Dr Willmann Liang presently serves as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Dr Liang obtained his BSc(Hons) (in Pharmacology and Therapeutics) and PhD (in Cardiovascular Pharmacology) degrees from the University of British Columbia in Canada. He proceeded to receive a Postgraduate Diploma (in Higher Education) from the National Institute of Education in Singapore. Before joining HKU, Dr Liang has taught at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr Liang has received numerous grants to develop a variety of pharmacology learning materials to improve the learning experiences of biomedical sciences, medical and pharmacy students. These materials include pharmacology mnemonics, interactive learning coursewares, and video revision clips which have been put into his teaching practice. Over the years, Dr Liang has published and received honours in the areas of pharmacology and biomedical sciences education. He also holds an adjunct position for developing and teaching a summer pharmacology course at Tunghai University in Taiwan. He was elected as a Chartered Biologist (CBiol) in 2014 and a Fellow of the Academy of Pharmacology Educators (FAPE) in 2021.

Memberships & Editorships

Memberships:

• Member, Division of Pharmacology Education, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
• Member, Expert Group, The International Core Concepts of Pharmacology Education Project, International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
• Councillor, Education Section, International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology

Honours and Awards

• Fellow of the Academy of Pharmacology Educators, USA (2021)
• Travel Award for Pharmacology Educators, Division of Pharmacology Education, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, USA (2018)
• Chartered Biologist, Royal Society of Biology, UK (2014)
• Best Project Award (as supervisor of awarded project), Polytechnic Student Research Competition, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore (2009)
• Silver Award (as supervisor of awarded project), Singapore Science and Engineering Fair, Ministry of Education, Singapore (2009)
• Research Recognition Award, Teaching of Physiology Section, American Physiological Society, USA (2008)
• Outstanding Mentor Award, Science Mentorship Programmes, Ministry of Education, Singapore (2008)
• Merit Award (as supervisor of awarded project), Nanyang Research Programme, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2008)
• Merit Award (as supervisor of awarded project), Nanyang Research Programme, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2007)

• Practices of pharmacology education methodologies
• Development of fundamental and advanced pharmacology learning tools

Publications on pharmacology education:

• Brandl K, Athauda G, Liang W. 2023. Antimicrobial Drugs. Pharmacology Knowledge Objectives 2022. Edited by JB Blumer, R.J Theobald, The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Association of Medical School Pharmacology Chairs, 134-147.
• Liang W*. 2022. Concise pharmacology (“Pharma’s pie”) videos for student use for review. Education for Health, 35(3):111-112.
• Liang W*. 2021. Customised study companion improves student exam performance: a retrospective study in an undergraduate medicine course. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 4(2):28-36.
• Liang W*. 2009. Teaching the modes of Ca2+ transport between plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum using a classic paper by Kwan et al. Advances in Physiology Education, 33(3):169-174.
• Liang W*. 2008. Teaching calcium-induced calcium release in cardiomyocytes using a classic paper by Fabiato. Advances in Physiology Education, 32(1):1-10.

Publications on bladder smooth muscle pharmacology:

• Zhou X, Lam WP, Tang HC, Koon CM, Cheng L, Lau CB, Liang W*, Leung PC*. 2016. Effects of gegen (Puerariae lobatae Radix) water extract on improving detrusor overactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Phytomedicine, 23(6):672-678.
• Tang HC, Lam WP, Zhang X, Leung PC, Yew DT, Liang W*. 2015. Short-term flavoxate treatment alters detrusor contractility characteristics: renewed interest in clinical use? LUTS, 7(3):149-154.
• Tang HC, Lam WP, Zhang X, Leung PC, Yew DT, Liang W*. 2014. Chronic ketamine treatment-induced changes in contractility characteristics of the mouse detrusor. International Urology and Nephrology, 46(8):2563-2571.
• Lam WP, Tang HC, Zhang X, Leung PC, Yew DT, Liang W*. 2014. Low concentrations of niflumic acid enhance basal spontaneous and carbachol-induced contractions of the detrusor. International Urology and Nephrology, 46(2):349-357.
• Liang W*, Leung PC. 2012. Variations in carbachol- and ATP-induced contractions of the rat detrusor: effects of gender, mucosa and contractile direction. International Urology and Nephrology, 44(6):1641-1648.
• Santoso AGH, Liang W*. 2011. Bladder contractility is mediated by different K+ channels in the urothelium and detrusor smooth muscle. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 115(2):127-134.
• Santoso AGH, Lo WN, Liang W*. 2011. Urothelium-dependent and urothelium-independent detrusor contractility mediated by nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase inhibition. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 30(4):619-625.
• Liang W*, Lo WN. 2011. β-adrenoceptor-mediated differences in transverse and longitudinal strips from the rat detrusor. International Urology and Nephrology, 43(1):99-107.
• Santoso AGH, Sonarno IAB, Arsad NAB, Liang W*. 2010. The role of the urothelium and ATP in mediating detrusor smooth muscle contractility. Urology, 76(5):1267.e7-12.
• Lo WN, Liang W*. 2009. Blockade of voltage-sensitive K+ channels increases contractility more in transverse than in longitudinal rat detrusor strips. Urology, 73(2):400-404.