided an excellent learning opportunity for local clinicians and researchersto gain a better understanding of occupational rehabilitationpractices and current research in overseas countries such as theUSA, Canada and the Netherlands. We have also learned moreabout the practices in nearby countries such as Singapore andMalaysia as well as Mainland China. We hope that this will contribute to further developments in occupational rehabilitationin Hong Kong. We also look forward to the next Serena YangLecture Series in 2010.

This lecture series aimed to provide a platform for local and international experts to share their experiences in occupational rehabilitation practices in various countries, and toidentify opportunities for improving collaboration and the furtheradvancement of this field. The responses from the participantswere most positive, and they expressed their appreciation forhaving this opportunity to learn from these renowned expertswith the sponsorship of the Serena Yang donations.

2 3

Staff Activities

AUTUMN / 2009

Dr. Grace Szeto (Assistant Professor)

The Serena Yang LectureSeries has become one of themajor academic events in our department since 2007. This year, the theme was onoccupational rehabilitation,and we were honoured tohave several internationallyrenowned experts join us inthis event held on 15-16October 2009. The keynotespeakers included Prof.Michael Feuerstein from theUniformed Services University(USA), Prof. Patrick Loiselfrom the University of Toronto,(Canada), Prof. Maurits M. vanTulder from VU University (Netherlands) and Prof. Fong Chan,University of Wisconsin (USA). Altogether, the four internationalexperts presented four keynote lectures and three workshops to over 200 participants.

Winning this gold medal is a symbol of the achievement ofOccupational Therapy in burns rehabilitation during the past 30 years. The research team, led by Prof.Cecilia Li, has been working in close collaboration with the clinical team, led by Mr. Frederick Au (Senior OT) andMs. Amelia Chan (OT) from Prince ofWales Hospital. Without their support,the SPMS would still not have beensuccessfully invented. The project

A neuroscience research study jointly conductedby The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) hasled to the discovery of a previously unknown feature of the human brain - the novelty detectionmechanism in the gateway to the cerebral cortex.The finding was reported in the latest issue(September 2009) of Nature Neuroscience andhighlighted by Nature China, both publications ofthe Nature Publishing Group.

This sophisticated research was undertaken at the University's AppliedNeuroscience Laboratory by a team led by Prof. HeJufang of the PolyU Department of RehabilitationSciences and his student, and Prof. He Shigang in the CASInstitute of Biophysics. The study found that the thalamicreticular neurons, which reside in the position of guardian ofthe gateway to the cerebral cortex, responded to a novel stimulus much more readily than to a repeated stimulus.

The researchers repeatedly presented a two-tonemelody to rats during the experiment, usually pitching thesound at a standard frequency and occasionally at a deviantfrequency. This oddball procedure showed that the auditorysector of the thalamic reticular neurons - which are inhibitoryand control the ascending sensory information in the thalamus - has a deviance preference. It is hypothesised thatthe structure performs an important role in sensory attention.

The present finding advances our understanding of the structure's potential roles, as well as of the mechanism involved in attention shift, which could happenacross sensory modalities. Malfunction of these neuronsmight cause attention deficit disorders as well as tinnitus,the perception of sound within the human ear in the absenceof a corresponding external sound.

Earlier, the Applied Neuroscience Laboratory collaborated with Prof. Poo Mu-ming and Zhang Xiaohui ofthe CAS Institute of Neuroscience to make another majorfinding in the auditory thalamus, which was published in

Brain Research by PolyU and CAS publishedin NATURE JOURNALS

The Journal of Neuroscience (May 2009). Thatstudy found that the auditory thalamic neuronscan respond to sounds of low frequency or slow oscillations at frequencies of less than 1hertz. More importantly, the auditory thalamic neurons can pick up and retain the sound beatfor a while even after the sound has stopped.This interesting finding sheds new light on the mechanism of attention and on understandingthe sensitivity of our brains to certain sounds.

