Research Areas

School of Biomedical Sciences

How do cancers take control of our body and develop into a deadly disease?

Where do stem cells come from and how can we harness their potential for regenerative medicine?

How can the mouse as a model organism provide answers and therapies to human diseases?

Can big data transform biomedical discovery and digital healthcare?

How does our brain work or fail to work in events such as aging, cognitive disorders and neurodegeneration?

How can we design, evolve and engineer molecules, circuits and systems for a next generation of therapeutics and diagnostics?

Major Research Areas

Brain and Cognitive Sciences:
Cognitive functions are orchestrated by neurons and glial cells in different regions of the brain, and represent one of the major issues in neurodegenerative diseases and brain disorders. Our School collaboratively investigates the molecular events that support cognitive functions, including the formation and retraction of synapses, dendrites and axons. We use zebrafish, Xenopus, rat, and mouse as genetic model organisms to investigate neurodevelopment, neuromuscular junction formation, physiological functions of neurons and glial cells, neuroinflammation, and pathological mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration and neurocognitive disorders. We also assess the value of deep brain stimulation, neuroprotective effects from exercise and diet, and the potential utility of stem cells in neuroregeneration.

Contact Person(s)

Dr R.C.C. Chang
Research interest: Neurodegeneration; Neuroimmunology; Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson's disease dementia; Microglia; Neuroprotection; Post-operative cognitive dysfunctions

Dr M.C.H. Cheung
Research interest: Neural development; Modelling neurological diseases and melanoma

Dr M.L. Fung
Research interest: Hypoxia physiology

Dr K.O. Lai
Research interest: Neuronal signaling and synapse development; Intracellular transport

Dr C.S.W. Lai
Research interest: Two-photon in vivo imaging; Learning and memory; Synaptic plasticity

Dr C.W. Lee
Research interest: Extracellular matrix remodeling in synapse development and disease

Dr L.W. Lim
Research interest: Behavioral, cellular and molecular neuroscience; Neuromodulation in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders

Dr Y.Q. Song
Research interest: Human genetics; Bioinformatics and functional genomics

Cell Signalling and Cancer Biology:
Cell signalling defines the means via which cells sense and respond to internal and external cues, and is fundamental to cell proliferation and survival, cell-cell communication, and cell differentiation and organismal development. For instance, when cells detect changes in nutrient levels within its microenvironment a cascade of signalling events would ensue such that cell and tissue homeostasis can be maintained. One important focus of study within our School is cell signalling and how its alteration can lead to various diseases including cancer. Members of our School are also researching on a wide variety of aspects of biology implicated in the origin and growth of cancer, including cancer stem cell and self-renewal, DNA replication and repair, metabolism, metastasis, cell cycle and immune escape.

Contact Person(s)

Dr C.P. Chan
Research interest: Molecular virology and innate immunity; Molecular biology and transcriptional regulation

Dr M.C.H. Cheung
Research interest: Neural development; Modelling neurological diseases and melanoma

Dr L.W.T. Cheung
Research interest: Cancer driver mutations; Cancer signaling; Drug sensitivity and resistance mechanisms

Dr Y.P. Ching
Research interest: Centrosome biogenesis; Rho signalling; Chromosome instability and cancer metastasis

Dr C.Y.S. Chung
Research interest: Chemical biology; Proteomics; Mass spectrometry; Molecular imaging; Medicinal chemistry

Dr M.L. Fung
Research interest: Hypoxia physiology

Dr B. Gao
Research interest: Cell signaling in development and disease; Genetic and molecular basis of skeletal disorders

Professor M.S.Y. Huen
Research interest: DNA repair; Genome stability; DNA damage responses; Cell cycle checkpoint control

Professor D.Y. Jin
Research interest: Molecular virology and oncology

Dr S.C. Kwon
Research interest: RNA biology and genome engineering

Dr S.K.Y. Ma
Research interest: Cancer stem cells; Tumor microenvironment; Drug resistance; Targeted therapy; Liver cancer; Basic/translational cancer research

Professor R. Sun
Research interest: Advance virology and development biology by integrating quantitative, structural, genomic, proteomic and immunological approaches

Dr J.S.C. Ti
Research interest: Employing fluorescence and electron microscopy to dissect the function of microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins

Dr C.M. Tong
Research interest: Cancer targeted therapy; Therapy resistance and cancer stemness

Professor G.S.W. Tsao
Research interest: Pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Tumor microenvironment and viral infection

Dr A.S.L. Wong
Research interest: Genome editing; Protein engineering; Synthetic biology; Combinatorial genetics; Drug target discovery; Disease biology

Dr J.W.H. Wong
Research interest: Cancer genomics; Proteomics and bioinformatics

Professor Z.J. Zhou
Research interest: Stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in development; Aging and cancer

Genomics and Biomedical Data Sciences:
Technological advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, imaging, and access to a wide variety of digital health data in electronic health records, enable a big data approach to scientific discovery and digital health innovation. Our School has expertise in developing and applying state-of-the-art statistical and computational methods to harness these big data to address a variety of biomedical problems. Key research areas include discovery of mutational signatures in cancer genomes, discovery of rare stem cell populations in cancers using single cell transcriptomic data, identification of causal mutations and the developmental origin of rare diseases, discovery of how altered gut microbiome can impact health, the use of metabolomics and proteomics technologies to identify novel disease biomarkers, and use of wearable devices, smartphones and artificial intelligence in modern digital healthcare.

