Research Projects
Host response of respiratory virus infections

Background

• Respiratory virus infection is a major cause of death
• Our body’s immune system responds to these invading respiratory viruses during infection
• The immune response can be beneficial or detrimental 
• Appropriate host response will prevent complications, while dysregulated host response can worsen the illness

• To decipher the host response to respiratory virus infection in human airway epithelium

• Viral culture
• Human organoid culture
• Assessing host response using phenotypic (e.g. enzyme immunoassay) and genotypic methods (e.g. RNAseq)
• Participate in study design and data analysis

Prof KKW To, Department of Microbiology

Professor To specialises in clinical microbiology and virology. As a clinician scientist, Professor To's research focuses are on clinically relevant aspects of emerging respiratory viruses, including epidemiology, clinical manifestations and immunological response. 

For more information or to express interest for this project, please email the supervisor or the specified contact point in the project description.  Interested candidates are advised to enclose with your email:

1. your CV,
2. a brief description of your research interest and experience, and
3. two reference letters (not required for HKUMed UG students seeking MRes[Med]/URIS projects).

Information on the research programme, funding support and admission documentations could be referenced online at the Research Postgraduate Admissions website. General admission enquiries should be directed to rpgmed@hku.hk.

HKUMed MBBS students interested in the Master of Research in Medicine (MRes[Med]) programme may visit the programme website for more information.  

HKUMed UG students interested in the Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme (URIS) may visit the scheme’s website for more information.