News & Stories

Three research projects by City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) outstanding scholars have been awarded funding under the 2024/25 National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Research Grants Council (RGC) Collaborative Research Scheme (CRS), amounting to over HK$8.8 million. The number of funded projects for this exercise at CityUHK was tied for the highest in Hong Kong.

Congratulations to Prof. Jessica Liu, who has just been awarded the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) grant for HK$1,393,800 under the Partnership Research Programme (PRP) in collaboration with Lucy Biotech Limited for “Development of a Novel Permeable Transcriptional Factor System for Generating Personalized Neural Stem Cell in Regenerative Medicine”.

Taikangnuo Biotechnology Limited, one of the winning start-ups in the HK Tech 300 National Start-up Competition, was established by our PhD student, Junmin Ren. The company aims to innovate in the biotechnology sector, contributing to advancements in health and wellness through cutting-edge research and development.

Professor Christy Hung recently joined the Department of Neuroscience as Associate Professor under the Presidential Assistant Professors Scheme. She received her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge after completing her undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the University of Hong Kong.

Professor Yuxiang Sun recently joined the Department of Neuroscience as Assistant Professor. He received his BSc in Biotechnology from Anhui University and PhD in Biophysics from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, where his research uncovered the disruption of chromosomal architecture at the COX2 locus, sensitizing lung cancer cells to radiotherapy. He completed postdoctoral training at UC Riverside, focusing on RNA modifications in trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders, employing molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, and mass spectrometry-based bioanalytical chemistry.

The RGC announced the funding results of the GRF and the ECS for 2024/25 on 27 June 2024. In this round, five research projects led by faculty members of the Department of Neuroscience (NS) were awarded funding, totaling over HK$7.3 million after a rigorous review process.

Research co-led by Prof. Yung Wing-ho (Cityu) and Prof. Ke Ya (CUHK) has made a ground-breaking discovery regarding number sense in animals by confirming the existence of discrete number sense in rats, offering a crucial animal model for investigating the neural basis of numerical ability and disability in humans.

Traumatic injuries to the peripheral nervous system are a leading cause of disability, especially patients with proximal peripheral nerve injury. It’s hard to regenerate and regain normal function in a short period, and it often leads to sensory and motor dysfunction, which greatly affects the patient’s quality of life. Recently, a research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) neuroscientists found that metaxalone treatment accelerates nerve repair and function recovery comparable to immediate treatment, offering a highly relevant clinical strategy.

Professor Alan C. C. Fung has been awarded the Shenzhen Science & Technology Research Grants – General Grant for Basic Research in support of his pioneering research project titled “Impacts of Astrocyte-Driven Modulation of the Variation of Neurotransmitter Release Probabilities on the Dynamics of Neural Networks”.

We are delighted to announce the promotion of Professor Kwok On LAI to Associate Professor in Department of Neuroscience, with effect from 1 July 2024.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ischemic stroke are major public health concerns and leading causes of death and disability worldwide. A research team led by CityU neuroscientists recently discovered that low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR), such as X-ray irradiation, can reduce lesion size and reverse motor deficits in TBI and ischemic stroke mice, demonstrating that LDIR may be a promising therapeutic strategy for TBI and stroke patients.

Professor Zhitao Hu recently joined the Department of Neuroscience as Associate Professor. He received his BSc and PhD from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He was previously an Associate Professor at Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland. Professor Hu’s research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission, with the long-term goal being to understand how synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity are regulated by the synaptic release machinery, and how synaptic dysfunction leads to neurological disorders such as autism and epilepsy.

Neuroscientists from CityU recently discovered a small molecule that can effectively alleviate stress-induced depressive symptoms in mice by preventing aversive memory formation with a lower dosage, offering a new direction for developing anti-depressants in the future.

We are delighted to announce that promotion of Professor Jan Schnjpp to Chair Professor in Department of Neuroscience.

A major advance in treating spinal cord injuries by using genetically modified human neural stem cells has been made by a team co-led by CityU and the University of Hong Kong.

Professor Jufang He, one of the four academics from CityU, has been successful under the Senior Research Fellow Scheme and the Research Fellow Scheme (2023/24) established by RGC.

We are delighted to announce the staff promotions of Professor Eddie Ma and Professor Geoffrey Lau in Department of Neuroscience.

