HKUST Division of Life Science Biotechnology Research Institute

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Collaborations

Areas of Excellence Program
In 2001, a multi-disciplinary research team, under the leadership of HKUST in collaboration with three local universities (Hong Kong Baptist University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong) and the Hospital Authority and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, received a $26.8 million grant from UGC Areas of Excellence (AoE) Program to conduct research study on "Molecular Neuroscience: Basic Research and Drug Discovery". This AoE program combines modern scientific approaches with the utilization of Chinese herbal medicine to discover drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke. The research generated from the AoE project has resulted in the development of many novel and promising compounds for use either as therapeutic agents or research tools. This makes them very attractive to pharmaceutical companies seeking to in-license interesting and novel compounds to broaden their own portfolio of lead compounds. Collaborative or sponsored research agreements have been reached with many academic institutions and drug companies. A renewal funding of $27.5 million was granted in recognition of the achievements of the project.

Hong Kong Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine
The MNC members were invited to participate in the Hong Kong Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine, a local branch of international consortium for globalization of Chinese medicine. The local consortium, consisting of six universities (Hong Kong Baptist University, City University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, Polytechnic University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), provides a collaborative platform for comprehensive research on modernization of TCM. Team members will play a significant role and contribute their expertise in TCM-based drug discovery. Request for funding of this project was successfully granted by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) in April 2006. The MNC members will contribute their expertise in TCM-based drug discovery to explore different aspects of two innovative herbal formulae with neurological indications.

Neuroscience Alliance Hospital Authority-HKUST
In November 1999, the Hospital Authority (HA) and HKUST signed a Memorandum of Intent to form the Neuroscience Alliance. The MNC at HKUST and the Kwong Wah Hospital under the HA will work closely to initiate basic and clinical research projects targeting areas of neuroscience currently at the forefront of science. In establishing these projects, the Alliance can also seek to develop parallel scientific and medical training programs to ensure the build up of a local critical mass of highly trained neuroscientists and neurologists. Neurosurgery at Kwong Wah Hospital has emerged from a simple emergency service to cater for head injuries in the last decade into a multi-subspecialized referral center. Specialized clinics have been established to cater for epilepsy, neurological pain, movement disorders, cerebral vascular diseases, dementia and memory problems. Clinical research programs have also commenced to study epilepsy, head trauma, brain tumors, treatment of haemorrhagic stroke, and postoperative management for stroke. Electrophysiological study departments have been growing in parallel with the neurological service development. This Alliance will allow scientists and clinicians to work together in the common goal to research the neurodisease process and to expedite the delivery of new and effective drugs to patients affected by these diseases.

Other representative collaborations include initiatives with:
Institute of Neuroscience (ION), Chinese Academy of Sciences
Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University, USA
Rockefeller University, USA
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences
University of Pennsylvania, USA
University of Poitiers, France

 

 

[Mission] [Background] [Team Members] [Research Focus] [Supporting Facilities/Centers] [Collaborations] [Dissemination Activities] [Publications] [Contact]

Last Updated in May 2007