RESEARCH & CONSULTANCY

Research groups in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology investigate the mechanisms of biological processes across a range of organisms, from viruses and microbes to plants, worms, fish and mammals.

• Prof. Chris KC Wong’s works on the impact of environmental pollutant, bisphenol A, a residual component of plastics, on human fertility has won great publicity.

• Prof. Zhao Zhongying’s group leverages advanced AI and deep-learning methods to build a state-of-the-art platform for automated cell tracking. The platform maps cellular morphology, cell lineage, and gene expression at single-cell resolution with one-minute intervals throughout animal embryogenesis. In parallel, his lab has pioneered research into how environmental stressors—particularly pathogen exposure—drive genetic and genomic incompatibilities between populations and closely related species. As a result, his lab has been outstanding in competing for RGC funding and consistently publishes high-impact research in top-tier journals.

• Dr.  Allen Cheung’s group is focused on understanding immune mechanisms underlying cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and persistent viral infections that are affected by the environmental and dietary factors.

• Dr. Bi Yang’s group focuses on studying nutrient signaling using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana through a combination of proteomics, transcriptomics, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology approaches