The Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is delighted to announce the recipients of the Department of ABCT for the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Awards 2024. These awards aim to acknowledge exceptional graduates of PolyU who have excelled in their respective fields, demonstrated active support for their alma mater, and made significant contributions to the broader community.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the following individuals for receiving the Department's Outstanding Alumni Award:
Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of Department of ABCT 2024 - Scholarly Achievement
Professor LIU Dongsheng
Chang Jiang Scholar Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University
Doctor of Philosophy (2002)
Prof. Liu Dongsheng graduated with a B.S. degree in Polymer Sciences from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1993. He then worked as a research associate at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), where he earned his Master's degree in Polymer Chemistry in 1999. From 1999 to 2002, he pursued his Ph.D. studies on self-templated DNA circularization at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the supervision of Professor Albert S. C. Chan. In 2003, he joined the Chemistry Department of Cambridge University as a postdoctoral research associate, working on DNA nanotechnology with Professor Shankar Balasubramanian.
In 2005, Prof. Liu joined the National Centre for NanoScience and Technology, China, as a principal investigator. In June 2009, he moved to the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University as a full professor. His accolades include the 1st “CCS-RSC Young Chemist Award” in 2008 and the 7th CCS-BASF Youth Innovation Prize in 2014. He was invited as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in 2011, became a “Changjiang” Chair Professor in 2015, and was named a Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) in 2020.
Prof. Liu's research primarily focuses on the assembly of DNA and its hybrids, hydrogels, and DNA/RNA drugs and delivery. His pioneering work has significantly advanced the field of DNA nanotechnology and polymer sciences, making substantial contributions to both academic research and practical applications.
Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of Department of ABCT 2024 - Scholarly Achievement
Dr. FU Zhongjie
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology with Biotechnology (2007)
Dr. Fu Zhongjie received the University Grants Committee Scholarship for Outstanding Mainland Students in 2004 and joined the Applied Biology with Biotechnology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. After graduation, she pursued her Ph.D. studies in Ophthalmology at The University of Hong Kong. Her graduate research focused on the effects of aldose reductase deficiency in a well-established mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy, modeling retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a common complication in premature infants. During these studies, she became aware of the importance of altered cell metabolism in retinal disorders.
As a postdoctoral fellow in Ophthalmology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Fu continued investigating the role of nutrient supply and lipid metabolism in ROP and other retinal metabolic disorders. In 2019, she established her own laboratory as an Assistant Professor, aiming to explore the effects of nutrient supplementation on retinal vascular homeostasis in ROP and key modulators in retinal lipid processing. Her research seeks to expand our current understanding of retinal metabolism and provide the fundamental basis for the translational application of nutrients in patients with neurovascular retinal diseases.
Congratulations to our distinguished alumni for their remarkable achievements and contributions to their fields and society!
