HKU Annual Report 2022

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION 39 38 HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Dr Celia Marei Schunter, Assistant Professor of the School of Biological Sciences, is looking at mechanistic responses in marine fish to environmental fluctuations and will use the findings to build on her research on the molecular mechanisms that underly the response of fish to future environmental conditions. in the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macau) in 2022, the most of any eligible institution and the fourth consecutive year that the University has come out on top. The fund was extended to Hong Kong and Macau in 2019 to support young up-and-coming scientists to further expand their research. HKU received of the awards 10 40% 25 EXCELLENT YOUNG SCIENTISTS Dr Philip Chow Chi Yung, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, aims to reveal the precise energy conversion mechanism that enables current stateof-the-art organic solar cell materials to achieve record efficiencies and to provide guidelines for future material and device development. Dr Wu Chenshu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, has a project called ‘Smart Wireless Sensing and Tracking’ that will study ubiquitous sensing AI for innovative applications in the Internet of Things. Dr Huang Yuanhua, Assistant Professor jointly in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, aims to develop machine learning methods to tackle the challenges in single-cell data science, with a focus on analysing the dynamic changes of cells. Dr Yang Yi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, will study the interaction between light and free electrons. He will look at various optical environments to enhance their coupling strength, as well as the interplay between free electrons and photonic topology. Dr Hui Chun Yin, Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, is undertaking a project titled ‘Algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry’ that will take the perspective of Galois compatible systems. Dr Wang Chenjie, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, will extend his investigations into the theories of correlated topological phases and seek applications to quantum critical phenomena. Dr Wang Weiping, Assistant Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy and Dr Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, aims to develop near-infrared light-responsive drug delivery systems and explore the use of optical fibres to deliver light into deep tumours. This would provide important references for the development of photo-responsive drug delivery systems. Dr Eric Wan Yuk Fai, a joint appointment of the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, aims to provide evidence on the optimal frequency for monitoring complications in patients with diabetes mellitus, which will inform practices for preventing complications and reduce medical costs. Dr Ran Lishan, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, will study the carbon cycle in inland waters in the semiarid Loess Plateau and subtropical Dongjiang Basin to try to decode the fluctuation of greenhouse gases across the water-air interface and the interplay of environmental and human impacts over time.

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