The doors of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were reopened in May for the launch of the institute’s first series of lectures since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Made possible by a generous grant from the Kwang Hua Education Foundation, the HKIAS Distinguished Lecture Series on Life Sciences aims to identify and showcase the work of life scientists and neuroscientists at CityU whose research cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience continues to invite new perspectives on the brain. Yet, there are still many unknowns about the organ responsible for the biological success of the human species. Organized by the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), and as part of the HKIAS Distinguished Lecture Series on Life Sciences, two talks explored the human brain’s mysteries.

Professor George Fu Gao, HKIAS Senior Fellow and Director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and Chinese scientists have created an artificial protein that they say could be the basis of a vaccine to help ward off various deadly coronaviruses, including the pathogen that causes Covid-19. In a peer-reviewed paper published in the scientific journal Cell on 28 June 2020, the research team led by Professor Gao said the approach triggered a strong antibody response in mice and monkey trials to Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) and the Covid-19 coronavirus. According to Professor Gao, the framework of immunogen design can be universally applied to other betacoronavirus vaccines to counter emerging threats.

Professor David J. Srolovitz, a leading scholar in theoretical and computational materials science, presented a lecture series titled “Grain Boundary Structure and Dynamics: a tutorial” as part of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) Distinguished Tutorial Series in Materials Science at City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The tutorial series is composed of four enlightening lectures and is sponsored by a generous donation from the Kwang Hua Educational Foundation.

Professor Herbert Gleiter, HKIAS Senior Fellow, was honored with the “Researcher of the Year 2020” by the Advanced Materials Letters in January 2020. The award recognizes the substantial contribution of Professor Gleiter in promoting advanced nanomaterials over the years. Advanced Materials Letters dedicates the cover photo of the June 2020 issue for his uncountable efforts towards “research perspective, expanding education, promoting materials research and its applications at a global standard”. The 2019 awardee for the prestigious title of “Researcher of the Year” was Professor Enge Wang, HKIAS Senior Fellow and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Professor Sir Colin Blakemore, an acclaimed neuroscientist, presented a lecture titled “The Past, Present and Future of the Human Brain” as part of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) Distinguished Lecture Series on Life Sciences at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 8 May 2020. This lecture is sponsored by a generous donation from the Kwang Hua Educational Foundation.

Professor Bruce R. Ransom, a recognized scholar in neurology, presented a lecture titled “Acute Ischemic Stroke: Why Don’t We Have Better Treatments?” at the inaugural lecture of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) Distinguished Lecture Series on Life Sciences at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 4 May 2020. This lecture is sponsored by a generous donation from the Kwang Hua Educational Foundation.

Professor Peter Glynn, HKIAS Senior Fellow and Thomas Ford Professor at Stanford University, USA, and some researchers at Stanford have created two novel computer tools that can tell local governments and hospitals in USA whether they are about to be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new calculators are the result of a crash collaboration between engineering faculty and graduate students, on the one hand, and faculty at the Stanford School of Medicine.

Professor Evelyn Hu, who is widely recognized for her intellectual range and interdisciplinary accomplishments in the field of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering, was appointed as a Senior Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) in March 2020. The number of HKIAS Senior Fellows has grown to 35 and Professor Hu is the second female Senior Fellow in HKIAS.

The HK$15 million gift from the late Dr Chung Sze-yuen, GBM, JP (1917–2018) will be used to establish the Sze-Yuen Chung Fund in support of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS).