Knowledge Exchange & Global Feature Story
Professor Julian Tanner and Dr. Lee Wei Lim awarded Silver Medals in the Special Edition 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days
Prof. Julian Tanner Awarded invention: Nucleic acid aptamers for malaria diagnosis
This invention employs DNA aptamers that recognise two important malaria biomarkers and can be applied to clinical diagnosis of malaria through integration with a microfluidic system which can be observed with mobile devices. Being easily synthesised and manufactured, the aptamers can serve as an alternative to antibodies in a more robust and less expensive manner. This research was developed over the previous eight years with a patent and important foundation paper in PNAS (jointly published with SBMS Senior Lecturer Dr Masayo Kotaka) leading into a series of papers using the aptamers in a variety of ways for malaria diagnosis. Mechanisms for diagnosis have most recently been developed using electrochemical sensors which can be adapted more easily for a next generation of mobile phone facilitated diagnostics. The project was developed by a research team led by Professor Julian Tanner from the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed.
Dr. Lee Wei Lim Awarded invention: NevGro® - a Dietary Supplement for Brain Health
NevGro® is a dietary supplement for enhancing brain health and the compounds are extracted from Hericium erinaceus or the monkey head mushroom via an innovative aqueous extraction technique. The research team found that administration of NevGro® alleviated depressive-like symptoms through stimulating the growth of brain cells in the hippocampus, a brain region which is responsible for emotion, learning and memory. The study further revealed its neuroprotective effects against ataxia, by protecting the brain cells from degeneration in the cerebellum, which controls body coordination and motor function. The research studies were conducted at the Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed (www.drlimlab.com) led by Dr. Lee Wei Lim and Dr. Wong Kah Hui from University of Malaya. This product is co-invented and developed by Ms. Cheng Poh Guat, CEO of Ganofarm R&D Private Limited, and Ms. Chong Pit Shan, who worked on the project and awarded the Li Ka Shing Prize for the Best MPhil Thesis.
Congratulations Awards & External Grants Staff Awards International Innovation Awards, Malaysia Technology Expo Dr. Lee Wei Lim and his team were awarded the Gold Award in International Innovation Awards for the project “NevGro® for mighty mitochondria”.
Student Awards
“For Our Future Scholarship” from the GBS Homeland Youth Community Foundation: Ms. Barbara Wing Yan Wong, BBiomedSc, Year 3
Long Service Awards 2022: • For 40 years of service
Mr. Mou Fung Kam (Technical Manager) Ms. May Pui Lai Cheung (Senior Technician)
AIA Scholarship 2021/22: Mr. Marcus Wan Chun Tao, BBiomedSc, Year 1
• For 35 years of service Mr. Patrick Wing Leung Wong (Technical Manager)
• For 25 years of service Dr. Man Lung Fung (Associate Professor) Dr. Kwok Ming Yao (Principal Lecturer) Miss Wai Man Wong (Senior Technical Officer)
The Second Best Flash Talk in NSFC/RGC Workshop on Single-Cell Data Science: Ms. Rongting Huang, PhD candidate in Dr. Yuanhua Huang's lab
• For 15 years of service Dr. Joanna Wen Ying Ho (Lecturer)
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