Research Interests

• Genomics of human diseases
• Bioinformatics and data mining
• Molecular biology of human cancers
• Molecular Virolgy

Qualifications

• The University of Edinburgh, Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy, Science and Religion (2017-2021)
• The Chinese Graduate School of Theology, Master of Christian Studies (2013-2017)
• Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Doctor of Phiolosophy (1992-1995)
• Evangel Seminary, Diploma of Theology (1988 -1993)
• School of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Diploma of Education (1985-1986)
• Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Bachelor of Science (1981-1985)

Current Academic Positions

• Professor and Associate Director (Research), School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK
• Programme Director, Master of Science in Genomics and Bioinformatics, CUHK
• Director, Centre for Microbial Genomics and Proteomics
• Director, Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre
• Member, The Society for Chinese Biologists in America
• Member, Institute for Vascular Medicine
• Member, Hong Kong Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Honorary member, Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity
• Researcher, Croucher Laboratory for Human Genomics

Employment History

• Professor, Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2004-2009)  
• Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2000-2004)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (1997-2000)
• Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (1995-1997)

Recent External Competitive Grants as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator

Project title	Grant and source(s) HK$	Duration
Molecular Epidemiology of HIV in Hong Kong	HK$694,876 Council for AIDS Trust Fund	2006 - 07
Molecular Epidemiology of HIV in Macao	HK$600,314 Dr. Stanley Ho Medical Development Foundation	2006 -09
Construction of an electronic database (with search engine) capturing DNA sequences information supporting authentication of Chinese Materia Medica	HK$300,633 Hong Kong Jockey Club Institute of Chinese Medicine Ltd.	2008
Complete Genome Analysis of Drug-susceptible and Multidrug-resistant Myobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Family Strains	HK$798,648 Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (08070502)	2008 - 10
Elucidating functional significance of hepatitis B virus subgenotype Cs genomic markers	HK$787,428 Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (09080302)	2010 - 11
Metagenomics of tuberculosis infection in Hong Kong	HK$800,000 Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (09080442)	2009 - 12
Next-generation sequencing of the Chinese amphioxus genome and transcriptomes – insight into the sequence conservation and divergence in proto-vertebrate ancestor and vertebrates	HK$838,100 General Research Fund, Research Grants Council (464710)	2010 - 13
A high performance computing solution to enable bioinformatics research	HK$1,142,180 University-Industry Collaboration Programme (UIM/206)	2011 - 12
Characterization of genes potentially involved in the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis	HK$999,920 Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (11100282)	2011 - 12
Elucidating the blood microbiome in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients in Hong Kong by next generation DNA sequencing	HK$998,322 Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (12110582)	2013 - 15
Next-generation sequencing of the dust mite genome, transcriptome and microbiome – Opportunities to identify new allergens for future research in dust mite-related allergic diseases	HK$1,299,049 General Research Fund Research Grants Council (475113)	2013 - 16
Whole exome sequencing to dissect the genetic factors behind developmental delay and learning difficulties	HK$988,528 Health and Medical Research Fund (01120596)	2014 - 15
Elucidation of drug resistance mechanism by whole genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis spontaneous mutants	HK$989,528 Health and Medical Research Fund (13120432)	2014 - 16
An integrated trans-omics approach to diabetic cardio-renal complications: From novel discoveries to personalized medicine (Co-Principal Investigator)	HK$60,330,000 Theme-based Research Scheme, Research Grants Council (T12-402/13-N)	2014 - 18
Mechanism of potentiating HIV antigen-specific CD8+ T cells (Co-Principal Investigator)	HK$7,984,380 Collaborative Research Grant, Research Grants Council (HKU5/CRF/13G)	2014 - 17
Identification of alterations in host genome methylation driven by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1	HK$999,408 Health and Medical Research Fund (14130302)	2015 - 17
The anti-apoptotic and anti-proliferative role of FHL2 mediated by p53, IL6 and STAT3	HK$999,408 Health and Medical Research Fund (14130312)	2015 - 17
Molecular Basis for Interspecies Transmission and Pathogenesis of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (Co-Principal Investigator)	HK$46,712,000 Theme-based Research Scheme, Research Grants Council (T11-707/15-R)	2015 - 20
Understanding cancer stemness in liver cancer - From regulation to translational applications(Co-Principal Investigator)	HK$38,000,000 Theme-based Research Scheme Research Grants Council (T12-704/16-R)	2017 - 21
Elucidating the allergen profile and its regulation mechanism in dust mites using single molecule real-time sequencing (Principal Investigator)	HK$785,393 General Research Fund Research Grants Council (14175617)	2018 - 19
Elucidation of the Blomia Tropicalis genome and transcriptome to identify new allergens for future research in dust mite-related allergic diseases (Principal Investigator)	HK$1,498,224 Health and Medical Research Fund (06171016)	2019 - 22
Allergen profile and metabolic characteristics analysis of the storage mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae using single molecule real-time sequencing and bioinformatics tools (Principal Investigator)	HK$1,010,437 General Research Fund Research Grants Council (14119219)	2019 - 21
Identification of new allergens in Periplaneta americana by omics and immunological techniques for future research in cockroach-related allergic diseases (Principal Investigator)	HK$1,499,404 Health and Medical Research Fund (07181266)	2020 - 23
Control of Influenza: Individual and Population Immunity (Co-Principal Investigator)	HK$ 50,000,000 Theme-based Research Scheme, Research Grants Council (T11-712/19-N)	2020 - 24
Investigating the allergen profile and metabolic characteristics of Procambarus clarkii using the single molecule real-time sequencing and bioinformatics tools  (Principal Investigator)	HK$1,055,025 General Research Fund Research Grants Council (14119420)	2021 - 22

