Outstanding Researcher Award
Professor ZHANG Tong, Department of Civil Engineering
Professor Zhang received the Outstanding Researcher Award in recognition of his impactful research in the area of environmental microbiology, especially his pioneering works on the comprehensive analysis of antibiotic resistance genes using sequencing-based advanced metagenomics. At the outbreak of the pandemic, he applied his expertise to study the SARS-CoV-2 virus in sewage with the quantitative PCR test. This award is to acknowledge his contributions in collecting crucial supplementary information to facilitate public health decision-making.
Outstanding Young Researcher Award
Dr Jamin Frederick ASAY, School of Humanities
Dr Asay’s research centres on the concept of truth in the field of philosophy and investigates how clear and precise thinking about truth can illuminate our understanding of many of our most central and foundational concepts.
Dr AU YEUNG Ho Yu, Department of Chemistry
With his research interest in the chemistry of mechanical bonds, Dr Au Yeung studies the synthesis, properties and applications of catenanes that are composed of mechanically interlocked molecular rings. He also aspires to develop new recognition strategies for the sensitive and selective detection of small molecules of biological and environmental significance, with potential applications in new generations of smart sensors for imaging, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring.
Dr Timothy Carlton BONEBRAKE, School of Biological Sciences
Dr Bonebrake’s focus is on the major challenges facing the planet in global change and tropical conservation. He has been studying a wide range of species, trying to understand how global habitat transformation and climate change are impacting them, and finding ways to better tackle challenges those changes have brought about.
Dr CHEN Yue, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr Chen’s research focuses on the thermal transport property of functional materials. He and his team have been working to develop new computational approaches to improve the understanding of phono coupling mechanisms in solids based on electron structure theories and machine learning algorithms. Their research advances the fundamental knowledge of thermal transport in emerging materials and paves the way for innovative applications.
Dr KWOK Ka Wai, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr Kwok’s research gravitates toward robotics and machine intelligence technologies for health care application. Striving to resolving technical difficulties in challenging surgical environments, he and his team have invented novel solutions for robotic actuation and positional tracking of interventional tools navigated inside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.
Dr Neil Ryan MC KENZIE, Department of Earth Sciences
Dr McKenzie is dedicated to studying the co-evolution of Earth’s surface environment and life, looking into the various aspects of the dynamic relationship between tectonics and climate throughout Earth’s history, and exploring how changes in these processes influenced biodiversity. Through studying these long-term natural processes, his research offers insights into how we can better mitigate modern geologic issues.
Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award
Professor David DUDGEON, School of Biological Sciences
Professor Dudgeon, who has spent almost 40 years at HKU and supervised more than 40 research postgraduates in ecology, received the Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award for his enduring and excellent guidance and encouragement to students in conducting their research.