In carrying out this study, theresearchers presented repetitive sound stimuliand analysed the response of the auditory neurons with sophisticated measuring tools.

The study showed that the sensory neurons remained activeafter termination of the sound stimuli, and even a weaksound could trigger the sustaining response for at least 10minutes. The study also found that the thalamic neuronsrespond to rhythmic sound stimuli during slow wave sleep,as confirmed by extracellular recordings. Such effects mayhelp retain the information of the stimulus interval on anorder of seconds.

Principal investigator Prof. He Jufang is one of the leading neuroscientists in hearing research and the thalamocortical system, especially in the corticofugal modulation. With a research interest focusing on systemsneuroscience, he combines electrophysiological, anatomicaland engineering approaches to investigate fundamentalquestions involved in hearing, sleep, and learning and memory. Prof. He has recently been named a Croucher Senior Research Fellow for 2009 in recognition of his distinguished research accomplishments.

The Applied Neuroscience Laboratory was set up by PolyU in 2006 to support research work and investigate fundamental questions in neuroscience. A part of this laboratory in the line of visuo-auditory integration was designated in 2008 as a Joint-Laboratory between theChinese Academy of Sciences and PolyU.

Prof. Jufang He (Professor)

International Symposium on Challengesof 21st Century Occupational Rehabilitation: RETURN TO WORK and EMPLOYEE RETENTION

One of the workshops

Open lecture by Prof. Michael Feuerstein. From left to right: Dr. GraceSzeto, Dr. Chan Kay-fei, Prof. Patrick Loisel, Prof. Maurits van Tulder,Prof. Michael Feuerstein, Mr. David Mong, Prof. Fong Chan, Prof. JohnSpinks and Prof. Chetwyn Chan

First day of the symposium. From left to right: Dr. Andy Cheng, Dr. TangDan, Prof. Maurits van Tulder, Prof. Fong Chan, Dr. Henry Kwok, Prof.Michael Feuerstein, Prof. Chetwyn Chan, Prof. Patrick Loisel, Ms. CharlieTan, Dr. Chan Kay-fei and Dr. Grace Szeto

Serena Yang Lecture Series in Rehabilitation Sciences 2009

Prof. Jufang He

Ms. Amelia Chan (left) and Mr. Frederick Au (right), OTs from Prince of Wales Hospital, who have contributedtheir expert advice to the development of the SPMS

In addition, twogait and balance testingsessions using simpleequipments, such as theGAITrite and 'foam anddome', were provided for the patrons at themuseum. The responsewas overwhelming, withour patrons being veryinterested in finding outwhether their gait or balance is normal! It was agolden opportunity for usto promote our professionand our Department to thegeneral public.

Finally, Dr. Pangwould like to thank Prof.

Chetwyn Chan, Prof. Jufang He, Dr. Margaret Mak and theOrganizing Committee for their support and contribution tomaking this exhibition a great success.

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AUTUMN / 2009

Science of Human Locomotion

Dr. Marco Pang (Assistant Professor)

The Department ofRehabilitation Sciences held a successful exhibitionon 'Science of HumanLocomotion' at the Hong KongScience Museum from May toSeptember 2009. Through aseries of posters, video presentations and product displays, the exhibitionoffered audiences an insightinto the expertise in locomotion-related researchand product development inour Department.

Dr. Marco Pang, an Assistant Professor at ourDepartment, delivered anopen lecture entitled 'Secretof Human Locomotion' with a full house of more than 150 attendees. The audience was also very enthusiastic in wanting to know more about gait abnormalities.

FOOT CARE Service in the Rehabilitation Clinic

Foot problems, particularly plantar fasciitis, are prevalent.In the past few months, the Rehabilitation Clinic has run a number of seminars and workshops on foot care.Responses from the audiences were encouraging andprompted the clinic to establish the "Primary Foot CareService" in August 2009.