Contact Person(s)

Professor D. Chan
Research interest: Skeletal and matrix biology; Animal models of diseases; Stem cells and regeneration

Dr J.W.K. Ho
Research interest: Bioinformatics; Artificial intelligence; Medical big data; Digital health technology; Metagenomics; Single cell genomics

Dr Y.H. Huang
Research interest: Bioinformatics; Single-cell genomics; Statistical modelling

Dr A. Javed
Research interest: Multi-omics analysis of cancers and rare diseases; Computational biology

Dr Y.Q. Song
Research interest: Human genetics; Bioinformatics and functional genomics

Dr J.W.H. Wong
Research interest: Cancer genomics; Proteomics and bioinformatics

Stem Cell, Molecular and Developmental Genetics:
Research in developmental biology provides invaluable insights into the molecular events that underlie the diverse cellular changes as tissues and organs are formed during embryogenesis. However, as tissues and organs are formed from a single totipotent stem cell, namely the fertilized zygote, that undergoes well-defined cell divisions and progressive lineage differentiation to specific cell types in the body, it is tightly linked to stem cell biology. Further, it also links to the study of rare diseases where mutations in specific genes can result in developmental defects. Thus, this research area of the School in stem cell biology, developmental biology and functional genetics work hand in hand to resolve complex questions in understanding disease mechanism, control of stem cell differentiation and cell function, with the opportunity to provide therapeutic interventions through drug discoveries and application of regenerative medicine. Specific areas of focus include musculoskeletal, neurological, metabolic, and ageing defects.

Contact Person(s)

Professor D. Chan
Research interest: Skeletal and matrix biology; Animal models of diseases; Stem cells and regeneration

Dr M.C.H. Cheung
Research interest: Neural development; Modelling neurological diseases and melanoma

Dr B. Gao
Research interest: Cell signaling in development and disease; Genetic and molecular basis of skeletal disorders

Professor J.D. Huang
Research interest: Synthetic biology; Vaccines for infectious diseases and cancers; Biological pattern formation

Dr R. Jauch
Research interest: Protein and stem cell engineering

Dr S.C. Kwon
Research interest: RNA biology and genome engineering

Dr H.G.S. Ling
Research interest: Metabolic reprogramming of T cells in chronic inflammatory diseases

Professor P.T. Liu
Research interest: Stem cells; Genetics and genomics; Developmental Biology; Hematopoiesis and immune cell functions; Cancer cell killers; Cell-based therapies

Dr Y.Q. Song
Research interest: Human genetics; Bioinformatics and functional genomics

Dr J.S.C. Ti
Research interest: Employing fluorescence and electron microscopy to dissect the function of microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins

Dr K.M. Yao
Research interest: Secreted PDZD2 as novel regulator of Hedgehog signaling; FOXM1 and regulation of stem cell function

Dr C.H. Yu
Research interest: Cell biology of adhesion and cytoskeleton regulations; Fluorescence microscopy; Mechanobiology; Podosomes and cancer invadopodia

Professor Z.J. Zhou
Research interest: Stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in development; Aging and cancer

Structural, Chemical and Synthetic Biology:
A transdisciplinary understanding of biomolecule function at the atomic level provides insights into the molecular biology underlying all of life and medicine. We are now moving from observations of the structure and dynamics of molecular complexes and machines (structural biology), towards perturbing these systems (chemical biology), through to re-engineering biomolecules by both rational design and evolution (synthetic biology). Our School has deep expertise in these areas - integrating structural biology with functional proteomics, nucleic acid evolution with translational technology, and artificial biological circuits with genome engineering. Such approaches are allowing new ways to better understand biology and medicine, and allow translational angles across therapeutics, diagnostics and bioengineering.

Contact Person(s)

Dr C.Y.S. Chung
Research interest: Chemical biology; Proteomics; Mass spectrometry; Molecular imaging; Medicinal chemistry

Professor Q. Hao
Research interest: Structural biology; Synchrotron radiation methods; Epigenetic regulators

Professor J.D. Huang
Research interest: Synthetic biology; Vaccines for infectious diseases and cancers; Biological pattern formation

Dr R. Jauch
Research interest: Protein and stem cell engineering

Dr C.M. Qian
Research interest: Epigenetics and genome instability; Structural biology

Professor R. Sun
Research interest: Advance virology and development biology by integrating quantitative, structural, genomic, proteomic and immunological approaches

Professor J.A. Tanner
Research interest: Nucleic acid nanotechnology and chemical biology

Dr A.S.L. Wong
Research interest: Genome editing; Protein engineering; Synthetic biology; Combinatorial genetics; Drug target discovery; Disease biology

Dr J.W.H. Wong
Research interest: Cancer genomics; Proteomics and bioinformatics

Chairman of Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee

Dr R.C.C. Chang
Tel: 3917 9127
Email: rccchang@hku.hk