Professor Lau has been a major player in rheumatology in Hong Kong and beyond. Locally, he was President of the Hong Kong Society of Rheumatology (1997-2001) and Chairman of the Hong Kong College of Physicians Subspecialty Board in Rheumatology, Immunology & Allergy (2001-2007). In 2001, he founded the Hong Kong Arthritis & Rheumatism Foundation, the first and only local charity organisation that raises funds to support the psychosocial and therapeutic needs of patients with rheumatic diseases. Regionally, Professor Lau co-founded the Asian Congress on Autoimmunity, Huaxia Congress on the Management of Rheumatic Diseases and Ten Topics in Rheumatology in Asia. Notably, he was President of the Asia Pacific League of Rheumatology Associations (APLAR) between 2006-2008. In addition, Professor Lau led the development of the Region’s first treatment recommendations for rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. In 2011, he co-founded the multi-national, multi-centre Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration. Beyond the Asia Pacific region, Professor Lau was a member of the Outcomes in Rheumatology (1999-2002), European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Task Force on Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Recommendations (2019) and EULAR Scientific Committee (since 2019). Further, he was selected as an Honorary Member of EULAR in 2022.