The service aims to promote foot care and to provide thorough lower limb examinations and orthotics prescription services to clients from the PolyU and the general public. It consists of:

Foot and Lower Limb ExaminationThe tool for this examination consists of a 3-camera system.The assessment items include:• Foot prints and pressure analysis• Gait analysis• Forefoot evaluation• Rearfoot and knee angle measurement• Leg length measurement• Scoliosis evaluation• Joint range of motion and strength measurement

Problem Analysis and AdviceAfter an assessment, a set of specific exercises is introducedto the client. If the assessment indicates a need forExtracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT), the client isreferred to physiotherapists or other professionals. Also, a specific foot insole is recommended according to the client's needs.

Orthotics PrescriptionTraditionally, tailor-made orthotics are made in the non-weight bearing position, which is not functional during

The Opening Ceremony officiated by (from left to right): Mr. SamChow (Curator, Hong Kong Science Museum), Prof. George Woo, Prof.Chetwyn Chan, Prof. Tso Wung-wai (Adjunct Professor of theDepartment of Biochemistry, CUHK) and Dr. Marco Pang

standing or walking. Therefore, this kind of orthotics has tobe adjusted several times before the client is satisfied.

To save time and effort, heat moulding orthotics arenow used. The orthotics are softened thermally and thenmoulded in the weight-bearing position. The procedure issimple and precise. It can be completed within minutes andhas excellent effects.

In July 2009, the clinic organized a special foot caresession targeting parents in order to raise awareness of footproblems in their children. The clinic will continue to organizefoot care seminars and to collaborate actively with other

Mr. Billy Cheung (Physiotherapist II)

Rearfoot & knee angle measurement

Gait analysis using camera system

Moulding orthotics in weight-bearing position

Exhibition in the Hong Kong Science Museum

University Rehabilitation Clinic

professionals and communities to promote foot care to allages. For further information about this service, pleasebrowse the official link of the University Rehabilitation Clinicat www.rehabcl in ic .org .

BRAIN HEALTH of Youth Drug UsersDr. Andrew Siu (Assistant Professor)

On 23 May, PolyU Department of Rehabilitation Sciences andHKU Neuropsychology Laboratory (NPL), in collaboration with theCaritas Youth and Community Service project "A Journey ofAwakening" (Beat Drugs Fund), conducted a press briefing on astudy of Brain Health of Youth Drug Users. This study aims toexamine the potential impact of drug abuse on cognitive abilitiesand emotions management and also explores the client's motivation for wanting to stop using drugs.

During the past year, we conducted extensive testingrelated to the attention, memory, and executive functioning of

97 young persons with drug abuse behaviour. The results showed the following: 64.9 % of the participants had at least one neuropsychological deficit among the tested areas, manyhad emotional issues, and, in particular, 62.2% were showingsymptoms of depression.

The brain function assessment reports were presentedto the participants. The experts highlighted cognitive functionand emotional profile from the test scores as focuses for furthercounselling. We then explored the clients' perceptions of the test results and tried to promote their motivation for change. For those who had deficits in cognitive functioning, the expertsprovided suggestions for improving their cognitive abilities andcompensation methods.

During the interviewing process, we found that the motivation for changing drug abuse behaviour depends on severalunderlying factors, including health issues, family support andpressure, and the desires to achieve in career or study, to becomeuseful and independent and to find a long-term partner.

The study is the first of its kind in the local scene and the results highlight that the combination of neuropsychological testing and motivational interviewingcould have great potential in assisting young people to manage drug abuse behaviour.Dr. Andrew Siu (in the middle) shared the findings of the study with

the press

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AUTUMN / 2009

Preschool Fine MotorDevelopmental Assessment

Ms. Amy Chiu (Senior Occupational Therapist, Heep Hong Society)

Fine motor development lays the foundationnecessary for children's everydayactivities in self-care, play and learning. An accurate assessment offine motor development is therefore crucial to identifying thebaseline for intervention.Traditionally, occupational therapists (OTs) in Hong Kong had to rely on fine motor assessmentstools developed in other countries,as local norms in fine motor development for Chinese childrenaged 0 to 6 were not available in Hong Kong.

