Renowned researcher receives highest honour from Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology
A UNIVERSITI Malaya (UM) emeritus professor dedicated to breast cancer research has been conferred the highest honour by the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology (AOSR).
UM Biomedical Imaging Department Emeritus Prof Dr Ng Kwan Hoong (pic) was recently awarded the AOSR Gold Medal 2026, becoming only the third Malaysian ever to receive the prestigious recognition.
The accolade, awarded since 2001, honours exceptional and outstanding service or benefactions to the development, teaching or practice of radiology and allied fields. As of 2021/2022, the Gold Medal is awarded only to those from the Asia-Oceania region.
Expressing appreciation for the recognition, Prof Ng said his focus has always been on following his passion for research and contributing improvements to healthcare through continued exploration and innovation.
“My main research area is breast cancer research, in particular the early prediction of breast cancer using imaging techniques such as breast density from mammograms.
“Younger women tend to have denser breasts, and this is one reason why breast cancer can occur at a younger age, sometimes in their 30s,” he told StarEdu, adding that breast cancer is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, lifestyle and diet.
“I want to look at the correlation between density and the risk of breast cancer, and with artificial intelligence (AI) coming in a big way in medical imaging research, it is helping us analyse these patterns more effectively,” he said.
Prof Ng also highlighted his broader role in advancing radiology across the Asia-Oceania region through initiatives under the AOSR, where he is the founder and chairman of AsiaSafe.
He said AsiaSafe focuses on strengthening awareness of radiation safety across imaging modalities such as computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography, while also expanding education through webinars, workshops and cross-country collaboration among more than 20 member countries.
“It is also preparing the regional medical community for the rapid rise of AI in radiology, which is important because we need to be prepared to use AI for research,” he said.
Prof Ng, who is also a recipient of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award in 2018 and the Merdeka Award in 2020, encouraged the next generation of doctors, researchers and medical students in Malaysia to remain committed to their interests in medicine and research.
“Just go for it, follow your passion and keep on exploring.
“To me, these are frontiers of knowledge, a little bit of incremental knowledge. It’s not a major discovery, but it contributes to the overall improvement of people’s health,” he said.
He also urged young researchers to keep engaging with emerging technologies such as AI in medical imaging, while maintaining a strong focus on patient safety.
“If you are passionate about improving the safety and health of patients or the community in general, just keep going with AI in terms of research,” he said.
Prof Ng added that his own work continues to focus on safety and risk reduction in medicine.
“In medicine, there are various risk factors, side effects and others, and I am actively working on those,” he said.
