News

Ten PAIR projects granted Health and Medical Research Fund, bringing evidence-based solutions for better health

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received a funding totalling of HK$25.1 million for 27 projects in the 2021 Exercise of the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), a higher number of projects supported and amount awarded than previous year.  Among them, 10 projects are led by researchers from PAIR constituent units: In alphabetical order of surnames Research Units Principal Investigator Project Title RCSV Dr CHUN Ka-man Combination effect of optical defocus and low dose atropine in myopia control – A randomized clinical trial RiFood, RISA, RCMI and RCSV Dr DO Chi-wai Characterization of baicalein, a natural molecule, as anti-glaucoma agent RiFood Dr DONG Xiaoli Rational design of oral drug delivery system for celastrol as a novel catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor to treat Parkinson’s disease RCMI Dr HO Yuen-shan Investigation of electroacupuncture as paramedicine to alleviate cognitive impairment in depression: A pre-clinical study MHRC Dr Georg KRANZ Intermittent theta-burst stimulation for major depression: an intensity-response study RiFood Dr LI Tian Investigation of a deep learning-empowered 4D multi-parametric MRI (4D-mpMRI) technique for liver cancer radiotherapy in a prospective clinical trial MHRC Dr Jessie LIN Jingxia A mobile application for early detection and symptoms trajectories of postpartum depression using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A prospective cohort validation study PRI Prof. QIN Jing Effectiveness of social virtual-reality on enhancing social interaction skills in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A three-arm pilot randomised controlled trial RCSV Dr Stanley John WINSER Cost of disease and falls among individuals with Parkinson’s disease living in Hong Kong: A prospective cost-of-illness analysis RI-IWEAR, RISports and RISA Dr Arnold WONG Yu-lok Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy versus active controls in improving psychological functions of parents and children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized controlled trial   Further reading: https://polyu.me/44RGtGw   Online coverage: Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/3t5ccXl(Chinese only)

MHRC member awarded funding from Health and Medical Research Fund to conduct study for early detection of postpartum depression

A project “A Mobile Application for Early Detection and Symptoms Trajectories of Postpartum Depression Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A Prospective Cohort Validation Study” led by Dr Jessie LIN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was awarded a grant of about HK$500K from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR.   The project aims to evaluate the validity of using a mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) for studying the changes in mood symptoms among pregnant women during and after pregnancy, thus enabling the early identification of postpartum depression and the trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated factors. The study will follow a sample of 120 pregnant women for six months, and assess their mood, sleep, exercise, physical wellbeing and environmental context via a mobile application. Findings of this project will facilitate the future development of effective digital interventions for maternal mental health.

MHRC members awarded funding from Quality Education Fund to develop digital physical quotient and learning platform

A three-year project “Digital Physical Quotient and Learning Platform” led by Members of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) including Dr Cynthia LAI, Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) and Prof. Shamay NG, Associate Head and Professor of RS Department, was awarded a grant of HK$5.9 million under the e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme of the Quality Education Fund. Dr Lai and Prof. Ng are the project’s Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator, respectively.   The project aims to develop a digital learning platform for promoting children’s physical and cognitive development. The platform will include motor and cognitive skills developmental assessment and training for children, as well as online learning programmes for children, parents and teachers. The platform will apply multi-media, internet of things (IoT) tools and cloud technologies to enhance the learning and teaching experiences.

MHRC member awarded funding from Health and Medical Research Fund to conduct study for early detection of postpartum depression

A project “A Mobile Application for Early Detection and Symptoms Trajectories of Postpartum Depression Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A Prospective Cohort Validation Study” led by Dr Jessie LIN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was awarded a grant of about HK$500K from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR. The project aims to evaluate the validity of using a mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) for studying the changes in mood symptoms among pregnant women during and after pregnancy, thus enabling the early identification of postpartum depression and the trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated factors. The study will follow a sample of 120 pregnant women for six months, and assess their mood, sleep, exercise, physical wellbeing and environmental context via a mobile application. Findings of this project will facilitate the future development of effective digital interventions for maternal mental health.

