Welcome to Dr. Mohamad Dayoob

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Dr. Mohamad Dayoob, who has joined our department as a Lecturer starting 15 December 2025.

Congratulations to Ms. Eliza Tam and Dr. Ann Leung

On behalf of the Head of Department, we would like to extend our congratulations to Ms. Eliza Tam and Dr. Ann Leung for promoting from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy with effect from 1 November 2025.

Best wishes to Eliza and Ann for continued success in their new roles.

Welcome to Ms. Louise Sin

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Louise Sin, who joins us as a Lecturer with effect from 21 July 2025.

Long Service Award

It is our pleasure to announce that Mr. Chan Chi Fai (IT Manager) will receive the Long Service Awards 2024-25 for his 35 years of service in the University. The presentation ceremony will be held on 20 June 2025. Details of the ceremony will be announced in due course. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Professor Khuloud T Al-Jamal

Professor Khuloud T Al-Jamal has been conferred the Endowed Professorship – Lo Shiu Kwan Kan Po Ling Professorship in Pharmacy on 11 April 2025.

Congratulations to Professor Ruby L.C. HOO

On behalf of the Head of Department, we would like to extend our congratulations to Professor Ruby L.C. HOO for promoting from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy with effect from 1 February 2025.

Best wishes to Ruby for continued success in her new role.

Congratulations to Mr. Howard CHAN

Congratulations to our PhD student Mr. Howard CHAN, under the supervision of Professor Aviva S.F. CHOW, who was awarded the For Our Future Innovation and Technology Scholarship from the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation (HKD 80,000) for 2024-2025.

Congratulations to Professor Wei Jia

Professor Wei Jia has been conferred the Endowed Professorship – Vivian Taam Wong Professorship in Integrative Medicine on 6 January 2025.

Congratulations to Dr. Ann K.Y. LEUNG

Dr. LEUNG is awarded the Early Career Teaching Award 2024 in recognition of her outstanding performance in teaching and learning during the formative years of her career in higher education.

Congratulations to Professor Aviva Shing Fung Chow and the team won the Silver Medals at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva

Silver Medal

Inhale the Future: Embracing the Next Generation of Inhalable Nanomedicine Technologies

This invention merges the realms of nanotechnology and inhalation sciences, foreshadowing a new era of medical advancements. With a focus on addressing unmet medical needs in respiratory and neurological diseases, this innovation restructures the production of inhalable nanomedicines. By synergistically incorporating nanoparticle engineering and spray drying, it enables efficient and optimal drug delivery to the deep lungs or brain by inhalation, presenting a new therapeutic direction for respiratory and neurological diseases. This technology platform offers hope for countless individuals seeking effective treatment options that have long eluded them, and marks a paradigm shift in the medical landscape towards a future of precision and efficacy in combating these diseases

The technology was developed by Professor Shing Fung Chow, Mr. Ho Wan Chan and Mr. Hok Wai Lee from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of The University of Hong Kong and Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre

Silver Medal

A Thermal Activation-based Particle Engineering Technology for Discovery of New Drug Cocrystals as Inhaled Therapy

One of the biggest challenges in drug cocrystal development is the ineffective screening due to false negative results in prediction computational and experimental approaches. This invention integrates the precise process of controlled thermally activated cocrystallization with the versatile particle engineering via spray drying, resulting in a method that reformulates problematic drugs into inhalable dosage forms. By applying the optimal temperature to overcome high activation energy based on the glass transition behaviours, there formulation platform holds promise to discover inhalable cocrystal powders inaccessible by traditional methods, accelerating new drug development. This approach provides a superior treatment option for respiratory diseases, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.

The invention was developed by Professor Shing-Fung Chow, Dr Kam-Hung Low and Dr. Si Nga Wong from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of The University of Hong Kong

https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/27236.html

Congratulations to Professor Weiping Wang and the team won the Silver and Gold Medals at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva

Gold Medal

A Photo-responsive Protein Delivery System based on a Modified PAMAM Polymer

This technology based on a nanoscale system achieved light controlled protein delivery through modifying photocleavable groups onto dendrimers, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM). The innovation demonstrates photo-enhanced intracellular protein delivery without protein function compromising by a special charge-reversal mechanism. This technology provides an effective method for protein-based disease treatment.