Since there are cultural differences among childrenof different geographic orethnic groups, assessmentresults from imported instruments need to beinterpreted with cautionbefore planning treatment.

The current projectaims to develop an accurate,reliable and standardizedfine motor assessment toolfor OTs working with Chinesechildren in Hong Kong. From2007 to 2009, the occupational therapy team

of Heep Hong Society took the initiative in developing a newset of fine motor assessment items based on local needs.

Clinical Specialty Innovation in OT Assessment for Children

HK-PFMDA - Examinar's Manual

Research seminar on June 29, 2009

With the participation of OTs working in the ChildAssessment Service of the Department

of Health and the HospitalAuthority, an expert panel wasformed to review the contentvalidity of these new assessment

items. By the end of 2008, theoccupational therapy team of Heep

Hong had successfully collectedassessment data from 787 typically

developing children from 36kindergartens and nurseries

across the 18 regions of Hong Kong.Data on 80 children with developmental

problems were also collected from 14 special child care unitsfor analysis on construct validity.

Under the expert advice of our research consultants,Dr. Andrew Siu and Mr. Calvin Yip of the Department ofRehabilitationSciences, we havedeveloped a finemotor assessmentinstrument (HK-PFMDA) with excellent reliabilityand validity and collected the firstset of norms of HKChinese childrenaged 0-6. TheExaminer's Manualwas published inJune 2009 and aresearch seminarwas held on June29, 2009 at HKPUto report and sharethe success of thisproject with morethan 120 local OTsin the field.

Using this new assessment instrument, we can nowprovide more accurate assessments for our children and havetaken a further step in planning quality therapy for them.

My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Andrew Siu and all colleagues involved in this innovative project!

For more information on the HK-PFMDA, please contact Ms Cynthia Lai at yy.lai.ot@heephong.org .

HK-PFMDA - Assessment tools

Core members of the project: Dr. AndrewSiu, Ms. Amy Chiu and Ms. Cynthia Lai

The World Health Organizationdefines osteoporosis as a condition of skeletal fragilitydue to decreased bone massand bone matrix deteriorationthat leads to an increased riskof fracture. Because of HongKong's aging population, osteoporosis has become moreprevalent, affecting 50% of postmenopausal women.Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic and can go unnoticed for many years until afracture occurs. The sequelae of its related fractures, such as hipfracture, can be serious and can have high mortality and morbidity. Osteoporosis undoubtedly has a significant medicaland socio-economic impact on the community.

Successful osteoporosis management requires a jointeffort from different health care professionals. Physiotherapists,as a core member of the multidisciplinary team, play a prime rolein identifying osteoporosis at an early stage, providing health education, and conducting fallprevention programmes and exercise classes atthe community level. The aims of physiotherapyare to promote bone health, provide adequatepain control, correct posture, improve general fitness and reduce the risk of falls.

As exercise therapy is one of the mainfocuses in osteoporosis care, physiotherapistsoften offer their expertise in prescribing appropriate exercise programmes to people withthis condition. Weight-bearing exercises are beneficial in slowing down the rate of bone loss.Other types of exercises, such as muscle

Physiotherapy to help combat osteoporosisMr. Anthony Kwok (General Manager, Centre of Osteoporosis Care and Control, Chinese University of Hong Kong)

strengthening and aerobic exercises, are also often recommended. These exercises can improvemuscle strength, agility, balance and function, and contribute to a better quality of life.

There is strong evidence that falls are preventable using a proactive approach. Fall prevention strategies are emphasised. The predisposing medical risk factors, such as visual orhearing impairment, neurological conditions andmedication that may affect balance and stability,should be identified and treated. Physiotherapistscan assess elderly people with risk factors for, or aknown history of fall, in order to provide them withsuitable training and rehabilitation. Fall prevention

education programmes are also important to enhance home and environmental safety. The use of hip protectors has also beenfound to be effective in preventing future hip fractures forpatients with poor balance or a history of recurrent falls.

