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About Victor Han

Dr. Victor Han is a neonatologist specializing in maternal and fetal heath, especially concerning growth factors in fetal and placental development as well as common, related complications like preeclampsia.

Asset Map Keywords: Gene Therapy, Growth Factors, and Neonatal Health --> (see more)
Children's Health Collaborators: David Hill and Madhulika Gupta

Dr. Han's research combines bedside monitoring and management with biophysics and cell biology, developing techniques to better optimize care and long-term outcomes.


Dr. Victor Han is a clinician scientist in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and a Professor in the Departments of Paediatrics, Biochemistry and Anatomy and Cell Biology at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University since 1996. He is also Chair of the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, and Director of the Children’s Health Research Institute of the Lawson Health Research Institute. He was the past Associate Dean, Research, of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry from 2005-2012.

He received his medical degree from the Institute of Medicine, University of Rangoon, in 1973. He trained in Paediatrics in Universities of Southampton and Oxford, UK, and in the subspecialty in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the University of Western Ontario. He then received research training in molecular biology and biochemistry of insulin-like growth factors at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, between 1983 and 1987 as an MRC Research Fellow. He has received specialist certification in Pediatrics in the United Kingdom (FRCP), Canada (FRCP) and United States (American Boards), and a sub-specialist certification in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine in United States (American Sub-Boards).

 Dr. Victor Han is a Canada Research Chair in Maternal and Fetal Health. He is an internationally recognized researcher in fetal and placental growth, and perinatal diseases such as low birth weight and preeclampsia. He utilizes molecular, genomic and proteomic technologies to study gene-environmental interactions in fetal and placental development, and the long-term impact on child and adult health. His most recent area of research is in delineating the role and mechanisms of growth factors as niche components in determining stem cell fate. His research has attracted grants over $12 million from national and international funding agencies. He has made invited presentations at over 150 national and international conferences and has published over 180 peer-reviewed research articles. Dr. Han has trained over 50 undergraduate students, 20 graduate students and over 30 postdoctoral fellows.

Dr. Han has served as a member and subsequently Chair of the Fellowships (Health Professionals) Committee of MRC (1991-96), Chair of the Selection Committee of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program (2003-10), Chair of the China-Canada Joint Research Initiative between National Science Foundation of China and CIHR (2010-2014) Chair of the Clinician Scientist Committee of CIHR (2006 to present), Chair of the New Investigators (Health Professionals) Committee of CIHR (2013-present) and member of the Innovation Fund, Provincial Oversight Committee (IFPOC). He is also served as Chair of the Institute Advisory Board of the Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health of CIHR (2007-2010), Chair of the Council of Canadian Child Health Research (2007-2009), and Member of the Board of Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network (MICYRN) (2011-2014).


Dr. Han’s laboratory is focused on studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of normal fetal and placental growth with the aim of understanding the pathobiological mechanisms of fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia. His laboratory utilizes (1) transgenic and gene targeting technologies to delineate the paracrine/endocrine role of IGF system in mice, (2) models of manipulating nutritional and substrate supplies to the fetus in pregnant animals to study gene-environmental interactions in fetal and placental development and developmental programming, and (3) genomic and proteomic technologies to determine the molecular mechanisms of fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia in biological materials (plasma, amniotic fluid and placentae) from human subjects. The ultimate aim of Dr. Han’s research is to develop new diagnostic tools and interventions to improve the short- and long-term outcomes of women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancies, and growth restricted (low birth weight) newborns.


Research Interest Area: Neonatal health
Research Overview: Pediatrics; Growth factors; Gene therapy; Neuronal development; Injury and repair; Child health

Positions

Present Chair, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre ‐ Children's Hospital
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Present Director, Lawson Health Research Institute ‐ Children's Health Research Institute (CHRI)
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Present Division Head, Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine; Professor, Western University Department of Paediatrics
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Present Professor, Western University Department of Biochemistry
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Present Professor, Western University Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
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Present Professor, Western University Department of Medical Biophysics
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Recent Works (9)