With an ambitious new strategy for transforming its research ecosystem, the United Arab Emirates University is going all-in with its efforts to find innovative solutions to 21st-century problems – at home and abroad

    While population aging has become a pressing issue worldwide, pioneering technologies can help people live healthier and more fulfilling lives. At HKUST, we are committed to innovations in healthcare research. We strive to develop inclusive technologies to benefit people of all ages and all walks of life.

Breakthroughs in the battle against Alzheimer’s

DNA and RNA deformations play crucial roles in biological processes, such as DNA packaging and nucleic acid recognition by proteins. The research team led by Professor Liang Dai, Associate Professor from CityU’s Department of Physics, revealed universal deformation mechanisms governing eight phenomena: DNA and RNA deformations induced by salt, temperature change, stretching force, and protein binding.

Professor Ngai Hang Chan, Head and Chair Professor from CityU’s Department of Biostatistics, and his team is working on developing an innovative “Interpretable Artificial Intelligence (IAI)” framework with a holistic approach to IAI medical diagnostics, with glaucoma as an exemplary example.  

Professor Kenneth Mei Yee Leung and his former postdoctoral fellow, Dr Racliffe Weng Seng Lai participated in the global project which is about pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers.

The utilisation of machine learning has the potential to drive unprecedented breakthroughs in biostatistics research, according to Professor Jinfeng Xu, Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the City University of Hong Kong. With machine learning techniques becoming more sophisticated and accessible, Professor Xu believes there is a tremendous opportunity to leverage these tools in biostatistics research to unlock new insights and accelerate progress towards improving human health.

While research opportunities at universities are typically reserved for postgraduate students, HKUST runs a popular program that offers undergraduates an early taste of academic research.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) aims to engage students in creative thinking, intellectual curiosity, problem-solving, and facilitating intellectual exchange and collaboration between undergraduates and faculty.

With its campus situated just a stone’s throw away from the South China Sea, HKUST is one of the few universities in Southeast Asia, and the only university in Hong Kong with an on-campus waterfront marine research facility. Our location at Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong creates exceptional opportunities in ocean and environmental research, which is pivotal to the exploration of sustainability solutions for our planet.