Chief Editor’s Corner

Welcome to Issue 10 of the PAIR Newsletter! We are very pleased to share with you some exciting updates.

This year, PAIR researchers achieved an impressive medal haul at the 49^th Geneva Inventions Expo. Forty-three PolyU innovations won 45 awards in total, and 18 of the award-winning projects were led by PAIR researchers. Two directors of PAIR constituent research units were awarded gold medals for their inventions—“GOOD Vision/Wellsees”, a portable corneal topographer for early detection of astigmatism, and “ProRuka”, a novel 3D-printed prosthetic powered hand that can move its fingers independently. The People and News & Events sections provide more information about the remarkable successes of PAIR members.

Last month, we were thrilled to hear that Prof. WANG Zuankai, Assistant Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of Nature-Inspired Engineering, has received the 2024 Nukiyama Memorial Award from The Heat Transfer Society of Japan. This prestigious honour is awarded to one scientist every two years. Prof. Wang’s contributions to the field of surface science are seminal, and his works have been featured in the esteemed Nature and Science journals. In the Feature Story section, we shall look more closely at how Prof. Wang has created breakthrough innovations inspired by natural phenomena.

We also cover the insights and work of two distinguished scientists in detail. Prof. Eugene B. CHANG, gut microbiome expert from the University of Chicago, shares his advice on how PAIR can take our health research forward. Prof. Chang is a Fellow at PAIR, working closely with the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood). Prof. LI Qing, Head of the Department of Computing, explains to us the role of data science in driving business and environmental development. Prof. Li is the Co-Director of the Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism.

PAIR researchers have been striving for discoveries and inventions that relate to people and our planet and improve our living and working environments. The Research Achievements section highlights our latest work, covering an AI-powered portable camera that screens for diabetic retinopathy, the neuroscience that underlies human behaviour, technology for detecting flammable gases, a new formula for dry eye diseases, functional clothing, and corrosion prevention technology.

This spring, there have been many happenings at PAIR. In addition to lectures, events and conferences, PAIR delegates travelled to Melbourne and explored potential partnerships with several universities in Australia. In June 2024, we will co-organise a Conference on Micro Flow and Interfacial Phenomena. Please stay tuned to our various online and offline channels for the latest events and announcements. Thank you very much, and I hope you enjoy reading Issue 10 of the PAIR Newsletter.