Video featuring Prof. Eddie Ma’s lab research on “small molecule offers great therapeutic potential for restoring vision”.

Professor Wing Ho Yung recently joined the Department of Neuroscience as Chair Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience. Professor Yung received his BSc and MPhil from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and DPhil from the University of Oxford.

Researchers at CityU have identified and demonstrated for the first time a therapeutic small molecule, M1, that can restore the visual function in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), offering hope for patients with optic nerve damage such as glaucoma-related vision loss.

A research team co-led by Dr Geoffrey Lau has recently identified and developed a new drug for treating temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which is one of the most common types of epilepsy worldwide. Although patients can be treated by existing medications, many of them remain unresponsive to drug treatment. Hence, new medications and drug targets are needed.

The Department of Neuroscience is committed to share the latest advance in brain research with the bright minds of our next generation. A laboratory visit for secondary school students was hosted by NS on 28 July 2022, during which finalists of the Hong Kong Brain Bee Competition 2022 have learned about the latest development of epilepsy research and neuronal imaging.

A team co-led by Prof. Qiang LIU has identified a key mechanism of a biological clock that ensures roundworms stay regular by defecating at steady intervals.

Inborn defensive behaviours, such as flight, freeze and fight, are crucial for animals to survive in a dangerous environment in nature. Neuroscientists from CityU recently revealed the essential neurocircuitry that is fundamental for animals to perceive and integrate environmental cues to initate defensive behaviour.

A person’s cortical map is shaped by their early development and experiences. Study of such maps can help identify and treat sensory disorders. Existing techniques for brain mapping require placement of penetrating electrodes which is time-consuming and risks brain damage. Mr Minseok Lee and Dr Sungchil Yang from City University of Hong Kong and colleagues made arrays of electrodes using graphene membranes and constructed sensory maps of rats and mice by placing these arrays directly on the cortical surface.

According to metrics compiled by Stanford University, over 140 CityU faculty members are listed among the top 2% of the world’s most highly cited scientists, reflecting the high academic standard of our faculty and our excellent research performance.

Cochlear implants help deaf patients in hearing, yet the current technology remains far from perfect. A research team led by scientists from CityU has shown that neonatally deafened rats could be trained with cochlear implant stimulation to restore the ability to locate the directions of sound origins. The finding implies that shortcomings in current cochlear implant technology, rather than the lack of auditory experience in early childhood, maybe the reason why cochlear implant patients usually have poor spatial hearing performance.

Researchers from CityU won the highest number of awards among all universities in Hong Kong at IGED 2021, including a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, five Gold Medals, three Silver Medals and three Bronze Medals, demonstrating the excellence of the research carried out at CityU.

Dr Eddie Ma Chi-him is currently developing novel neural prosthetic devices that could improve patients’ motor symptoms and improve their quality of life. Neurodegenerative diseases occur when neurons in the brain or peripheral nervous system lose function over time and ultimately die.

Professor Li Ying has achieved breakthroughs by unveiling the secrets of brain molecules and tissue – astrocytes and myelin – in the central nervous system. By identifying the roles of astrocyte lactate signalling and myelin plasticity in circuitry synchrony, he has shed light on how fundamental cognitive functions, including learning, memory and decision-making, could be rescued and enhanced, especially for patients suffering from chronic pain.

How memories are formed has long been a fundamental question for neuroscientists. Studies by Professor He Jufang, Wong Chun Hong Chair Professor of Translational Neuroscience in the Department of Neuroscience and Department of Biomedical Sciences, have shed light on the crucial role of a key neuromodulator, called cholecystokinin (CCK), in memory forming in the neocortex.

Seeing is believing, they say, but we can’t always believe what we see. This was a key takeaway at a fascinating talk by Professor Sir Colin Blakemore, an expert in neuroscience, at CityU on 19 November.

Powering up positive change for a better society is an overriding driver at CityU. By forging a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary hub for the study of the brain and the central nervous system, our new Department of Neuroscience will contribute to professional education and translational research for improving people’s lives.

Professor Bruce Ransom, renowned American neurologist and an avid mineral collector, had planned to study geology. But when he accidentally stumbled into neurology back in his early days at the University of Minnesota, he came to see another path of life ahead of him.

We are pleased to announce that a new Department of Neuroscience has been established on 1 July 2019 under the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences.