News

Interdisciplinary research projects under PAIR received huge grant

The Research Grant Committee (RGC) announced the funding results of the Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2021/22, Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) in 2021/22 and Second Round One-off CRF COVID-19 and Novel Infectious Diseases (NID) Research Exercise earlier this year.  Seven interdisciplinary research projects conducted by PAIR’s constituent research units received over HK$36 million grant in total.  Research project Project Coordinator Research Institute / Research Centre involved Amount awarded RGC CRF 2021/22 Research Equipment Grant High performance deep learning clusters for big data analytics Prof. Chen Xiaojun RIAIoT, SCRI and RCSV $3,099,659 Advanced Fourier-transform Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrometer for Molecular and Nano Functional Materials Research Prof. Raymond Wong Wai-yeung RISE and RI-IWEAR $7,964,914 RGC CRF 2021/22 Research Project Grant Study of Carbon Sequestration in Hong Kong’s Vegetation: from Present to Future Prediction under Climate Change Prof. Charles Wong Man-sing RILS and RISUD $4,949,639 RGC Research Impact Fund 2021/22 Deeper understanding of Color Matching Mechanism for Developing High-quality Lighting and Imaging Systems Dr Tommy Wei Minchen PRI and RISUD   Total amount of $8,800,000 Reliable Multiagent Collaborative Global Navigation Satellite System Positioning for Intelligent Transportation Systems Dr Hsu Li Ta RISUD and RIAIoT Second Round One-off CRF COVID-19 and NID Research Exercise in 2021/22 Is the usual social distance sufficient to avoid airborne infection of expiratory droplets in indoor environments? Prof. Guo Hai RILS and RISUD $4,703,090 Spatiotemporal prediction and real-time early warning of COVID-19 onset risk Prof. John Shi Wenzhong SCRI $6,964,000

PAIR Director’s research team can accurately simulate SARS-COV-2 transmissions and infections on airliner flights

On 20 January 2022, Wiley, a multinational publishing company, issued the following press release about recent work conducted by Professor Chen’s team. A study published in Indoor Air simulated the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on a flight from London to Hanoi and on another flight from Singapore to Hangzhou. When simulating the dispersion of droplets of different sizes generated by coughing, talking, and breathing activities in an airline cabin by an infected person, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 virus contained in such droplets traveled with the cabin air distribution and was inhaled by other passengers. The scientists counted the number of viral copies inhaled by each passenger to determine infection. Their method correctly predicted 84% of the infected/uninfected cases on the first flight. The team also found that wearing masks and reducing conversation frequency between passengers could help to reduce the risk of exposure on the second flight. “We are very pleased to see that our model validated by experimental data can achieve such a high accuracy in predicting COVID-19 transmission in airliner cabins,” said corresponding author Dayi Lai, PhD, Associate Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Architecture, School of Design of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in China. “Also, it’s important to know that wearing masks makes a significant impact on reducing the transmission.” This study was published in Indoor Air. To view the journal article, please click this link.  Please refer to the following links for the media interviews:  Science Daily Daily Mail EurekAlert Archyde The Jerusalem Post News Wise Eminetra Canarian Weekly News Medical Life Sciences Medical Xpress Opera News SC Online News  

Inauguration of the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality

The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) was proud to celebrate the inauguration of the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) on 14 January 2022 on the PolyU campus. Over 100 guests from the Hong Kong Government, PolyU, the industry and the Centre’s research partners attended physically or online and witnessed this new page. Under PAIR’s leadership, RCRE will become the effective platform aligning people of similar interests to work together in the very important interdisciplinary research field of how to make good use of resource engineering to achieve carbon neutrality. “Our campus is working hard on achieving the goal of carbon neutrality before 2050. RCRE fits very well into this arena and its research work will add great value to helping not only PolyU but the whole community to achieve this target that can benefit our society in a meaningful way,” said PolyU’s Vice President (Research and Innovation) Professor Christopher Chao at the inauguration ceremony. Speaking at the same occasion, Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, stated that PolyU now has the largest research team and facilities among all the universities in Hong Kong focusing on resources engineering towards carbon neutrality, and has established a strong track record and recognised reputation in the waste management research community. PolyU will advance further with the establishment of RCRE for the good of the society. Attending the ceremony online, Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, commended PolyU for its contribution and efforts to pool its interdisciplinary talents and facilities to advance the development of decarbonisation technologies and related policy study. The ceremony also featured a fruitful scientific exchange by different PolyU and overseas researchers who presented on a kaleidoscope of topics. Poster presentations on current projects conducted by PolyU researchers were also staged and attracted the attention of all the attending guests at the spot.

