Professor So Kwok-fai Named
Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
Professor So Kwok-fai in the Department of Ophthalmology has been named a Fellow of the
National Academy of Inventors.
Professor So Kwok-fai, Jessie Ho Professor in Neuroscience, Chair Professor of Anatomy, Department of Ophthalmology of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) of the United States (US).
Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. Professor So said: “I feel very honoured to be elected as the Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. I hope this will encourage more scientists in Hong Kong to pay attention to invention and translational research. I would like to thank the members of my research team for their exceptional work over the years. This is an honour for all members of my team.”
As a pioneer in the field of axonal regeneration in visual system, Professor So is a leader in the area of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration of the mammalian optic nerve, spinal cord and brain. He holds four US patents, 16 international patents and three China patents, with 16 patents in the field of hemostasis (stop bleeding) and sealant (control leaking) and is the recipient of the China National Natural Science Award, the China Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Contribution Award, the Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award, and the Everfront Award for Stem Cells Research. He is also a Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Inventors is a non-profit member organisation founded in 2010. The 168 newly named Fellows bring the total number of NAI Fellows to 582, representing more than 190 prestigious research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions. The NAI Fellows will be inducted in April, 2016, as part of the Fifth Annual Conference of the NAI at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia.