PolyU hosts AI & Medicine: Shaping the Future of Health Forum, featuring a Nobel Laureate and an expert to explore the future of AI-driven medicine
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, and Faculty of Science today co-hosted the “AI & Medicine: Shaping the Future of Health” Forum. The event featured a keynote speech by Prof. Barry MARSHALL, 2005 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, who shared his research journey and provided insights into the future of medicine. Prof. Ya-Qin ZHANG, Chair Professor of AI Science and Dean of the Institute for AI Industry Research (AIR) of Tsinghua University also participated in the panel discussion. The event attracted about 500 faculty members, students, alumni, leaders from the innovation and technology sectors, academia, and members of the public, fostering academic exchange and inspiring the pursuit of innovation.
Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President expressed his gratitude to Prof. Marshall and Prof. Zhang for sharing their insights, which greatly benefited both faculty members and students. He remarked, “Artificial intelligence (AI) is pivotal in shaping the future of medicine. This Forum has provided a valuable platform for all to explore the evolving trends of AI in medicine and to collaborate for a healthier future. PolyU is making significant strides in leveraging the integration of AI into medical science by developing innovative healthcare solutions and collaborating with industry to translate research outcomes into real-world solutions that benefit society. Earlier this year, PolyU established the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences to strengthen interdisciplinary research and education in the areas of AI, data science and computing. These efforts lay a solid foundation for the University to realise its commitment to establishing Hong Kong’s proposed third medical school.”
Prof. Marshall is currently Professor and Senior Honorary Research Fellow of the School of Biomedical Sciences, and Director of the Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training at The University of Western Australia; PolyU Distinguished Honorary Professor; and Chair Professor of Shenzhen University. In the early 1980s, Prof. Marshall and Australian pathologist Dr J. Robin WARREN discovered that gastritis and peptic ulcers were due to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). This groundbreaking research earned them the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and is widely regarded as the most significant discovery in the history of gastroenterology.
During his keynote speech, titled “Theory and Practice: Innovation and Curiosity Driven Research”, Prof. Marshall shared his pioneering work on H. pylori. He discussed the infection pathways and treatment methods of the bacterium, as well as his personal experience of drinking a culture of H. pylori to validate his research. His contributions continue to advance global healthcare, particularly in the field of gastrointestinal disease research.
In recent years, AI has emerged as a powerful tool in medicine, offering unprecedented opportunities to enhance patient care, streamline clinical processes and drive innovative research. During the panel discussion hosted by Prof. Hongxia YANG, Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of the PolyU Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and Professor of the Department of Computing, Prof. Marshall andProf. Ya-Qin Zhang discussed the future development of AI technology in medicine and education.
Prof. Marshall said, “AI is revolutionising our ability to diagnose diseases, personalise treatments and predict patient outcomes with unprecedented accuracy. By harnessing vast amounts of data, AI enables us to uncover insights that were previously beyond our reach, ultimately improving patient care and advancing medical research.”
Prof. Zhang said, “The field of life sciences and biomedicine has entered the era of Digitalisation 3.0, where AI plays a pivotal role, driving advancements toward greater speed, precision, safety, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility. Notable achievements have been made in areas such as protein structure prediction, gene editing, and drug discovery. However, challenges remain in terms of algorithm transparency, interpretability, security, privacy, and ethics. The AIR of Tsinghua University has pioneered the launch of an AI hospital and open-sourcing an AI-powered drug discovery platform, paving the way for biological research to enter the Autopilot era. Moving forward, we hope that academia and industry will further strengthen collaboration, driving the development of a closed-loop ecosystem and uncovering more opportunities for scientific and industrial innovation.”
During the Forum, the opening ceremony of the PolyU Marshall Research Centre for Medical Microbial Biotechnology was also performed. Prof. MA Cong, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, will serve as the Centre Director, with Prof. Marshall as a member of its Management Committee. The Centre aspires to advance the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections, such as H. pylori, the most common chronic bacterial infection globally, while leveraging Prof. Marshall’s groundbreaking research to establish AI-driven e-biobanks. These efforts will enhance research capabilities and enable more precise diagnostics.The Centre will also address the urgent need for novel antibiotics, due to rising drug resistance, by developing unique antimicrobial therapies with distinct mechanisms. Prof. Marshall stated that the establishment of the Centre will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in pioneering innovative solutions and fostering collaboration in this dynamic field.
