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Dr Thomas Lee
PolyU Scholars Hub

Dr Thomas LEE

Associate Head (Academic) and Associate Professor

Advances point-of-care nucleic acid testing through innovation in colorimetric nanoprobes

Biography

Dr Thomas Lee is currently an Associate Professor and serving as the Associate Head (Academic). He received his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He joined PolyU BME in 2006. His research focuses on in vitro diagnostics, in particular point-of-care and on-site testing. He has worked with surface functionalization of nanomaterials (e.g., gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, and graphene oxide) for biosensing applications. For teaching, he is now teaching/coordinating “Biosensors: Theories and Biomedical Applications”, “Biomedical Engineering in Society”, and “Biomedical Engineering Industrial Internship”. He received the “President's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Individual)” in 2022.

Research Interests

  • Point-of-care and on-site nucleic acid testing
  • Nanomaterials for in vitro diagnostics

Academic and Professional Experience

  • Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Jul 2014 - Current
  • Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Apr 2012 - Jun 2014
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Aug 2006 - Mar 2012
  • Visiting Scholar, Department of Chemical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Feb 2005 - Jul 2006
  • Research Associate, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University and New Mexico State University, Jan 2004 - Jan 2005
  • Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Jul 2003 - Dec 2003

Research Output

  • S. Wang, A. Qin, L. Y. Chau, E. W. T. Fok, M. Y. Choy, C. J. Brackman, G. K. H. Siu, C.-L. Huang, S. P. Yip, T. M. H. Lee, Amine-Functionalized Quantum Qots as a Universal Fluorescent Nanoprobe for a One-Step Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay with Single-Copy Sensitivity, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2022, 14, 35299–35308. (Click here to access the article in the publisher's website)
  • A. Qin, L. T. Fu, J. K. F. Wong, L. Y. Chau, S. P. Yip, T. M. H. Lee, Precipitation of PEG/Carboxyl-Modified Gold Nanoparticles with Magnesium Pyrophosphate: A New Platform for Real-Time Monitoring of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2017, 9, 10472–10480. (Click here to access the article in the publisher's website)
  • L. Y. Chau, Q. He, A. Qin, S. P. Yip, T. M. H. Lee, Platinum Nanoparticles on Reduced Graphene Oxide as Peroxidase Mimetics for the Colorimetric Detection of Specific DNA Sequence, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2016, 4, 4076–4083. (Click here to access the article in the publisher's website)
  • K. F. Wong, S. P. Yip, T. M. H. Lee, Ultrasensitive and Closed-Tube Colorimetric Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay Using Carboxyl-Modified Gold Nanoparticles, Small, 2014, 10, 1495–1499. (Click here to access the article in the publisher's website)
  • K. F. Wong, S. P. Yip, T. M. H. Lee, Ultra-Stable Oligonucleotide-Gold and -Silver Nanoparticle Conjugates Prepared by a Facile Silica Reinforcement Method, Nano Res., 2012, 5, 585–594. (Click here to access the article in the publisher's website)
  • K. F. Wong, S. P. Yip, T. M. H. Lee, Silica-Modified Oligonucleotide-Gold Nanoparticle Conjugate Enables Closed-Tube Colorimetric Polymerase Chain Reaction, Small, 2012, 8, 214–219. (Click here to access the article in the publisher's website)
  • T. M. H. Lee, K. F. Wong, S. P. Yip, Method of Closed-Tube Colorimetric Detection of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Using Gold Nanoparticles, Chinese Patent Number: 201410073730.4, granted on 12 Jan 2021.
  • T. M. H. Lee, K. F. Wong, S. P. Yip, Ultra-Stable Oligonucleotide–Gold and –Silver Nanoparticle Conjugates Prepared by a Facile Silica Reinforcement Method, U.S. Patent Number: 9605304, granted on 28 Mar 2017.
     

Teaching and Learning

Teaching Awards

  • President's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Individual), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2022
  • Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Individual), Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2022
  • Faculty Merit Award in Teaching (Individual), Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2018
  • Best Teacher Award, Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2016

Teaching and Learning Project

  • Gongyeh 講嘢app (https://www.gongyeh.com/; also a web platform); language enhancement grant; project title: using technology to improve students' presentation skills and enhance students' engagement in others' presentation; project team: Dr. Thomas Ming Hung Lee (project leader; BME), Dr. Hin Chung Lau (project leader; BME), Dr. Joe Wai Kin Ching (project leader; ELC), Ms. Vickie Wai Kei Li (ELC), and Mr. Mitesh Patel (EDC)

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