Driving transformative change: universities’ role in shaping global medicine
Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, the new leader of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, who is widely known as the ‘father of non-invasive prenatal testing’, believes universities should be civic organisations that address societal needs through groundbreaking innovations
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The vibrant city of Hong Kong prides itself on being home to some of the best universities in the world. Its universities have excelled beyond their core functions of education and research, harnessing their expertise to respond proactively to urgent societal needs.
Many groundbreaking innovations have originated from this hub of academic excellence. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which led to a paradigm shift in prenatal medicine, is an example. The technology uses critical information stored in plasma DNA from the mother’s blood to detect foetal Down’s syndrome. The test is widely used around the world and benefits approximately 10 million pregnant women every year. It has also laid the foundations for the early detection of multiple types of cancer, having a life-changing impact on patients worldwide.
“The technology has obviated the need for invasive methods in expectant mothers,” says Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine, who is often referred to as the “father of NIPT”. The internationally renowned clinician and scientist, who took the helm of CUHK in January 2025, has earned numerous accolades for pioneering the technology.
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