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