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Dr. WANG Lan (HKUST)
Assistant Professor, Division of Life Science,
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
One of our LIFS faculty members, Dr. Wang Lan, Assistant Professor of the Division of Life Science, received the Croucher Innovation Award, 2023. Prof. SUN Dong, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was the Guest of Honor at the ceremony.
Dr. Wang is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that determine the health of the mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies many human diseases. Additionally, Dr. Wang is also interested in discovering new mechanisms that regulate protein translation and how pathogens could exploit these mechanisms to manipulate the host cell for their own advantage.
Dr. Wang joined HKUST in 2022. She studied chemistry as an undergraduate at Tsinghua University and obtained her PhD at Harvard University. She subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF.
Croucher Innovation Awards
Established in 2012, the Croucher Innovation Awards aim to identify a small number of exceptionally talented scientists working at an internationally competitive level and to offer substantial support to these “rising stars” at a formative stage in their careers. The scheme is designed to enable recipients to pursue their own scientific, intellectual and professional inclinations, to advance their expertise, to engage in bold new work, and to contribute to the development of education and research in Hong Kong. Each award carries a value of up to HK$5 million over five years.
Cyanobacteria are crucial for Earth’s ecosystems as they produce oxygen and serve as a food and fuel source. Infections by cyanophages can alter bacterial behavior, affecting their energy production from sunlight and causing significant carbon loss annually. Understanding the viruses’ mechanisms and their impact on bacteria, oceans, and climate is essential.
Moreover, insights into their infection processes can aid in the development of virus-based strategies to control harmful cyanobacteria in freshwater, benefiting agriculture and ensuring clean drinking water. The team’s findings were published in the journal Nature Communications, and future research aims to further explore the virus’s infection process and resolve unresolved parts of its structure relating to host recognition and infection.
Journal Reference:
Cai, L., Liu, H., Zhang, W. et al. Cryo-EM structure of cyanophage P-SCSP1u offers insights into DNA gating and evolution of T7-like viruses. Nat Commun 14, 6438 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42258-7
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Journal Reference:
Tiantian Li,, Feng Yang, Youshan Heng, Shaopu Zhou, Gang Wang, Jianying Wang, Jinhui Wang, Xianwei Chen, Zhong- Ping Yao, Zhenguo Wu, and Yusong Guo. TMED10 mediates the trafficking of insulin- like growth factor 2 along the secretory pathway for myoblast differentiation. PNAS 2023 Vol. 120 No. 46 e2215285120
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215285120
HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP (center, front row), Research Professor Prof. Amy FU (second right, front row), a co-first author of this research paper Mr. WU Wei (second left, front row), and Research Assistant Professor Prof. WONG Hiu Yi (first left, front row) with other members of the HKUST Division of Life Science research team.
Dr. LAU Shun-Fat, a co-first author of this research paper and former Postdoctoral Fellow at HKUST Division of Life Science, is now a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale University School of Medicine.
The diagram illustrates the VCAM1-APOE signalling pathway as a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) (1) increases VCAM1 expression in microglia (2), which stimulates the attraction of microglia to APOE-associated amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition (3), leading to the clearance of Aβ in the brain (4).
Journal Reference:
Shun-Fat Lau, Wei Wu, Hiu Yi Wong, Li Ouyang, Yi Qiao, Jiahui Xu, Jessica Hiu-Yan Lau, Carlton Wong, Yuanbing Jiang, David M Holtzman, Amy K Y Fu, Nancy Y Ip. The VCAM1-ApoE pathway directs microglial chemotaxis and alleviates Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
Nat Aging 2023 Oct;3(10):1219-1236. doi: 10.1038/s43587-023-00491-1.
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A research team led by Prof. WANG Jiguang, Padma Harilela Associate Professor in the HKUST Division of Life Science and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBME) have unveiled how primary brain tumors evolve under therapy, and developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered model for patients to predict their prognosis, shedding light on better patient management strategies and precision oncology.
The findings were recently published in Science Translational Medicine on 4th Oct 2023
(https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adh4181)
Read more by clicking the link below:
https://hkust.edu.hk/news/research-and-innovation/hkust-led-research-unveils-early-predictors-glioma-evolution-self
Join the HKUST Information Session on MPhil and PhD Studies to uncover valuable insights, useful study tips, and practical advice for your research postgraduate journey.
| Date: | 4 October 2023 (Wednesday) |
| Time: | 6:30pm (GMT+8) |
| Delivery: | In-person at Lam Woo Lecture Theater (LT-B), HKUST, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong (map) or Online via Zoom * Seats for in-person delivery will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. |
For more details: https://fytgs.hkust.edu.hk/info-session
Register Now: https://fytgs.hkust.edu.hk/info-session-reg
Six members from the HKUST iGEM “Fisherly” (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team travelled to Paris to participate in a synthetic biology competition (24-28 October 2022). Our team won second runner-up in the undergraduate section and Best Safety and Security Award, with 5 other nominations for different awards.
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Established by Nan Fung Group in 2018, Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS) is committed to attract, cultivate and retain talent in Hong Kong’s life sciences and biotechnology sectors through knowledge exchange, collaboration and engagement.
To encourage outstanding undergraduate students to pursue life sciences-related study in Hong Kong, HKLSS announced the establishment of the Hong Kong Life Sciences Scholarship Awards in April 2022. With the vast number of nominations received and rounds of selection conducted by industry leaders, we take great pleasure in announcing that 13 students have been selected for the Scholarship Awards in 2022.
The following students have been selected for this first cohort of the Scholarship Awards:
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| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Li Caifan | Bachelor of Science – Major in Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Year 2) |
| Sullivan Charlton Antony | Bachelor of Science – Major in Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Year 2) |
| Wong Lok Yin | Bachelor of Science – Major in Biochemistry and Cell Biology (International Research Enrichment Track) (Year 2) |
| Wong Sze Chai Helen | Bachelor of Science – Major in Biochemistry and Cell Biology (International Research Enrichment Track) (Year 2) |
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Each awardee will receive a scholarship of HKD50,000, be able to join our Mentorship Scheme in 2023, and be given priority to join our Summer Internship Program in Hong Kong or Shanghai.
For more information on the Hong Kong Life Sciences Scholarship Awards, please visit https://www.hklss.org/programs-and-events/scholarship
