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Maintaining muscle health helps protect the brain against depression, PolyU study reveals key mechanism

A recent study led by Principal Investigator Prof. Sonata Yau and funded by the Mental Health Research Centre at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has uncovered an important biological mechanism underlying the antidepressant effects of exercise. The research team found that apelin, a myokine released by muscles during physical activity, serves as a crucial mediator linking skeletal muscle and the brain, helping to promote emotional well-being and protect brain function. The findings further highlight the significant benefits of exercise for mental health. The study found that exercise stimulates skeletal muscles to release apelin, which activates a series of signalling processes through APJ receptors, including the CK2/GluN2B/NMDA receptor pathway. This, in turn, enhances neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and produces antidepressant effects. The research team noted that skeletal muscle is not only responsible for movement, but also functions as an important endocrine organ that can influence brain functions through the secretion of bioactive molecules. As such, it plays a key role in promoting brain health and building lifelong psychological resilience. The team also highlighted that, for older adults, maintaining muscle health is important not only for preserving mobility but also for supporting mental well-being. As muscle mass naturally declines with age, regular exercise helps sustain apelin production, enabling the brain to continue receiving these essential signals. This may help combat depressive symptoms and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. The findings deepen understanding of how exercise supports brain health and further underscore the importance of maintaining muscle health through regular physical activity, providing new scientific evidence for promoting mental well-being and healthy ageing. Read the full research paper: https://www.psypost.org/scientists-discover-how-exercising-muscles-communicate-with-the-brain-to-fight-depression/  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-026-03651-y  

MHRC hosts 2026 networking luncheon to advance interdisciplinary collaboration and mental wellness

The Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) hosted its 2026 Networking Luncheon on 29 May 2026 at Hotel ICON, bringing together over 50 representatives from the Government, the Hospital Authority, non-governmental organisations, charitable foundations and academia to foster interdisciplinary exchange and strengthen collaboration in mental health research and community services. The luncheon opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation). Prof. Chao commended MHRC for its notable achievements in interdisciplinary research, academic innovation and collaborative network building since its establishment in 2021. The event was also graced by Dr LAM Ching-choi, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health of the Health Bureau, HKSAR, and Mr David NG, Assistant Director (Rehabilitation & Medical Social Services) of the Social Welfare Department, HKSAR, who attended as officiating guests and shared their insights on the development of local and global mental health research and community services. To celebrate the launch of MHRC’s second funding cycle, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, officiated by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research, Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Prof. QIU Anqi, Director of MHRC, Prof. Hector TSANG, Co-founder of MHRC, Dr LAM Ching-choi, Mr David NG, and Mr Lawrence CHAN, Founder of the Seal of Love Charitable Foundation. During the luncheon, Prof. QIU Anqi shared the Centre’s latest research achievements and future strategic directions, highlighting how MHRC integrates neuroscience, artificial intelligence, rehabilitation sciences and social work to develop innovative, technology-driven mental health interventions. The event also provided a valuable platform for dialogue among stakeholders, including representatives from the Lee Hysan Foundation, Seal of Love Charitable Foundation, Bright Future Charitable Foundation, the Hospital Authority and various mental health service organisations. In closing, Prof. QIU expressed heartfelt gratitude to all partners for their continued support and reaffirmed MHRC’s commitment to advancing mental health research and services through cross-sector collaboration, with the shared goal of building a healthier and more resilient society. MHRC also sincerely thanked all guests for their valuable insights and forward-looking perspectives. The meaningful exchanges throughout the luncheon underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and further strengthened the collective commitment to enhancing mental health and well-being in the community.  

Prof. Sylvia Xiaohua CHEN elected as Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts

Prof. Sylvia Xiaohua CHEN, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Chair Professor of Social and Cultural Psychology in the Department of Applied Social Sciences, Director of the Yan Oi Tong Au Suet Ming Child Development Centre, and Co-Founder of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been elected as a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) under Class V: Social Sciences, Law, and Economics. EASA is a learned society based in Salzburg, Austria, committed to promoting scientific and societal progress. Its members include leading scientists, artists, and practitioners of governance who are dedicated to innovative research, interdisciplinary and transnational collaboration, as well as the exchange and dissemination of knowledge. The Academy comprises seven distinct classes representing various academic and artistic disciplines: Humanities, Medicine, Arts, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Law and Economics, Technical and Environmental Sciences, and World Religions. Prof. Chen’s research spans personality and social psychology, cultural psychology, and mental health, with a focus on bilingualism and biculturalism, culture and globalisation, personality and social behaviour in cultural contexts, and the psychosocial and cultural dimensions of mental health. She is a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society and a Registered Psychologist and Fellow of the Hong Kong Psychological Society.  Prof. Chen’s honours include the Outstanding International Psychologist Award from the American Psychological Association and the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship from the Research Grants Council. She is a Fellow of major scholarly and professional societies, including The World Academy of Sciences, the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, as well as a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, UK. She has served as President of the Asian Association of Social Psychology, and is currently Editor‑in‑Chief of the Journal of Cross‑Cultural Psychology and General Editor of the Cambridge University Press Culture and Psychology Series.

