Our staff recently received two research grants with a total amount of over HK$570,000. 

• Prof. Helen CHAN was honoured as a Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellow at the Research Grants Council Award Presentation Ceremony 2024/25.
• Prof. Ka Ming CHOW was honoured as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) at the Academy’s 2024 Health Policy Conference. 
• Prof. Connie CHONG’s team received the Certificate of Merit of the Smart People Award (Smart Empowerment stream) for the Pai.ACT™ project at the 2024 Hong Kong ICT Awards Presentation Ceremony.
• Prof. Ankie CHEUNG was awarded the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Nursing Network Scholarship at the 56th Annual SIOP Congress.   
• PhD in Nursing Year 2 student Myrian FAN was awarded the Third Prize for Academic Oral Presentation (Science and Engineering) at the 2024 CUHK(SZ)-CUHK Joint Graduate Research Forum. 
• PhD in Nursing Year 4 student Mimi CHAN was awarded the “Higher Education Financial Assistance Scheme” Scholarship 2024/25 by the Macao SAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau.
• Bachelor of Nursing Year 2 student LAM Tsz Ching was awarded the AIA Scholarship 2023/24 at the 4^th AIA Scholarships Ceremony.

Our research on genetic variants in autistic patients has identified new gene targets in addition to the one we initially identified, suggesting that multiple genetic targets contribute to the aetiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Before drawing conclusions, we need to consider genetic polymorphism and multi-allelic factors. We have identified the association of these new gene targets through PCR analysis as well as optical DNA mapping and sequencing. The manuscript is being re-assessed to incorporate further effects of multiple gene targets and their possible association with ASD. The dissemination of our findings will be sought as a journal publication in due course. 
 

Notably, a recent systematic review by the Centre, published in Genes in August 2024, provided invaluable insights into the genomic structural variations associated with ASD within the Chinese population. The review has achieved an exciting milestone of garnering over 1200 views. The article’s high engagement reveals the increasing importance of its topic in genetic research and highlights its significant impact in the field of “Uncovering genetic causes of neurological disorders." The editorial team at Genes was impressed and has invited us to feature our paper on their website, further enhancing its visibility and recognition. 

The Centre’s multidisciplinary brain-age study, in collaboration with PolyU, and UToronto, will be presented at the prestigious IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging in April 2025. Our study employs advanced 3D CNNs to analyse brain imaging data from over 1,700 subjects in the Human Connectome Project, aiming to predict cognitive functions such as fluid and crystallised intelligence. This innovative model not only demonstrates high predictive accuracy but also enhances our understanding of the relationship between brain structure and cognitive abilities, opening avenues for developing clinically valuable brain-age biomarkers.

This research symposium, co-organised by NICHE and our School, facilitated fruitful exchanges between academia and the healthcare sector. A group of our colleagues presented the evidence and impacts of their NICHE-funded research projects, showcasing a diverse range of patient-centred interventions that provide actionable insights to promote holistic healthcare practice. 

At the Teaching and Learning Innovation Expo 2024, hosted by CLEAR, ELITE, and ITSC of CUHK, a group of our colleagues presented their research on technology-driven teaching innovations. They shared their findings regarding the use of virtual reality, 360-degree panoramic videos, animated videos, and gamification, contributing valuable perspectives to the enhancement of healthcare education.