Our People
Biography
Andrew holds a Clinical Lectureship in Neurology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He completed his DPhil with the support of the Croucher Foundation at the Wellcome Center for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, where he was awarded the Nuffield Department of Medicine Overall Graduate Student Prize in recognition of his doctorate research work. He studied medicine at the University of Cambridge and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Andrew KWOK
Clinical Lecturer, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics
Research Interests
Andrew Kwok is a neurology resident and clinician-scientist with an interest in neuroimmunology. He specializes in single-cell genomics in both animal and human patient samples, leveraging multi-omic technologies spanning the central dogma of biology to generate biomedical big data. He combines these data through bioinformatic methods, including machine learning algorithms, to understand the impact of gene expression and the epigenome on cellular function (Nat Rev Genet., 2021).
Andrew’s research previously focused on studying the immune response states to acute infection (Cell 2022; Nat. Immunol., 2022; Nat. Immunol., 2023), and has more recently moved on to understanding neurobiological states spanning health, disease, and aging (Semi. Cell Dev. Biol., 2023; bioRXiv, 2024). His work has included assisting in the development of open-source software packages, both for general bioinformatic use (Bioinform. Adv., 2024), and for disease-specific applications in acute infection (Sci. Transl. Med., 2022).
Andrew has a broad interest in applying the above wet and dry lab methodologies to clinical neurology with a focus on neuroimmunity (medRXiv, 2024), neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration (Stroke, 2024). Current major areas of work include:
- Dissecting the brainstem cellular circuits involved in aging, in particular the role of GLP-1 receptor expressing neurons in the solitary tract nucleus in body-wide aging.
- Assessing the impact of GLP-1R agonism (GLP-1RA) on body-wide aging and understanding the mechanisms involved in molecular age-counteraction induced by GLP-1RA.
- Understanding cell mechanisms, especially that of T cells, involved in anti-NMDA receptor antibody mediated disease.
- Contrasting mechanisms of autoimmunity initiation and perpetuation across a range of central nervous system and peripheral nervous system autoimmune neurological conditions.
Awards
Selected publications
- Kwok AJ, Soleimani B, Sun B, Fower A, Makuch M, Johnson T et al. Single-cell immune survey identifies a novel pathogenic role for T cells in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. 2024 doi: 10.1101/2024.09.01.24311959.
- Huang J*, Kwok AJ*, Li JCY*, Chiu CLH*, Ip BY, Tung LY et al. Functional and multi-omic aging rejuventation with GLP-1R agonism. 2024 doi: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592653. *Co-first authors
- Kwok AJ, Allcock A, Ferreira RC, Smee M, Cano-Gamez E, Smee M et al. Neutrophil and emergency granulopoietic drive immune suppression and an extreme response endotype during sepsis. Nat Immunol. 2023;24(5):767-779
- The COMBAT consortium. A blood atlas of COVID-19 defines hallmarks of disease severity and specificity. 2022;185(5):916-38 e58. (Lead junior author of consortium)
- Kwok AJ, Mentzer A, Knight JC. Host genetics and infectious disease: new tools, insights and translational opportunities. Nat Rev Genet. 2021;22(3):137-53.
