Media

TWO STATE KEY LABORATORIES OPENED AT HKU FOR EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES & BRAIN AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES

04 Oct 2005

The Ministry of Science and Technology of the Central Government has approved the application from the University of Hong Kong to establish a State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and a State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at HKU. To announce their formal operation, HKU has today (4 October 2005) hosted an opening ceremony with Mr. Xu Guan Hua, Minister of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, as the officiating guest.

The national recognition fully demonstrates HKU's continuing excellence in research on infectious diseases as well as human cognition and neuroscience. HKU's State Key Laboratories are the FIRST and ONLY in their respective fields that are located outside the Mainland.

Since the outbreak of avian flu in Hong Kong in 1997, emerging infectious diseases have become the focus of disease surveillance and control in the region. The occurrence of the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003, which spread to more than 20 countries in a short period of time, and the not yet fully contained avian flu virus H5N1 which spread across Southeast Asia, have proved that surveillance and control of emerging diseases are matters of great importance and urgency.

HKU's State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, located at its Faculty of Medicine, embodies the P3 Laboratory and the Virus, Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory. Research will be conducted on emerging viruses, bacteria, fungi and anti-microbial resistance.

The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (HKU) is of equal importance. Throughout human history, scientists, philosophers and poets have lauded the formidable power of the human brain. As the very seat of human intelligence, creativity and emotion, the brain has enviously guarded its secrets for millennia. Only until recently with the development of powerful new technologies have we been successful in probing the mysteries of the brain.

The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science (HKU) is a research center that adopts an interdisciplinary approach across the fields of Linguistics, Anatomy, Psychology, Diagnostic Radiology and Genome. The Laboratory is located at HKU's Arts Faculty; it will work towards improving human health, enhancing quality of education and communication, and discovering the neuro-physiological basis of learning and perception.

Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor of HKU, expressed delight at the decision of the Ministry of Science and Technology. "Two happy events come one after the other, it is a great honour to have two State Key Laboratories at HKU. We are grateful to the Central Government, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Government, the University Grants Committee and the benefactors from the community for their continuous support in making it happen. We aim to achieve the highest level of research excellence, and we will do our best to contribute to the society. These two State Key Laboratories will nurture and bring together outstanding scientists in their respective fields," said Professor Tsui.

The Central Government accords great importance to these state key laboratories, regarding them as key components of China's science and technology research system. They serve as the base for top-level basic research and applied basic research development, assembling and nurturing outstanding researchers, as well as scholarly exchanges for the country.

For media enquiries, please contact Miss Janet Yeung (tel: 2819 5505/9107 1676) or Miss Wendy Wong (tel: 2809-2857/ 9770-0354) of HKU's Faculty of Medicine or Miss Cherry Cheung (tel: 2859 2606/8208-1686) of HKU's External Relations Office.


October, 4, 2005