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Prof. SO Kwok-fai, Director of GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration at Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, delivered the 37th PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Mental Health and Lifestyle Intervention” on 17 April 2025 on the PolyU campus. The lecture attracted about 100 participants to join in person and captivated an online audience of over 13,300 from different countries and regions who watched the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat, Weibo and YouTube.
The lecture commenced with a warm welcome by Prof. ZHANG Weixiong, Associate Director of PAIR, followed by an introduction of the speaker by Prof. WONG Kwok-yin, Vice President (Education). Prof. So kickstarted his presentation by emphasising the importance of disease prevention in safeguarding human health. He highlighted that rapid economic development, an increasingly fast-paced lifestyle, heightened social competition and other factors have contributed to a rise in mental health challenges, chronic conditions, sub-health syndromes and aging-related diseases.
Prof. So elaborated on several neuropathological mechanisms, such as monoamine neurotransmitters, neural circuits, and neuroglial cells. In addition to these central factors, he also discussed how circulating hormones, including glucocorticoids, profoundly influence mental functions, suggesting the interplay between peripheral tissues and central nervous system nuclei.
Additionally, he highlighted the antidepressant effects of light therapy, underscoring the role of the nucleus reuniens in mediating the spatial memory-enhancing outcomes of such treatment. Furthermore, Prof. So presented evidence that taking glucagon-like peptides can alleviate symptoms of depression and reduce the side effects of traditional treatments on the body.
Last but not least, Prof. So underscored the need for healthcare focus to shift from curative to preventive medicine, advocating lifestyle strategies such as regular exercise, light therapy and using supplements derived from goji glycopeptide as effective preventive measures.
The event concluded with a dynamic question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. Sylvia CHEN, Interim Director of Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Associate Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (FHSS), where attendees engaged in in-depth discussions with Prof. So.
Event date: 17/04/2025
Speaker: Prof. SO Kwok-Fai
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research
- Subjects:
- Health Sciences
- Keywords:
- Medicine Preventive Health promotion Mental health
- Resource Type:
- Video
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Video
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Hong Kong Alumni Association of Beijing Universities (HKAABJU) co-organised the “Together with Scientists” thematic event, as part of the key events of the second Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference 2025. Dr Elizabeth LEE, HKAABJU President, accompanied Prof. Andre GEIM, 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics and Prof. Harvey James ALTER, 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to the PolyU campus, where the two Nobel laureates shared their outstanding research outcomes and unique insights in their respective fields of research during their keynote presentations. The event aimed to promote academic exchanges and inspire innovative thinking, attracting over 150 faculty members, students, scholars and researchers onsite, and more than 126,000 participants who joined online through various social media platforms to explore cutting-edge scientific issues.
Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President expressed his gratitude to Prof. Geim and Prof. Alter for sharing their invaluable insights with the participants. He added, “As an innovative world-class university, PolyU is dedicated to advancing its research endeavours. The University has established numerous research institutes and research centres, including the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research and, more recently, the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence. PolyU is also actively pursuing the opportunity to establish Hong Kong’s third medical school, with AI as a key enabler.”
Prof. Geim delivered a keynote presentation on “Wonder Materials”, sharing applications of graphene. Together with physicist Konstantin Novoselov, he was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking contributions to the study of two-dimensional graphene materials. He is Director of the Manchester Centre for Mesoscience and Nanotechnology, Director of the Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua–Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the Royal Society and Foreign Academician of the National Academy of Sciences, the United States. His research interests range from nanomaterials to buoyancy quantum states.
Prof. Alter shared his thoughts and experience on the theme “Roadmap to Success”. He was the co-recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with the virologists Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for their contribution to the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus. His research proved that Hepatitis C is a separate viral disease and enabled development of testing methods that help ensure blood safety. His work has paved the way for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Hepatitis C, saving the lives of millions.
During the subsequent panel discussion and Q&A session, the two speakers shared their insights on scientific research, encouraging the students and young researchers to continue to explore and advance in their academic pursuits.
Event date: 14/04/2025
Speaker: Prof. Andre GEIM, Prof. Harvey James ALTER
Hosted by: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Hong Kong Alumni Association of Beijing Universities (HKAABJU)
- Keywords:
- Nobel Prizes Graphene Medical scientists Scientists
- Resource Type:
- Video