RIAIoT Director receives funding from Research Grants Council for project on high-performance collaborative edge computing for smart city applications

The project “High-performance Collaborative Edge Computing Enabling Smart City Applications: Framework and Methodologies” led by Prof. CAO Jiannong, Director of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Dean of Graduate School, Associate Director of University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics, Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science, and Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing in the Department of Computing, was awarded a funding of HK$50.821 million from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24.   The project aims to build a new smart city computing infrastructure enabled by collaborative edge computing with edge/cloud collaboration, city-scale edge network deployment and built-in AI services. During development, the research team will propose a Collaborative Edge Computing Framework (CECF), which provides new abstractions and functionalities for geo-distributed edge nodes, hence supporting technical requirements of collaboration and sharing of computing and data resources in performing application tasks.   The project will help address many key challenges in large-scale resource management, performance-guaranteed task scheduling, resource-aware edge AI and secure data sharing, thus enabling advanced smart city applications.   Press release: https://polyu.me/3rrBRsF   Online coverage: Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3pNARP2 Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3NUj4Ol Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/44rSgMg Sky Post - https://polyu.me/46Kg2EJ Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/44AlHeO HK01 - https://polyu.me/3OcrxNX Line Today - https://polyu.me/3pFswNr

RISUD Member receives funding from Research Grants Council for project on intelligent tropical-storm-resilient system

The project “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities” led by Prof. NI Yiqing, Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch), was awarded a funding of HK$48.293 million from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24.   The project aims to mitigate the risk of tropical storms and enhance the resilience of high-rise building clusters in coastal cities by developing a real-time early-warning and management system, which will be made accessible to the public for guiding effective emergency responses. The project will also lead to new methodologies and design codes/standards for high-rise buildings that are more resistant to tropical storms, thus benefitting the construction industries, developers, public and city planners in the medium and long run.   Press release: https://polyu.me/3rrBRsF   Online coverage: Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3pNARP2 Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3NUj4Ol Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/44rSgMg Sky Post - https://polyu.me/46Kg2EJ Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/44AlHeO HK01 - https://polyu.me/3OcrxNX Line Today - https://polyu.me/3pFswNr

PAIR research projects receive over HK$37 million from RGC

The Research Grant Council (RGC) announced the funding results of the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2022/23 Exercise. Six research projects led by members of PAIR’s constituent research units received a total grant of over HK$37 million. Four projects received 25 million under the Collaborative Research Project Grant, one project received HK$8 million under the Collaboration Research Equipment Grant, and one project received over HK$4 million under the Young Collaborative Research Grant. Project Title Coordinating University / Collaborating University(ies) Amount Granted (HK$) PAIR’s Constituent Research Unit(s) / Project Leader Collaborative Research Project Grant Smart self-adaptive shearing interferometry for wavefront optical characterisation PolyU / CityU, CUHK 4,267,120 RCRE & RCSV / Prof. Benny CHEUNG Sonogenetics for specific deep neural circuit modulation and mitigation of Parkinsonian mice PolyU / CityU, HKUST 7,152,840 RISA / Prof. SUN Lei Subambient Daytime Radiative Cooling Coating for Energy-Efficient Building Envelope PolyU / CityU, HKU 5,384,413 RIAM, RILS, RISE & RISUD / Prof. DAI Jianguo Transmission of antimicrobial resistance from hotspot sources to occupational populations and urban communities PolyU / CityU, HKU 8,709,120 RISUD / Prof. LI Xiangdong Collaborative Research Equipment Grant Hong Kong Coastal HF-Radar Network PolyU / CityU, HKUST 8,000,000 RILS / Dr Alessandro STOCCHINO Young Collaborative Research Grant Coastal Urban Flooding under Climate Change: Evolution Mechanisms and Intelligent Analysis PolyU / HKUST, HKU 4,133,507 RILS & RISUD / Dr DUAN Huan-feng *In alphabetical order of project title Full list of projects funded by the RGC Collaborate Research Fund: https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/crf/funded%20research/22-23.html

Three PAIR projects awarded Research Impact Fund to deliver innovations for a sustainable community

Three research projects led by scholars at the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) have been awarded the Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2022/23 by the Research Grants Council, with a total grant value of HK$14.35 million. Thirteen projects were supported by RIF in this exercise. PolyU was awarded a total funding of HK$27.55 million for five projects, topping local universities in terms of the number of funded projects. Project Description Project Coordinator Budget to be funded by the RGC* (HKD) A novel approach to target cancer stemness using peptidic chimeric antigen receptor (pCAR) macrophages New scientific knowledge for a novel therapeutic strategy against liver cancer stem cells for hepatocellular carcinoma Prof. LEE Kin-wah Terence Member of Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI) (in collaboration with HKU) $4,150,000 Flexible and Stretchable Batteries for Wearable Applications For wearable technologies, smart electronic textiles, electronic skins, soft robotics, bioelectronics and the Internet of Things Prof. ZHENG Zijian Associate Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) (in collaboration with CityU and CUHK) $5,550,000 Next Generation of In-situ Precision Three-dimensional Surface Metrology: A Smart Self-adaptive Multiscopic Approach for Industrial 4.0 The project attempts to research and develop a customizable smart SAMS system for in-situ precision 3D surface measurement under different manufacturing environments and applications for lasting impact on the advancement of measurement science and technology ready for Industry 4.0. Prof. Benny C.F. CHEUNG Associate Director of Research Centre for SMART Vision (RCSV) and Management Committee Member of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) (in collaboration with HKU) $4,650,000 *The RGC funds 70% of the project cost while university / organisational partner(s) will match the remaining 30% of the project cost. Further reading: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/media/media-releases/2023/0106_five-polyu-projects-awarded-research-impact-fund/

