港大新聞

Professor Yao Wang from the Faculty of Science and Professor Mingxin Huang from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), have both been awarded the 2021 Xplorer Prize. Supported by Tencent, the award is presented to young scientists under the age of 45 who demonstrate exceptional quality and innovation in their field of research.

香港大學李嘉誠醫學院（港大醫學院）微生物學系愛滋病研究所領導的聯合團隊發現，通用串聯雙價廣譜中和抗體BiIA-SG有望能成為一種有效預防和治癒愛滋病毒一型（HIV-1）的藥物。研究團隊在非人類靈長類動物的實驗中發現，在愛滋病毒暴露前接受單次 BiIA-SG 肌肉注射治療，能100%有效預防致病性感染；而在感染病毒後採用同一療法，所有動物亦可存活，而在大部分動物體內亦持續完全抑制病毒長達兩年。這項研究結果已於科學期刊 《Cell Reports》八月號發表。

香港大學（港大）工程學院機械工程系建築環境講座教授李玉國教授獲美國供暖、製冷和空調工程師學會（ASHRAE）頒授「Louise & Bill Holladay傑出會士獎」，以表彰他在工程和研究工作的重要貢獻和卓越成就。

中國國家自然科學基金2021年度「優秀青年科學家基金項目」剛公佈結果，在港澳區25個名額中，香港大學（港大）有9個項目獲選，連續第三年在所有院校中有最多年青學者獲獎。

Researchers at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) have uncovered the important roles of tumour-associated macrophages and identified an important TIGIT-NECTIN2 immune checkpoint axis (interacting partners) in liver cancer, which helps to create an immunosuppressive microenvironment in promoting the growth of liver cancer, meanwhile indicating the possibility to restore the immune attack on tumour cells by inactivating the immune checkpoint. The novel and translational findings provide useful pre-clinical foundation and mechanistic insight for developing onco-immunotherapeutics in precision liver cancer treatment. The findings are now published in Nature Communications, a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal.

The collaborative research team formed by the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy and Department of Microbiology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has developed an inhalable dry powder formulation of tamibarotene, a repurposed drug that exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and influenza A H1N1 virus following pulmonary delivery. The work has been published online in Advanced Therapeutics in June 2021. A provisional application has been filed to the United States Patent and Trademark Office based on this work.

Six members from the Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) were recipients of awards or fellowships at the 99th General Session & Exhibition of International Association for Dental Research (IADR). Due to COVID19, the award presentation ceremony was held virtually on July 21, 2021.

香港大學機械工程系副教授陳國樑博士領導的團隊，研發出一種穿戴方便的心電圖（ECG）傳感器，可偵測心房顫動的電生理訊號，作日常應用。

日本研究系助理教授鮑蘭雅博士 (Dr. Janet Borland) 以《Earthquake Children: Building Resilience from the Ruins of Tokyo》(麻薩諸塞州劍橋: 哈佛大學亞洲中心，2020) 榮獲2020年度「格麗斯雅博書獎(Grace Abbott Book Prize)」。

現代人經常被手機屏幕吸引，為將城市人的目光帶回大自然，香港大學生物科學學院與香港觀鳥會合作開發「HKBirds：香港鳥類」流動應用 iOS 程序，提供多媒體互動的香港鳥類信息，方便市民隨時隨地觀察、辨認雀鳥及有系統地記錄觀鳥活動。