Rehabilitation and support services provided by physiotherapists specialising in osteoporosis care are available in the local community. For example, The Chinese University ofHong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control(JOCOC), which is dedicated to promoting early diagnosis andappropriate management for people with osteoporosis, enjoys an outstanding reputation. In addition to developing a standard clinical protocol to guide case findings and drug treatment,JOCOC has also developed a unique rehabilitation protocol forpatients with osteoporotic fractures. This protocol includesscreening for risk factors for falls, bone density measurements,dietary assessment, prescription of osteoporosis drugs and exercises. In addition, a mobile van service has been set up to deliver osteoporosis services to the doorsteps of those in need across the community. Health talks and health exhibitions,including World Osteoporosis Day, which is held each year in October, are organized for the general public on a regular basis. In order to train future specialists in the field of osteoporosis care, JOCOC is also devoted to research activitiesand professional training for local and overseas medical and

physiotherapy students.To establish a

comprehensive and efficientrehabilitation programme forosteoporosis management, physiotherapy is especially crucial among the non-pharmacological interventions.Physiotherapists should continue to strive for the bestin promoting healthier bonesfor the public and improvingthe quality of life for peoplewith osteoporosis.

Mr. Anthony Kwok (left) explaining osteoporosisto the public at a roadshow.

Local and overseas physiotherapy students participating in a healthpromotion activity on osteoporosis care and management

Proactive community participation: A physiotherapistconducting an innovative exercise class.

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AUTUMN / 2009

Student's Activities

Award-winning project Environmental AdaptationChan Hoi Yan, Chan Wai Ling, Lau Mun Tung and Lo Tsz Kwan

(Year Three Occupational Therapy students)

We are extremely honoured to receive a scholarship from the Prof. Alan Tam Memorial Fund in relation to the subject ofEnvironmental Issues in OT Practice.

To help you out: Writing Music BoxAfter visiting the Hong Kong Red Cross John F. Kennedy

Centre, we found that some students in this school had difficultywriting within boundaries. We therefore designed our product,the writing music box.

Our targets are 6 to 12 years old primary school students with specific learning difficulties, especially those withconstructional dyspraxia. Such students usually have difficultieswith spatial relationships and a poor sense of direction.

The writing music box mainly comprises a metal writingframe, a buzzer and a modified pen, which are connected to abattery. When the pen makes contact with the metal writingframe, which indicates that the student is writing outside of theboundaries, a sound is produced to alert the student to this.

By using the writing music box, students' academic

Summer placement in CHINA for physiotherapy students, Preferred Graduate Programme

Freddie Lam, Sherman Chan, Sharon Hung and Mandy Ng(Year Three Physiotherapy students)

Our one monthplacement inGuangdong ProvincialWork InjuryRehabilitation Centreduring the summerbreak was very fruitful.We learned to appreciate the different rehabilitationsystems that exist in China. In this placement we wereexposed to types of cases that we hardly see in Hong Kong,such as patients with burns and amputations. We also had the chance to be attached to the Chinese MedicineDepartment, which allowed us to learn more about traditionaltreatment methods and to be exposed to the integration ofChinese and Western medicine that forms an east-meets-westtreatment protocol.

Everyone was very nice. We received a warm welcomewhen we arrived and the students were very helpful and kind tous throughout the placement. As the teachers and studentscome from different places in China, they all live in dormitories.After work they swim, play basketball and take part in otherleisure activities together. We were delighted to see the closerelationships between teachers and students and we have

made good friends. It was a great chance for us to improve our Potunghua and to gain a greater understanding of the cultures in different parts of China.

To sum up, the placement in the GuangdongProvincial Work Injury Rehabilitation Centre was a valuableexperience. Not only did we gain exposure to different case types and have more hands-on experiences, but we also had achance to understand the differences in the rehabilitation systems and lifestyles between Hong Kong and Mainland China.We would recommend this programme to our fellow students, as it will enrich their university life during the summer break.