 

Academic Profiles

• Associate Editor, Gene (2015 - present)
• Editor, Frontiers in Genetics (2016 - present)
• Editor, International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics (2009 – present)
• Guest Editor, BMC Bioinformatics, Special Issue of the BIBM 2010 (2011)
• Conference Chair, of The IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine 2010, 18-21 December 2010, Hong Kong; The 2nd Mainland and Hong Kong Workshop on Bioinformatics at Xishuangbanna, 22-25 March 2010, Yunnan, China;
• Programme Chair, The 18th Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Conference, 18-20 August 2020, Seoul, Korea.  
• Programme Committee Member or Organizing Committee Member of 9th Congress of Asian-Pacific Society of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Disease and 16th East Meet West Symposium, 25 - 28 September 2014, Hong Kong Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Conference (APBC 2015), 21-23 January, 2015, Taiwan; The IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine 2014 (BIBM 2014), 2-5 November, 2014, Belfast, UK; International Symposium on Translating Omics Science to Clinical Applications, 13-14 August 2013, Hong Kong; The Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Conference 2014 (APBC 2014), 17-19 January 2014, Shanghai, China; The IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine 2013 (BIBM 2013), 18-21 December, 2013, Shanghai, China; International Conference on Nucleic Acid Enzymes and Enzymes of Human Diseases, 16-21 June, 2013, Hong Kong; IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine 2012 (BIBM 2012), 4-7 October, 2012, Philadelphia, USA; ACM Conference on Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Biomedicine (ACM BCB) 2011, 1-3 August 2011, Chicago, USA; The IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine 2011 (BIBM 2011), 12-15 November 2011, Atlanta, USA; Synthetic Biology 4.0, 10-12 October 2008, Hong Kong; Joint National Science Foundation Committee – CUHK Symposium on Bioinformatics, 31 October to 1 November 2007, Hong Kong; International Conference in Structural Biology, 18-22 November 2007, Hong Kong; Advances in protein sciences, Croucher Advance Institute, 2004, Hong Kong; Conference of Model Organism Research and Human Diseases, 14-15 June 2004, Hong Kong; 8th International Symposium of Society of Chinese Bioscientists, 14-19 August 1999, Hong Kong.
• Reviewers of journals, Allergy, Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, BMC Genomics, BMC Infectious Diseases, Briefings in Bioinformatics, Cell Proliferation, Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Epigenetics, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, Computers in Biology and Medicine, Emerging Microbes & Infections, Experimental Cell Research, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Frontiers in Microbiology, Gene, Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, GigaScience, Hong Kong Medical Journal, Infection Genetics and Evolution, International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, Journal of Cellular Physiology, Journal of General Virology, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Liver International, Microbial Drug Resistance, Microbiome, Molecules, Nature Communications, Nutrition and Food Research, Nucleic Acids Research, Neurosignals, Pancreatology, Parasites & Vectors, Planta, PLoS Genetics, Neurosignals, PLoS One, Protein Engineering Design and Selection, Renal Failure, Scientific Reports, Tuberculosis, Viruses.
• Grant Review Board Member, Health and Medical Reseach Fund, Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong.
• Grant Review, University of Macau Multi-Year Research Grant, Macao; General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong; Medical Research Council, UK.