This project was finished by Professor Wang Weiping, Dr. Zhou Yang, and Dr. Li Yafei from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of The University of Hong Kong

Gold Medal

Cinnamaldehyde Polymeric Prodrug for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases

The invention of a reactive oxygen species-responsive cinnamaldehyde-based polymeric prodrug provides a new, safe, and effective treatment option for various inflammatory diseases. This system forms nanoparticles that selectively deliver therapeutic agents to inflamed sites, by utilizing cinnamaldehyde, a common food additive, as an anti-inflammatory agent, offering a solution for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The cinnamaldehyde-based polymeric prodrug can self-assemble into nano particles and effectively accumulate at inflamed joints, which can release cinnamaldehyde in response to the oxidative stress. This reduces the overproduction of inflammatory factors, slowing the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. This system shows outstanding drug stability, tissue selectivity, and controlled drug release upon activation by oxidative stress. Notably, it has demonstrated greater therapeutic efficacy than traditional clinical drugs. This steps forward in targeted drug delivery presenting a transformative approach to treating inflammatory diseases.

The invention was developed by Professor Weiping Wang and Dr Yaming Zhang from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of The University of Hong Kong

Silver Medal

A Photoactivatable Prodrug Nanosystem for the Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration

The design of the photoactivatable prodrug nanosystem for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an approach that involves intravenous administration followed by light irradiation. This innovative technique can lead to the release of an anti-angiogenic agent within the eye, accompanied by the selective occlusion of neo-vessels through photodynamic therapy. By effectively combining anti-angiogenic and photodynamic therapies, the nanosystem offers a comprehensive solution for AMD. Remarkably, a single intravenous injection of the nanosystem, combined with red-light irradiation targeted at the diseased mouse eye, demonstrates desirable therapeutic efficacy without any discernible side effects. Comprising a dimeric prodrug, an FDA-approved photosensitiser, and lipid-polymer matrix for stability, this nanosystem represents a fusion of therapeutic agents and makes it desirable for the future treatment of AMD.

The project was innovated by the research team of Professor Weiping Wang from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of The University of Hong Kong

https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/27236.html

Congratulations to Professor Ian C.K. WONG

Professor Ian C.K. WONG has been named a Highly Cited Researcher in 2024 by Clarivate Analytics. This accolade honors the world's leading researchers who have demonstrated significant influence through the publication of multiple papers that rank in the top 1% by citations over the past decade.

Details: HKU Press Release

Congratulations to our student Ms. Chan Hoi Ki

Congratulations to our student Ms. Chan Hoi Ki, Doris for winning the honor of being one of the Top Ten Outstanding Tertiary Students in HKSAR at the awards ceremony held on October 26, 2024, by the Hong Kong Youth & Tertiary Students Association (HKYTSA).

Details:
https://www.facebook.com/share/mj9G6Fdt2opwi4Xc/

Interview with the winners:
https://bit.ly/3YQZFEG

Congratulations to Mr. Howard Chan

Mr. Howard Chan, PhD Student under the supervision of Professor Aviva S.F. CHOW, was awarded Career Development Award for 2024 from Drug Delivery to Lungs (DDL) Conference.

Congratulations to Professor Aviva S.F. CHOW

On behalf of the Head of Department, we would like to extend our congratulations to Professor Aviva S.F. CHOW for promoting from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy with effect from 1 May 2024.

Best wishes to Aviva for continued success in his new role.

Congratulations to Mr. Yichi Zhang

Mr. Yichi Zhang, PhD Student under the supervision of Professor W.P. WANG, was awarded the HKU Research Postgraduate Student Innovation Award 2023/24.

