top of page

Our People

Academic Staff
Back
​Prof. Benjamin Hon-kei YIP 葉漢基教授

Prof. Benjamin Hon-kei YIP

葉漢基教授

BSc (Örebro University, Swe), PhD (Karolinska Institutet, Swe)

Associate Professor

Email: benyip@cuhk.edu.hk

 

ORCID: 0000-0002-4749-7611

Scopus Author ID: 55589080100

​

​

​

​

Biography

Dr. Yip has pioneered the development and application of genetic epidemiological models to disentangle the genetic and environmental underpinnings of various diseases. His early works resolved a longstanding debate in psychiatry by demonstrating substantial genetic etiological overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Building on this foundation, Dr. Yip led heritability estimations for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across five nations, affirming the high heritability of ASD. He is participating in the SFARI Sex Differences Collaborations Project, aiming to unravel the reasons behind the higher incidence of ASD in males compared to females. He has critically examined the widely accepted female protective effect hypothesis and proposed an alternative genetic epidemiological model to account for the observed sex disparities in ASD prevalence. Dr. Yip's contributions have been recognized through publication in prestigious journals, including The Lancet, JAMA Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, and Molecular Psychiatry, among others.

​

His secondary research focus lies in clinical epidemiology, where he actively engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations in clinical trials. As the principal biostatistician of 21 trials, he has directed trial designs, developed analytical plans, and executed effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses. Dr. Yip has a h-index of 31 (Mar 2024) and the Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on 37 competitive grants, amassing a total of HK$120 million in research funding.

Research Interests

  • Epidemiology and Genetic Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

    • My research delves into the epidemiological patterns of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), identifying prevalence and incidence rates across populations.

    • I explore the genetic factors contributing to ASD, aiming to uncover the hereditary influences and potential genetic markers.

    • By integrating epidemiological data with genetic insights, I seek to better understand the etiology and risk factors associated with ASD.

  • Real-World Data (RWD) Analysis:

    • My interest in RWD encompasses gathering extensive data from electronic health records, registries, and patient-generated sources.

    • I employ various study designs, including prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies, and pragmatic clinical trials, to analyse RWD.

    • The goal of my RWD research is to translate diverse data streams into actionable healthcare insights, ultimately improving patient care.

  • Economic Evaluation of Clinical Trials/RWD

    • I am engaged in the economic analysis of clinical trials, assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical interventions.

    • My work involves modelling the financial impact of clinical outcomes, aiding in the allocation of healthcare resources.

    • Through these evaluations, I contribute to the optimization of healthcare delivery by informing policy and investment decisions.

​

Selected Publications

  1. Sandin S^, Yip BHK^, Yin W, Weiss LA, Dougherty JD, Fass Stuart, Constantino JN, Zhu H, Turner TN, Marrus N, Gutmann DH, Sanders S, Christoffersson B. Examining Sex Differences In Autism Heritability, JAMA Psychiatry [Accepted]

  2. Bai D*, Marrus N, Yip BHK, Reichenberg A, Constantino JN, Sandin S. Inherited Risk for Autism Through Maternal and Paternal Lineage. Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 2:S0006-3223(20)31384-6. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.03.013.

  3. Bai D*, Yip BHK, Windham GC, Sourander A, Francis R, Yoffe R, Glasson E, Mahjani B, Suominen A, Leonard H, Gissler M, Buxbaum JD, Wong K, Schendel D, Kodesh A, Breshnahan M, Levine SZ, Parner ET, Hansen SN, Hultman C, Reichenberg A, Sandin S. Association of Genetic and Environmental Factors With Autism in a 5-Country Cohort. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Jul 17;. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1411.

  4. Yip BHK, Bai D, Mahjani B, Klei L, Pawitan Y, Hultman CM, Grice DE, Roeder K, Buxbaum JD, Devlin B, Reichenberg A, Sandin S. Heritable Variation, With Little or No Maternal Effect , Accounts for Recurrence Risk to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Sweden. Biological Psychiatry. 2018;83:589–97.

  5. Yip BHK, Leonard H, Stock S, Stoltenberg C, Francis RW, Gissler M, Gross R, Schendel D, Sandin S. Caesarean section and risk of autism across gestational age: a multi-national cohort study of 5 million births. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2017;46:429-439.

  6. Lichtenstein P, Yip BH, Björk C, Pawitan Y, Cannon TD, Sullivan PF, Hultman CM. Common genetic determinants of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Swedish families: a population-based study. The Lancet. 2009;373:234-9.

  7. Yip BH, Pawitan Y, Czene K. Parental age and risk of childhood cancers: A population-based cohort study from Sweden. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2006;35:1495-503

Last Updated: 21 March, 2024

bottom of page