Cochlear implants help deaf patients in hearing, yet the current technology remains far from perfect. A research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has shown that neonatally deafened rats could be trained with cochlear implant stimulation to restore the ability to locate the directions of sound origins.

The prestigious Calvin W. Schwabe Award has been bestowed upon Professor Dirk Pfeiffer, Chow Tak Fung Chair Professor of One Health and Director of the Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice at City University of Hong Kong (CityU).

Four students from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) won the Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2021, receiving HK$150,000 each for activities including overseas exchange, local internship and mentorship programmes. The Scholarship will broaden their horizons, enhance their professional knowledge about science and technology, and help them succeed in the fields of innovation and technology.

It is generally agreed that sperms “swim” by beating or rotating their soft tails. However, a research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has discovered that ray sperms move by rotating both the tail and the head.

Hong Kong should not squander a unique opportunity to protect itself and others from Covid-19, according to one of the world’s foremost molecular virologists at City University of Hong Kong (CityU). “The available data show that vaccination is safe and efficacious, and really the only way to responsibly reach herd immunity,” said Professor Nikolaus Osterrieder, Dean of the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, in an online talk titled “Covid-19 Vaccination - A One Health No-Brainer” on 3 June.

In recognition of its contribution in enhancing enforcement cooperation, City University of Hong Kong (CityU) Veterinary Medical Centre (CVMC) has been awarded the 2021 World Customs Organization (WCO) Certificate of Merit for CityU’s partnership with the Customs and Excise Department.

A research team led by biologists at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has identified a set of specific super-enhancers that stimulate the activity of the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) genes, and that deleting certain specific super-enhancers can reduce tumour growth. The findings may help discover new effective drug targets for TNBC patients to improve their survival chance.

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) won the highest number of awards among all universities in Hong Kong at the Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days (IGED) 2021, including a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, five Gold Medals, three Silver Medals and three Bronze Medals, demonstrating the excellence of the research carried out at CityU.

The sustainable development of local fisheries is the major beneficiary of a HK$12 million government grant to City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The grant has been awarded by the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (JCC) at CityU. The grant will support a three-year project titled “Improving Fish Health and Production in Hong Kong 2020”.

While the clinical connection between chronic pain and increases in levels of anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction has long been established, the underlying mechanisms of brain neural networks remain less understood. Professor Li Ying, Chair Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Department of Biomedical Sciences, has achieved breakthroughs by unveiling the secrets of brain molecules and tissue – astrocytes and myelin – in the central nervous system. By identifying the roles of astrocyte lactate signalling and myelin plasticity in circuitry synchrony, he has shed light on how fundamental cognitive functions, including learning, memory and decision-making, could be rescued and enhanced, especially for patients suffering from chronic pain.