Link: https://intraweb.hku.hk/reserved_1/gradsch/awardee_list/Inno-awardee_list_February-2024.pdf

Congratulations to Mr. Howard Chan

Mr. Howard Chan, PhD Student under the supervision of Professor Aviva S.F. CHOW, was awarded Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships for Postgraduate Research Students 2023/24.

Congratulations to Ms Liu Yuwei

Ms Liu Yuwei, PhD Student under the supervision of Dr Wang Weiping, was awarded the Oral Presentation Winner (First Prize) in 28th Research Postgraduate Symposium 2023.

Congratulations to Dr Ignatius Ip

On behalf of the Acting Head of the Department, we would like to extend our congratulations to Dr Ignatius Ip for promoting from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy with effect from Oct 1, 2023.

We wish Ignatius all the best in his work.

Congratulations to Dr Wang Weiping

On behalf of the Head of Department, we would like to extend our congratulations to Dr Wang Weiping for promoting from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy with effect from Sept 1, 2023.

We wish Weiping all the best in his work.

Congratulations to Dr Aviva Chow’s research team - International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN2023)

Congratulations to Dr Aviva Chow’s research team for receiving several awards for their two inventions in the recent International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN2023):

“Novel Dexamethasone Cocrystal”– by Shing Fung Chow, Kam-Hung Low, Si Nga Wong

TOP 20 BEST INVENTION AWARDS - Overall Selection of the Top 20 Best Inventions in iCAN 2023 and CANADIAN SPECIAL AWARD - Innovation Initiative Co-operative Inc. “The Inventors Circle”

“An Integrated Continuous Manufacturing Platform for Fabricating Inhalable Nanoagglomerate Dry Powder as Next-Generation Respiratory Therapeutics”– by Shing Fung Chow, Ho Wan Chan, Hok Wai Lee

JURY’S CHOICE AWARDS - Selected by the Jury Committee of iCAN 2023 and CANADIAN SPECIAL AWARD - Toronto International Society of Innovation & Advanced Skills (TISIAS)

Webpage: https://www.tisias.org/ican-2023.html

Congratulations to Ms Liu Yuwei

Ms Liu Yuwei, PhD Student under the supervision of Dr Wang Weiping was awarded the ACS Publications 3MT Poster Presentation Prize 2023.

Congratulations to Ms Charing C. Y. Chow

Congratulations to Ms Charing C. Y. Chow for her promotion from Senior Executive Assistant to Executive Officer with effect from 1 Jul 2023.

Congratulations to Mr Chan Ho Wan, Howard

Mr Chan Ho Wan, Howard, PhD student who is under the supervision of Dr Aviva Chow was awarded the Research Postgraduate Student Innovation Award 2022/23.

Congratulations to Mr LIU Jinzhao

Mr LIU Jinzhao, Research Postgraduate student under the supervision of Dr. Weiping Wang was awarded the Best Poster Presentations Award in the 27th Research Postgraduate Symposium 2022.

Congratulations to Dr Wu Xiaoping

On behalf of the Acting Head of the Department, congratulations to Dr Wu Xiaoping on her promotion from Post-doctoral Fellow to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology to Pharmacy with effect on 11 Sept 2022.

We wish Dr Wu all the very best for her new role.

Congratulations to Ms. Jody K. P. Chu

Congratulations to Ms. Jody K. P. Chu on her promotion to Senior Lecturer with effect from 4 Aug 2022.

Congratulations to Dr Wang Weiping

Dr Wang's research team won the Gold Medal at the Special Edition 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days for their research on developed technology for retinoblastoma treatment.

https://www.tto.hku.hk/news/hku-s-innovative-research-projects-triumph-at-special-edition-2022-inventions-geneva-evaluation-days

Congratulations to Dr Chor Wing Sing

On behalf of the Acting Head, please be informed that Dr Sing Chor Wing has been promoted from Post-doctoral Fellow to Research Assistant Professor in our department with effect from 1 Feb 2022.

Congratulations to Dr Sing, and wishing her all the best in the new work.