Research Projects
Injectable Biomaterials for Orthopaedic Application

Hydrogel scaffolds function as delivery vehicles augmenting platelet viability in PRP or related drugs. They will simulate native platelet environments prolonging growth factor bioavailability. PRP modified with hydrogels haven been shown in several studies to be more potent than PRP alone. We have also conducted pilot studies using PRP hydrogel, which have shown promise for treating early onset OA and osteoporosis.

Our aim is to determine whether tailored hydrogel with drugs can be applied for clinical treatments.

Professor WWJ Lu, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

William W Lu, PhD, is Professor and Chairman of Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee of Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong. In 1995, he founded the Orthopaedic Research Centre, and has been honoured as one of the top 1% of scholars in medical engineering from 2009-2018 by ISI’s essential science indicators. In 2013, he was selected as Ng Chun-Man Professor in Orthopaedic Bioengineering. Prof Lu is also the Chief Scientist at Chinese Academy of Sciences and Honorary Professor of Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong.

His research interests are digital orthopaedics, biomechanics, biomaterials and the application of biomaterials for musculoskeletal degenerative diseases. He has been invited as visiting professor and speaker on multiple occasions to international meetings to lecture on these topics, and he has published more than 200 papers in top scientific journals with H-index = 53. Prof Lu sits on the editorial board of some top orthopaedic research journals such as JBMR. He is the past Chairman of BME Division, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. He is member of the Biology and Medicine Panel of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong to October 2021. Professor Lu has consistently secured significant funding for innovative research, including more than HK$47 million in Hong Kong and $RMB20 million in PR China from a number of major funding bodies, such as National Key R&D Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Biography
wwlu@hku.hk

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.