HKUST Scholars Receive Croucher Senior Research Fellowships

Abstract

[evdate 1998-11-05] For release 5 November 1998

HKUST SCHOLARS RECEIVE CROUCHER SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

A molecular neurobiologist and a mathematician astronomer, Prof Nancy Ip and Dr Kwing Lam Chan, are among six researchers from Hong Kong universities to receive this year's Croucher Foundation Senior Research Fellowships.

Croucher Foundation Fellowships are awarded to scholars for work considered by their peers to be of critical importance to science in Hong Kong, thus meriting subvention. The awards enable the recipients to take a one-year sabbatical from teaching duties while redoubling research efforts in their chosen field.

Prof Ip, a faculty member in the Biology Department, is Associate Dean of Science and Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute at HKUST. Her research focuses on using molecular approaches to study an important area of neuroscience: neurotrophic factors (NTFs) and their roles in neuronal development and nerve-muscle interactions.

After graduating from Harvard Medical School, Prof Ip worked as a senior staff scientist in a biotechnology company, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. She has made several breakthrough discoveries including the identification of the NTFs, elucidation of the receptor complex utilized by these factors, and dissection of their signaling pathways. At HKUST, she is continuing her efforts to delineate the functions of NTFs, as well as to identify novel NTFs.

Prof Ip is excited about the potential use of NTFs to treat or even cure spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer掇 disease and Parkinson掇 disease. "As our understanding of the brain continues its rapid advance, there is real hope that the debilitating consequences of many neurological conditions will be treatable if not curable," she says.

Dr Kwing Lam Chan is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics. Having pioneered in multi-dimensional numerical simulation of astrophysical processes, he is currently studying the differential rotation of the sun, with an eye to providing improved early warning of flaring on the solar surface that causes havoc on earth by disrupting satellite telephony and television, and that can even interrupt the electricity supply from power stations.

Dr Chan is an enthusiastic advocate of utilizing astronomy to popularize science in Hong Kong. "Good technology depends on good science, just like a healthy body depends on a healthy mind," he says. "Hong Kong people today are a little too busy with practical matters. Young people here need to be encouraged to become more idealistic and to pursue scientific or technological excellence for its own sake; this will eventually strengthen Hong Kong掇 economic position."

Note to Editors: For further information, please contact Mr King Cheng of the Public Affairs Office on 2358-6305 or email pamedia@ust.hk.