HMRF supports Prof. Wayne CHAN’s study on exergaming for fall prevention in older adults

Congratulations to Prof. Wayne L. S. CHAN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Assistant Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, on receiving HK$1.5 million in funding from the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) of the HKSAR Government, for his research project aimed at evaluating the effects of exergaming on balance and other related outcomes among community-dwelling older adults with recurrent falls.  The HMRF aims to build research capacity and to encourage, facilitate and support health and medical research to inform health policies, improve population health, strengthen the healthcare system, enhance healthcare practices, advance standard and quality of care, and promote clinical excellence, through generation and application of evidence-based scientific knowledge derived from local research in health and medicine.    

PolyU announces “PolyU Top 10 Research & Innovation Stories of the Year”, showcasing impactful research driving Hong Kong’s high-quality development

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is dedicated to spearheading world-leading research and innovation for societal benefits.  To recognise outstanding achievements with far-reaching impact locally and globally, PolyU has launched the inaugural “PolyU Top 10 Research & Innovation Stories of the Year” selection and voting campaign.  From 20 remarkable research and technology translation stories announced in 2025, more than 7,700 members of the public and the PolyU community cast their votes.  Combined with the scores of a professional judging panel, ten stories were selected as the final awardees Among the selected projects, one was led by the Director of Mental Health Research Centre: Principal Investigator Research Topic Research Focus Prof. QIU Anqi Associate Dean of Graduate School, Director of Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Professor of Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Global STEM Scholar Sustained obesity may accelerate brain ageing The team has unveiled research to advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between obesity and cognitive health in adults. It highlights the dynamic relationship between obesity progression and brain-cognitive health. Press release: https://polyu.me/4s8plYJ Online coverage (Chinese only):  Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/414Ttcw Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4dmCKbP Bauhinia - https://polyu.me/4m1vfcL Mirage - https://polyu.me/4tiNeh2  

Prof. Simon LEE’s team develops “PD-001R”, a first-in-class candidate for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Prof. Simon LEE Ming-yuan, Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Innovation and Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), together with his postdoctoral researcher Dr Zhao Chen, have successfully developed an innovative drug, “PD-001R”, targeting neurodegenerative diseases. This first-in-class, novel small-molecule drug candidate, is specifically designed for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. It is derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Yizhiren (Alpinia oxyphylla), and is produced through chemically synthesis. The core mechanism that underlies the therapeutic action of PD-001R lies in promoting the degradation of pathological α-synuclein aggregates. Results from animal studies have shown that PD-001R not only demonstrates significant efficacy against Parkinson’s disease, but also exhibits neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease, with good oral bioavailability and safety. This ground-breaking research was awarded the Prize of the Korea Invention Promotion Association and Gold Medal at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, Switzerland, reflecting its strong international recognition and innovative value. Prof. Lee is a Member of the Management Committee of the Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI), and a Member of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), the Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) and the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) at PAIR. He is also the Founder of the PolyU start-up AIM Pharmaceutical International Limited. His research encompasses brain disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug discovery particularly from natural products. The advent of PD-001R brings new hope to patients with neurodegenerative diseases and marks a significant breakthrough in Hong Kong’s biomedical innovation landscape. Online coverage: East Week - https://polyu.me/4szr3n1  

MHRC research uncovers how exercise shields the brain against Alzheimer’s disease

A recent study led by two MHRC members including Prof. Hector Tsang, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) and Prof. Sonata Yau, Associate Professor of RS, has identified a novel biological pathway that explains how physical exercise mitigates the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Published in the prestigious journal Aging Cell, the research provides a detailed look at how exercise protects the brain from the damaging effects of chronic stress and cognitive decline. The team discovered that physical activity triggers the release of adiponectin, a hormone secreted by fat tissue, which acts as a critical messenger to the brain. This hormone activates a protective enzyme called Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in the hippocampus—a key brain region for mood regulation and memory formation. By activating PP2A, exercise effectively prevents Tau hyperphosphorylation, a pathological process where proteins become “tangled” and cause the neuronal damage typically seen in Alzheimer’s patients. Significantly, the study found that while chronic stress accelerates harmful brain changes and suppresses PP2A activity, regular exercise effectively counteracts this damage. By experimentally reducing adiponectin levels or PP2A activity, the researchers demonstrated that the neuroprotective benefits of exercise were completely abolished. The study further revealed that exercise-induced PP2A activation is strictly dependent on the presence of adiponectin. These results prove that the adiponectin–PP2A axis is essential for brain health and highlight it as a promising therapeutic target for treating stress-related cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease Read the full research paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acel.70447  

Prof. Sonata YAU uncovers significant antidepressant effects of two active ingredients extracted from TCM formula "Yueju Pill"