Photos taken with the staff at the Guangdong Provincial Work InjuryRehabilitation Centre

Qingdao groupNatalie Ng, Carina Lun, Dorothy Lam and Keith Yeung

(Year Three Physiotherapy students)

We really gained a lot from our exchange visit to Qingdao. We gained clinical exposure to different types of hand cases andwere touched by the warm care we received from the doctors of401 Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

During the placement, we were provided with opportunities, under the supervision of the staff who work atthe hospital, to manage patients with various hand and upperlimb traumas. From the conditions we saw during our stay, wefound that factory accidents and traffic accidents were the main

causes of the serious injuries sustained by the clients. We learnta lot by participating in the grand round, specialized clinics withphysicians and other health care professionals. Other learningactivities, such as attachments to other health care units and tothe operating theatre, were also very rewarding. We wereimpressed by the kindness and enthusiasm of the medical andallied health staff at the hospital. They also organize manyweekend activities for us, such as hiking and peach picking,

Attachment to the operating theatre with a client receiving toe-handtransplantation surgery

Hiking and peach picking at Qingdao during the weekend

studies can be facilitated, as they can achieve better homework grades and the time taken to complete homework can be shortened. Also, students can be more independent in doing their homework and hence increase their self esteem. Moreover, it can enhance the relationship among students, their parents and their teachers because less negative feedback will be given to the students.

We hope that this device will be manufactured in the future to help students with the development of their writing skills.

Guangzhou group

Sightseeing at Guangdong

which further enriched our visit. We are very pleased to haveestablished such good friendships with them during our stay.

As a result of this trip, we have all fallen in love withQingdao, especially its weather, scenery, cuisine and, mostimportantly, the people. We had many enjoyable moments visiting the city and working in the hospital. We must say thatthis was definitely an experience of a lifetime for us all, and wewould recommend our fellow students to participate in the preferred graduate programme.

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AUTUMN / 2009

Visit by Prof. Li Guang Xian, Sichuan University

Visit by Prof. Chukuka Enwemeka, Prof. GwendolenJull and Prof. Kenneth Ottenbacher

Visit by Notre Dame College

Visit by St. Paul Co-educational College

Visit by Dr. Yang Zhijian, Deputy Director General of

the Department of Higher Education

Visit by Prof. Mary P. Galea, the University

of

Melbourne and Austin Health, Australia

Visit by the National Sports Medical Research Centre

Visit by the Research Grant Council

Dr. Anna Lau, Assistant ProfessorMr. Stephen Barker, Clinical InstructorMs. Pui Sze Lee, Clinical Instructor

Press Conference on Teenage Drug Abuse May 23, 2009 MOU signing with Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore May 19, 2009Gold Medal, Geneva Invention Expo

RS Activities

News

Editors’ Corner

Editors: Ms. Sharon Tsang ( PT ) Ms. Rufina Lau ( PT )Ms. Daphne Ip ( OT )

Department of Rehabilitaion Sciences

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Tel: 2766-6718/2766-6729

Fax: 2330-8656

Email: Rufina.Lau@inet.polyu.edu.hkDaphne.Ip@inet.polyu.edu.hk

CongratulationsActivities and Ceremonies

Dr. Andrew Siu (Assistant Professor) joined Prof. Tatia Lee (HKU) and Ms Debby Wong (Caritas Youth and Community Service) to releasethe research findings on "Brain Health and Emotional Profile for Youth Drug Users"

From left to right: Prof. Alice Jones, Prof. Chetwyn Chan, Dr. Cheng Mun& Prof. Cecilia Li

Erratum to RS visits (Summerissue 2009)The legends of RS visits betweenSAHK and the Hong Kong PHABAssociation published in the summer issue 2009should have beenswopped.

We wish to sayfarewell to:

RS visits

Prof. Cecilia Li-Tsang's Smart Pressure Monitored Suit got the GoldMedal Award in Geneva's Invention Expo.