Professor Joseph Blais joined the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at the University of Hong Kong as an assistant professor in 2024. He obtained his PhD in pharmacoepidemiology and then completed post-doctoral training in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, at the University of Hong Kong. He is a clinically-trained pharmacist who is registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong. His clinical pharmacy experience includes a postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) hospital pharmacy residency with Alberta Health Services (Edmonton Zone), five years as a clinical pharmacist at an academic teaching hospital, and pharmacotherapy speciality certification (BCPS) with the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (USA).

Professor Blais uses real-world data to evaluate the use, safety, effectiveness, and adherence to medications. His research is primarily focused on cardiovascular and metabolic drugs, particularly those used in treatment of atherosclerosis and systemic metabolic disorders. His work aims to advance our current understanding of lipid-modifying and cardiometabolic drugs through addressing critical questions in pharmacoepidemiology, and translate research findings to improve patient care and public health outcomes

Recruiting PhD students, research assistants and post-doctoral fellows
Our team is seeking highly motivated PhD students, research assistants, and post-doctoral fellows with experience in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, pharmacy, nursing or medicine to conduct innovative research in pharmacoepidemiology and evidence synthesis. If you are passionate about improving the use of medications and eager to join our dynamic team, please do not hesitate to email Professor Blais with your CV and university transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate degrees).

The University of Hong Kong has numerous outstanding funding opportunities for early career researchers:

Summer Research Programme – Undergraduate and Master’s Degree Students

A ten-week programme offered to around 100 undergraduate and master’s students from around the world to participate in an intense research training programme with extra-curricular activities.

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme – PhD Students

A scheme which aims to attract the best students from across the world to pursue their PhD degree in Hong Kong. The scheme is offered to around 300 applicants, which provides them with a scholarship of HK$28,400 per month, as well as a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,200 per year for a period up to three years.

HKU Presidential PhD Scholar Programme – PhD Students

A scholarship programme provided to selected outstanding full-time PhD Students, HKU presidential PhD Scholars will be provided strong academic and training support from the university, as well as a financial package of up to HK$439,500 in the first year, and up to HK$422,000 in each of the subsequent years.

RGC Junior Research fellow scheme – Post-doctoral Fellows

A two-year scheme that supports local and foreign post-doctoral researchers to advance in their research careers. A total of 60 awardees will be selected from two different streams (Humanities, social sciences, business studies) and (Sciences Medicine, Engineering and technology), to conduct post-doctoral research on a full-time basis. Awardees will receive an annual stipend of around HK$425,000 (inclusive of a HK$13,500 travel allowance) to cover the awardee’s basic salary.

URC Post-doctoral Fellow –Post-doctoral Fellows

A scheme aiming to enhance research capabilities and strengths of the university, as well as developing new talent for academia, industry, business and other public and private sectors.

Membership

• Member, International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE)
• Member, Asia-Pacific Society of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Diseases (APSAVD)
• Member, European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS)
• Member, American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
• Member, Pharmaceutical Society of Hong Kong (PSHK)
• Registered Pharmacist (RPh), Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Hong Kong
• Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS), Board of Pharmacy Specialties, USA

Editorship

• Editorial Board Member, Drugs - Real World Outcomes

Honours and Awards

• Graduate Collaborative Research Award, Universitas 21 (2019)
• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, RGC, HK (2018)
• Institutional Preceptor of the Year, University of Alberta, Canada (2014)
• Management and Leadership Best Practices Award, Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Canada (2012)

• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Comparative effectiveness research
• Drug utilization research
• Patient medication adherence
• Atherosclerosis, dyslipidaemia, and lipid-modifying drugs
• Evidence-based medicine and evidence synthesis of real-world evidence (RWE)

Publication Highlights

As of October 2025, Professor Blais has 41 publications in high-quality peer-reviewed international journals in the fields of cardiovascular medicine and pharmacy, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Atherosclerosis, Drugs and the American Heart Journal..

Selected Publications

Original Research

• Blais JE, Yan VKC, Chan EWY, Wong ICK, Wan EYF. Safety and effectiveness of statins for primary prevention in adults with type 1 diabetes: an emulation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2025;86(11):797-809. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.07.013
• Mesfin Y, Blais JE, Kibret K, Tegegne T, Cowling BJ, Wu P. Effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir in non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2024;79(9):2119-31. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkae163
• Blais JE, Huang X, Zhao JV. Overall and sex-specific effect of berberine for dyslipidemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Drugs. 2023;83(5):403-27. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-023-01841-4
• Blais JE, Wei Y, Yap KKW, Alwafi H, Ma T-T, Brauer R, Lau WCY, Man KKC, Siu CW, Tan KC, Wong ICK, Wei L, Chan EW. Trends in lipid-modifying agent use in 83 countries. Atherosclerosis. 2021;328:44-51. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.05.016
• Yan VKC, Blais JE, Li X, Chui CSL, Wei L, Yan BP, Knapp MRJ, Siu CW, Wong ICK, Chan EW. Trends in cardiovascular medicine use in 65 middle- and high-income countries. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2021;77(7):1021-3. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.12.025

Other Publications

• Blais JE, Wong AYS. Potential bias in observational PCSK9 inhibitor study. European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy. 2025;11(5):483-4. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjcvp/pvaf041
• Blais JE. Nirmatrelvir for adult outpatients with COVID-19. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024;391(5):477. doi: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2407058
• Blais JE, Wei Y, Chui CS, Chan EW, Wong ICK. Inconsistent safety outcome reporting in randomized clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines complicates informed medical decisions. Drug Safety. 2021;44(11):1121-3. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-021-01108-5

Principal Investigator / Co-principal Investigator

• Medication adherence patterns and treatment beliefs of patients using proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i)
  HMRF (2023)
• Horizon Scanning of medium- to long-term burden of chronic diseases and care needs to 2030 in Hong Kong
  RGC Research Impact Fund (2022/23)

Co-investigator / Collaborator

• Importance of attributes and willingness to pay for lipid-lowering agents in patients with hypercholesterolemia in Hong Kong: a discrete choice experiment
  HMRF 2021
• Cardiovascular risk prediction model for patients on lipid modifying drugs
  Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Fund
• Assessing the sex-specific, lipid- and lipoprotein-lowering effects of berberine using randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked trial
  HMRF (2023)
• Assessing the impacts of psychological roots on COVID-19 and influenza vaccination uptake and vaccine side effect experiences among adults with chronic diseases: a longitudinal study with a nested randomised control trial
  RGC General Research Fund (2024/25)

Current Group Members
Bingbing ZHU (PhD Student)
Yuexi LIAO (PhD Student)
Wenfang ZHONG (MPhil Student)
Joyce LO (Research Assistant)
Jasmine LAM (MAP Student)
Luc TSOI (MAP Student)
Gladwynn WAN (MAP Student)
Yuzhu GUO (MAP Student)
Wenyan WANG (MAP Student)
Yoyo TSE (BPharm Student)
Kerry LO (BPharm Student)

Regular Office Hours
Tuesdays between 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Office Location
L02-08B
2/F Laboratory Block, 21 Sassoon Road