A research team led by Prof. Sonata YAU, Member of the Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI) and the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), and Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, has uncovered the significant antidepressant effects of two active ingredients extracted from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula "Yueju Pill".  Yueju, an herbal medicine, has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects, primarily attributed to its iridoid constituents geniposide (GP) and shanzhiside methyl ester (SM). Prof. Yau’s study investigates the sustained antidepressant efficacy of chronic co-treatment with GP and SM (GS) and elucidates the underlying molecular mechanisms, with a focus on hippocampal neurogenesis and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) signalling. Using a four-week chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) mouse model, the effects of chronic co-treatment with GS on depression-like behaviours were examined. Adult male C57/BL6J mice received either a vehicle or GS at a high dose, known to induce rapid antidepressant effects, or a lower dose during the final two weeks of CUS. Chronic GS administration significantly alleviated depression-like behaviours, as evidenced by reduced immobility time in the tail suspension test, increased sucrose preference in the sucrose preference test, and reduced latency in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. Notably, only high-dose GS enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis, indicated by increased number of Ki67-and DCX-positive cells, and upregulated protein expression of PACAP and mTOR signalling, as well as synaptic proteins such as PSD95 in the hippocampus. Importantly, the antidepressant effects of high-dose GS were abolished when PACAP was knocked down in the dentate gyrus. These findings demonstrate that the sustained antidepressant effects of high-dose GS depend on persistent activation of PACAP signalling within the dentate gyrus and are closely linked to enhanced hippocampal synaptic plasticity. These results suggest that GS offers a promising therapeutic strategy for the long-term treatment of depression, acting through a mechanistic pathway distinct from conventional neurogenesis-dependent interventions.  These results have been published in the latest issue of the European Journal of Pharmacology. Read the full research paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299926001950  

Prof. QIU Anqi develops novel AI graph neural network models to unravel interdisciplinary complexities in image recognition and neuroscience

A research team led by Prof. QUI Anqi, Director of Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Associate Dean of Graduate School, Professor of Department of Health Technology and Informatics, has developed a novel heterogeneous graph attention network namely “Hodge-Laplacian Heterogeneous Graph Attention Network” (HL-HGAT), which is set to revolutionise the modelling of complex relationships in graph-structured data.  This innovation is poised to overcome the current limitations in fields such as logistics, computer vision, chemistry and neuroscience. Traditional graph neural networks (GNNs) mostly look at simple “A-to-B” type connections, which makes it hard for them to understand group interactions.  Prof. Qiu’s new HL-HGAT model goes beyond this by interpreting graphs as higher-dimensional shapes (called simplicial complexes), so it can capture relationships among nodes, edges, triangles and higher-order structures.  Central to HL-HGAT is the Hodge-Laplacian operator, which facilitates the modelling and propagation of signals beyond simple pairwise relationships, offering a richer understanding of complex data.  A key innovation of HL-HGAT is its capacity to model dynamic, time-varying graphs, using HL filtering, adaptive attention and heterogeneous signal decomposition to reveal evolving patterns that static GNNs may overlook.   The model has demonstrated versatility across a range of applications, including logistics (optimising delivery routes), computer vision (improving image classification), chemistry (predicting molecular properties), and neuroscience (analysing brain imaging data).  Notably, HL-HGAT can detect subtle neural changes in conditions like depression and Alzheimer’s disease, outperforming traditional methods and enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention in clinical settings. This innovative HL-HGAT model not only achieves outstanding results in addressing complex graph-based tasks in both scientific and industrial domains, but also represents a significant advancement in GNN technology.  The research, detailed in a paper titled “HL-HGAT: Heterogeneous Graph Attention Network via Hodge-Laplacian Operator”, has been published in IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence. Press release:  https://polyu.me/49OzR1u   Online coverage: Mirage - https://polyu.me/4k68Cmp Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/49XexFD (subscription required) Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4a1dapz Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/4afQ3c5 Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/49OAzfa  

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling receives Asian Young Aerosol Scientist Award and James J. Morgan Early Career Award

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Member of Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), and Assistant Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Health Technology and Informatics, received the 2025 TSI Asian Young Aerosol Scientist Award from the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly, recognising his contributions to advancing mixture-toxicity modelling and uncovering chemical-microbial drivers of PM2.5 health risks. He has also been named one of the four winners of the 2026 James J. Morgan Early Career Award. The award, presented by Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T), Environmental Science & Technology Letters, and the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Environmental Chemistry (ENVR), recognises early career scholars who are pioneering new directions in environmental science and technology through innovative approaches. Prof. Jin’s research integrates environmental chemistry, microbiology, and toxicology to examine the ecological and health impacts of air and marine pollution, as well as solid waste. His notable achievements include developing the first full-length 18S rRNA database for harmful algae, establishing cell lines of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Chinese white dolphin) to study pollutant effects, and advancing PM2.5 mixture-toxicity modelling to inform regulatory policies. He also created a global atlas of plastic-associated bacteria and introduced the concept of the “microplastome”, deepening our understanding of the multifaceted impacts of plastic pollution.