香港理工大學(理大)計算機及數學科學學院、醫療及社會科學院聯同理學院今天舉辦「人工智能與醫學:塑造健康未來」講座,邀得2005年諾貝爾生理學或醫學獎得主Barry Marshall教授專程來港擔任主題講者,分享其科研之路及對醫學未來發展的真知灼見。清華大學智能科學講席教授及智能產業研究院院長張亞勤教授亦應邀出席,參與小組討論環節。活動旨在促進學術交流,啟迪創新精神,吸引約500名師生、校友、創科界和學界翹楚,以及公眾人士參與。
理大校長滕錦光教授感謝Marshall教授及張教授親臨分享,讓師生獲益良多,並表示:「人工智能是塑造醫學未來的關鍵,是次論壇提供了寶貴的平台,讓各界前瞻人工智能與醫學的新發展,共同打造更健康的未來。理大一直致力推動人工智能賦能醫學,積極開發創新醫療科技,並與業界合作推動科研成果轉化,造福社會。今年初,理大成立了計算機及數學科學學院,加速人工智能、數據科學及電子計算學在跨學科研究和教育的蓬勃發展。這些努力為大學籌建香港第三所醫學院奠定堅實基礎。」
Marshall 教授現為西澳大學生物醫學科學院教授、資深名譽研究學人及馬歇爾傳染病研究與培訓中心主任、理大傑出名譽教授及深圳大學講席教授。Marshall 教授與澳洲病理學家 J. Robin Warren 博士在1980年代初發現幽門螺旋桿菌是造成胃炎和消化性潰瘍的主因,並憑此開創性研究成果榮獲2005年諾貝爾生理學或醫學獎,研究被公認為腸胃病學史上最重大的發現。
講座上,Marshall教授以「理論與實踐:創新與探索精神引領的研究」為題,分享從事幽門螺旋桿菌研究的心路歷程,包括講解幽門螺旋桿菌的感染途徑和治療方法,以及其親身喝下幽門螺旋桿菌培養液進行驗證的經歷。其成果為推動全球醫療發展,尤其是腸胃病研究的貢獻良多。
近年,人工智能崛起成為醫學領域的強大工具,為提升患者照護、優化臨床工作流程和創新研究開創無限機遇。小組討論環節由理大計算機及數學科學學院副院長(環球事務)及電子計算學系教授楊紅霞教授主持,Marshall教授及張亞勤教授共同探討人工智能賦能醫學的發展。
Marshall教授指出,隨着人工智能技術的廣泛應用,將為醫學及健康領域發展帶來顛覆性的轉變,並大大提高疾病診斷、個性化治療及患者預後評估的精準度。透過海量數據分析,人工智能提供了以往無法獲取的資訊,有助於提升患者護理水平和促進醫學研究的發展。
張教授表示,生命科學與生物醫藥領域已步入數碼化3.0時代,人工智能在其中發揮着關鍵作用,正推動該領域朝着更快速、精準、安全、經濟、普惠的方向發展,如在蛋白質結構預測、基因編輯、藥物研發等方面成果顯著。然而,人工智能在演算法透明性、可解釋性、安全隱私及倫理等方面存在挑戰。清華大學智能產業研究院率先推出人工智能醫院、開源人工智能製藥智能體平台,推進生物科研進入「Autopilot」時代。未來,希望學術界和產業界進一步協同合作,推動相關領域閉環發展,挖掘更多科學與產業創新機遇。
同場,理大為新成立的「馬歇爾醫學微生物學科技研究中心」揭幕。應用生物及化學科技學系副教授馬聰教授將擔任中心主任,Marshall教授擔任管理委員會成員。該中心將致力推動細菌診療研究,聚焦全球最常見的慢性感染——幽門螺旋桿菌,並以Marshall教授的研究成果為基礎,構建以人工智能驅動的電子生物樣本庫,開發針對幽門螺旋桿菌導致的消化道癌症診斷工具,推動科研發展和精準診斷。中心亦會致力開發創新抗菌療法,解決因藥物耐藥性增加而對新型抗生素的迫切需求。Marshall教授表示,中心的成立將為開發創新解决方案和促進相關領域的合作發揮關鍵作用。