Five interdisciplinary research projects funded by the NSFC/RGC Collaborative and Joint Research Schemes

Ten research projects led by scholars at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been funded in the 2022/23 Exercise of the Joint Research Scheme (JRS) and the new Collaborative Research Scheme (CRS) by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Research Grants Council (RGC).  PAIR is so proud that five of them are interdisciplinary research projects from our constituent research units. List of projects funded under NSFC/RGC Collaborative Research Scheme 2022/23: Project Title Project Coordinator (in Hong Kong) Principal Investigator/ Institution (in inland) PAIR Constituent Research Unit Monolithically Integrated Electronics with Two-Dimensional Semiconductors – from Controllable Growth to Device Integration Prof. CHAI Yang, Department of Applied Physics Prof. ZHANG Wenjing, Shenzhen University Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) Long-cycle and High-energy-density Flexible Li Batteries Using Hollow Multishelled Structure and Hierarchical Composite Electrode Prof. ZHENG Zijian, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology Prof. YANG Mei, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE)   List of projects funded under NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme 2022/23: Project Title Project Coordinator (in Hong Kong) Principal Investigator/ Institution (in inland) PAIR Constituent Research Unit Investigation of Rainstorm - Storm Surge Joint Occurrence Pattern and Induced Flooding Risk Assessment in Coastal Cities within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Dr DUAN Huanfeng, Department of Civil and Environment Engineering Prof. ZHENG Feifei, Zhejiang University Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) Tin-Based Metal Halide Perovskites for X-Ray Detectors Prof. YAN Feng, Department of Applied Physics Prof. YANG Shihe, Peking University Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) Time-sequence Regenerative Repair of Atherosclerotic Blood Vessels with Janus Cardiovascular Stents Dr ZHAO Xin, Department of Biomedical Engineering Prof. YANG Zhilu, Southern Medical University Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI)   The NSFC and the RGC jointly established the CRS and the JRS to promote cooperation between the inland and Hong Kong in valuable and innovative science research projects. The CRS, which was newly introduced in 2022/23, aims to support larger-scale cross-institutional and collaborative research projects to enhance research output and impact. The CRS funds about 10 projects in each year exercise and provides funding support of up to HK$3.6 million per approved project by Hong Kong applicants. The JRS promotes collaboration between researchers in the Mainland and Hong Kong for their complementary strengths and provides funding support of up to HK$1.25 million per approved project by Hong Kong applicants. Further reading: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2022/1130_ten-polyu-projects-funded-by-the-nsfc_rgc/

RILS project on rainfall characterisation awarded Public Policy Research Funding

Dr WANG Shuo, Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, has been awarded a funding of HK$470,350 in the 2022/23 Public Policy Research Funding Scheme for the project titled “Incorporating Spatial Heterogeneity of Rainfall Response to Climate Change into the Design of Slope Drainage Provisions in Hong Kong”. The project aims to enhance the rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves currently adopted in Hong Kong by capturing and incorporating the changes in the spatial distribution of rainfall in response to climate change. The IDF curves are mathematical functions which show the relationship between the intensity, duration, and frequency of rainfall. The distribution of rainfall has been shown to be highly variable due to the intensifying global water cycle under global warming. The existing rain gauge-specific IDF curves adopted in Hong Kong are derived from measurements on rain gauges at predefined locations. The curves should therefore not be applied to nearby ungauged areas in Hong Kong; otherwise, the results can be unreliable or even misleading. The project will create grid-based IDF curves, i.e., new curves with higher grid resolution, increase the accuracy and reliability of IDF curves. The new curves will be created based on urban climate simulation to better capture the heterogeneous spatial distribution of rainfall, thereby increasing the applicability of IDF curves for the ungauged areas in Hong Kong. The research outcomes will facilitate the policy-making in addressing the challenges of climate-induced extreme rainstorms, as well as the planning and development for climate-resilient and sustainable urban infrastructure in Hong Kong.