SCRI predicts five more districts to face high Omicron risks

The research team led by Prof. Shi Wenzhong, Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute predicted the spatiotemporal spread of Omicron in the Hong Kong community by big data, using the locations of patients, time of their diagnosis and developing symptoms, population mobility, vaccination rate, and social distance index to figure out high-risk areas. The average risk of being infected with Omicron in Hong Kong will increase in the next week, with high-risk districts rising to 11 from the current six, to include areas such as Sha Tin and Kowloon Bay. Online coverage (English) SCMP - https://polyu.me/3fcBgSb The Standard - https://polyu.me/3K2z8dZ Online coverage (Chinese) Now TV - https://polyu.me/3qfL58e  RTHK - https://polyu.me/3HK8YL8 Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3GjOf0p  Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3tfJIZa  Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/3FiXTix  am730 - https://polyu.me/3ndXjwc Sky Post - https://polyu.me/3f9qxYH  Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3IcBAgr Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3zLt7h6  HK01 - https://polyu.me/33mrKJw  

RCSV researchers develop a treatment to slow myopia progression among children and youth

Myopia, or shortsightedness, has reached epidemic levels worldwide. Non-invasive optical interventions are more preferred to help slow down myopia progression. Amongst such treatments is the Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) lens developed by researchers at the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) , proven to slow myopia progression among children by 60%. Welcome to read more about this here: https://polyu.hk/HXjeD.  

PolyU welcomes opportunities in expediting a wide range of research areas

Professor Christopher Chao, PolyU’s Vice President (Research and Innovation) told the media he was delighted to welcome the new funding sources from Mainland China and increased resources from the Hong Kong government to support research. Talents from Hong Kong could participate in various new innovation and technology projects.    Taking note of the growing importance of interdisciplinary research, he also commended the establishment of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) and the various new research institutes and centres.   Online coverage:   Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/3EgIezx  Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/3yOMMfA  

PolyU invests HK$400m in new interdisciplinary research institutes for improving people’s lives

Prof. Wing-tak Wong, PolyU’s Deputy President and Provost, said in an interview that the University will invest HK$400 million in the next three years in 15 new research institutes and centres for areas like smart city, wearable smart devices and Chinese medicine. Prof. Wong said the research will focus on people’s key daily life issues like clothing and food, with an emphasis on addressing societal challenges. One of the institutes established lately is the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood). Dr Wong Ka-hing, Director of RiFood and Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, told media that RiFood is currently conducting a research on the efficacies of traditional Chinese dietary supplements like bird's nest and sea cucumbers. Another research undergoing at RiFood is how to convert food waste into 3D printing materials with nanotechnology. The institute is also conducting projects about AI food authentication and food sustainability. (Hong Kong Economic Times A10, Sky Post P08) Online coverage : Hong Kong Economic Times  Sky Post   

RCDSE study found impact remnants on the Moon that may provide source of water

A study led by the National Space Science Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences and joined by Prof. Wu Bo, Associate Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations and Associate Head of Department of Land Surveying and Geo-informatics of PolyU, has found carbonaceous chondrite remnants of an impactor in a young lunar crater formed within one million years, a first-time discovery of such fragments by in-situ investigation on the far side of the Moon. Scientists suggests that carbonaceous chondrite-like meteorites may provide 10 to 20% of the sources of water to the present Moon. Prof. Wu’s involvement in the research was to use innovative 3D mapping technology to create a detailed 3D topographic model of the 2-m size crater from the lunar surface images acquired by the Yutu-2 rover of Chang’e-4. The 3D morphological characteristic of the crater is critical to judge if the crater was resulted from a meteorite impact or not. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01530-w). Please refer to the following links for the media interviews:  Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/2ZIFw7Q China News - https://polyu.me/3rmLyqd 北京晚報 - https://polyu.me/3xNQupd The Cover - https://polyu.me/3pezAfv Sina - https://polyu.me/3EeYJgp Sohu - https://polyu.me/32Q6Cev Toutiao - https://polyu.me/3Effl7F 一點資訊 - https://polyu.me/3G2uyd0  

PAIR Members Recognised as Top Two Percent Scientists Worldwide

Stanford University has recently released an update of the list that represents the top 2 percent of the most-cited scientists in various disciplines. The report was prepared by a team of experts led by Prof. John Ioannidis, the eminent Professor at the Stanford University. PAIR is very proud to announce that the 95 PAIR members in various research institutes and centres are on the list. Please click here to check the list of PAIR members recognised as top two percent scientists worldwide in 2021. The list issued by Standford University can be downloaded from here: https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/3 Congratulations to our top scientists!

Video of RI-IWEAR broadcast at the 2021 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit

The video featuring the research highlights of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable System is available online at the YouTube Channel WebsEdge Science. This five-minute video will be broadcast in the daily program called “Thought Leadership” during 2021 Material Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting & Exhibit. 2021 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit meeting is the preeminent annual event for those in the field of materials research, featuring over 50 symposia and attracting 6,000 researchers from every corner of the globe. The meeting will be held on 29 November – 2 December 2021 in Boston and 6-8 December 2021 in online platform. This video will be broadcast on screens in high visibility areas throughout the Centre in a compilation of the MRS TV films from 29 November to 2 December and also in the MRS TV program, alongside news and interviews during the conference on 30 November. Please click here to view more details about 2021 Material Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting & Exhibit.