EPEC-Paediatrics 2026 Hong Kong

Dr. Stefan J. Friedrichsdorf, MD, FAAP, is the Elisa and Mark Stad Professor of Pediatric Pain Medicine, Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine at UCSF, where he serves as Chief of the Division and Medical Director of the Stad Center at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. He leads one of the nation’s most comprehensive pediatric pain and palliative care programs, recognized by ChildKind International and The Joint Commission. A global educator and researcher, he has delivered over 900 lectures across six continents and published extensively in the field. Dr. Friedrichsdorf is the principal investigator of the NIH/NCI-funded multisite study on the creation, implementation and evaluation of the Pediatric Palliative Care Curriculum “Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC)-Pediatrics” (which trained 2,500 clinicians from 126 countries) and founder of the annual Pediatric Pain Master Class. In 2024, he was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in Health.”

Associate Professor Ross Drake has over 20 years’ clinical experience as a Specialist PPC Physician and Specialist Pain Medicine Physician having gained admission as a Fellow to the Royal College of Physicians in Paediatrics (2000), Palliative Medicine (2003) and the Faculty of Pain Medicine (2011).
AProf Drake spent the bulk of his career leading and developing PPC and Paediatric Pain Medicine in New Zealand and more latterly has relocated to Brisbane, Australia where he continues to practice clinically.
AProf Drake also leads an active, international clinical research program, Rapid Paediatrics. He has many years involvement in education in his speciality practice including being the foundational member of the Asia-Pacific EPEC-Paediatric Faculty.

Dr. Gemma Aburn is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing at the University of Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand. She leads the Paediatric Palliative Care research group within the internationally recognised Te Ārai Palliative and End of Life Care research group, and established and leads the Child & Youth Health Collaborative. Gemma has extensive experience in paediatric palliative care and currently works as a Children’s Community Nurse Specialist in the Waitākere area for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Waitemāta.

LeeAi is a clinician and educator trained in paediatrics, oncology, palliative care and bioethics. She completed her undergraduate medical studies at University of Adelaide and received her clinical train-ing in Malaysia, Australia, and United Kingdom. She heads the Paediatric Palliative Care Unit at Uni-versiti Malaya Medical Centre and is also the current chair of the Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee. She teaches undergraduate medical students, postgraduate Masters in Paediatrics, Masters in Health Re-search Ethics at University Malaya and had been on the faculty of EPEC -Pediatrics.

Medical Director of HCA Hospice in Singapore. Dr Chong developed the Star PALS programme, a specialist community paediatric palliative care service (PPC) that supports young persons with serious illness and their families at home. He is co-chair of the Special Interest Group for PPC at the Asia Pacific Hospice and Palliative Care Network.

Dr. S.S. Man is a pediatrician working in field of pediatric palliative care. She is the Chairlady of The Hong Kong Society of Children’s Palliative Care and has been the team leader of the Paediatric Palliative Care Team at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital since it was established in 2019. Dr. Man is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with life-limiting and life-threatening disease. Her work focuses on providing proactive holistic care that addresses not only physical needs but also emotional and psychological support for both children and their families. She is committed to raising awareness about pediatric palliative care and advocates for best practices in the field.

Ms Mara Lo is a Registered Nurse (Specialist) at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, serving in the Paediatric Palliative Care department since 2019. With a compassionate approach to healthcare, she is dedicated to providing high-quality support to children with serious illnesses and their families. Ms Lo received her certification in Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement in 2024. Recently, she completed the “EPEC – Education in Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care” program at the University of California, San Francisco, to further enhance her expertise in this critical field. Based in Hong Kong, Ms Lo welcome opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals dedicated to advancing pediatric palliative care.

Ivy Tam is a Registered Nurse (BHSc) with over 30 years of experience in Hong Kong. She has worked over 20 years for paediatric and adolescent oncology wards in hospital and 10 years with the Children’s Cancer Foundation/ Children’s Palliative Care Foundation to provide community-based palliative and end of life care to children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families.

Lin Kwok Yin, Molin is the Services Director of the Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF). She worked for CCF since 1999 to set up Palliative and Home Care Services, the first service to provide palliative care for paediatric oncology patients and their families in Hong Kong. Before joining CCF, she had worked with terminally ill adult cancer patients in a hospice hospital and a Paediatric Oncology Centre.

Since 2011, CCF has implemented a new pilot program to provide palliative care services for child patients with other life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses, such as neurodegenerative disease, metabolic disease, and end-stage organ failure in different HA hospitals. Seven years later, in 2018, the Children’s Palliative Care Foundation, an entity of CCF, was established. Now, the service has been expanded to all children and youth patients who need palliative care, including patients in the ICU settings.

Dr. TAO Qinchen Victoria is a board-certified paediatric specialist in Developmental-Behavioural Paediatrics (DBP) in Hong Kong, dedicated to improving holistic care and family support for children with rehabilitation, complex care, and palliative care needs. She is a former secretary of the Hong Kong Society of Children’s Palliative Care. She currently serves on the DBP Subspecialty Board under the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians and the South China Collaborative Group of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Pediatrics Branch of Chinese Medical Association. Dr. Tao has been actively engaged in paediatric palliative care education in Hong Kong.

Dr. Li is a Consultant Paediatrician at Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong, where she also serves as both the Chief of Services of the department and Deputy Hospital Chief Executive. She specializes in Paediatric Haematology/Oncology.

She has a strong interest in child protection and paediatric palliative care, leading the Paediatric Palliative Care Team that delivers comprehensive, multidisciplinary support to children facing life-limiting conditions. Her leadership extends to her role as Chairlady of the Hong Kong Society of Child Palliative Care from 2019 to 2021 and as Course Director for the Palliative Care training program at the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians. Additionally, she has actively contributed to several EPEC basic training courses in China, enhancing palliative care education.