News

MHRC member awarded HMRF grant to develop digital mindfulness-based eating intervention for weight management

Dr Dalinda Isabel SANCHEZ VIDANA, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, received a HK$1 M grant from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR, for her project “Digital mindfulness-based eating awareness training for obesity management: A randomised controlled trial”. The project aims to design a digital Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) and evaluate its effectiveness as an intervention for obesity management. The digital MB-EAT to be developed can be integrated into telemedicine or mobile app platforms, allowing users to administer so easily. Participants receiving the digital MB-EAT will be studied for their changes in eating behaviours, appetite-regulating hormones, stress and mood. The study will provide empirical evidence for the use of digital MB-EAT in addressing overweight and obesity in Hong Kong.

Five PAIR railway technology projects supported by MTR Research Funding Scheme

PolyU received a total funding of HK$7.25 million in the 2023 MTR Research Funding Scheme for six research projects that aim at developing cutting-edge technologies for the future advancement of railways. Among them, five projects are led by PAIR researchers: In alphabetical order of last name: Principal Investigator PAIR Research Unit Project Title Prof. CHUNG Chi-yung Photonics Research Institute (PRI)   Developing an Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting System to Energise Monitoring Systems in the Hong Kong MTR System Dr HUANG Xinyan Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) Intelligent Emergency Digital Twin System in Metro Station for Fire Evacuation Dr LAI Siu-kai   Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD)   Development of a New Inerter-based Rail Damper to Mitigate Railway-induced Ground-borne Noise by a Physics-informed Deep Learning Framework Dr REN Jingzheng Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) and Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) Promoting Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) in MTR for Pursuing Sustainable Development Goals and Better Service Quality Dr YE Hongbo Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) Planning and Operation of Future Railway System with Autonomous Modularised Trains and Virtual Coupling Signalling   Read more: https://polyu.me/45mTfNr   Online coverage (Chinese only): Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/46jFost HK01 - https://polyu.me/46pRZdU

Ten PAIR projects granted Health and Medical Research Fund, bringing evidence-based solutions for better health

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received a funding totalling of HK$25.1 million for 27 projects in the 2021 Exercise of the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), a higher number of projects supported and amount awarded than previous year.  Among them, 10 projects are led by researchers from PAIR constituent units: In alphabetical order of surnames Research Units Principal Investigator Project Title RCSV Dr CHUN Ka-man Combination effect of optical defocus and low dose atropine in myopia control – A randomized clinical trial RiFood, RISA, RCMI and RCSV Dr DO Chi-wai Characterization of baicalein, a natural molecule, as anti-glaucoma agent RiFood Dr DONG Xiaoli Rational design of oral drug delivery system for celastrol as a novel catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor to treat Parkinson’s disease RCMI Dr HO Yuen-shan Investigation of electroacupuncture as paramedicine to alleviate cognitive impairment in depression: A pre-clinical study MHRC Dr Georg KRANZ Intermittent theta-burst stimulation for major depression: an intensity-response study RiFood Dr LI Tian Investigation of a deep learning-empowered 4D multi-parametric MRI (4D-mpMRI) technique for liver cancer radiotherapy in a prospective clinical trial MHRC Dr Jessie LIN Jingxia A mobile application for early detection and symptoms trajectories of postpartum depression using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A prospective cohort validation study PRI Prof. QIN Jing Effectiveness of social virtual-reality on enhancing social interaction skills in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A three-arm pilot randomised controlled trial RCSV Dr Stanley John WINSER Cost of disease and falls among individuals with Parkinson’s disease living in Hong Kong: A prospective cost-of-illness analysis RI-IWEAR, RISports and RISA Dr Arnold WONG Yu-lok Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy versus active controls in improving psychological functions of parents and children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized controlled trial   Further reading: https://polyu.me/44RGtGw   Online coverage: Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/3t5ccXl(Chinese only)

MHRC member awarded funding from Health and Medical Research Fund to conduct study for early detection of postpartum depression

A project “A Mobile Application for Early Detection and Symptoms Trajectories of Postpartum Depression Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A Prospective Cohort Validation Study” led by Dr Jessie LIN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was awarded a grant of about HK$500K from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR.   The project aims to evaluate the validity of using a mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) for studying the changes in mood symptoms among pregnant women during and after pregnancy, thus enabling the early identification of postpartum depression and the trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated factors. The study will follow a sample of 120 pregnant women for six months, and assess their mood, sleep, exercise, physical wellbeing and environmental context via a mobile application. Findings of this project will facilitate the future development of effective digital interventions for maternal mental health.

MHRC members awarded funding from Quality Education Fund to develop digital physical quotient and learning platform

A three-year project “Digital Physical Quotient and Learning Platform” led by Members of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) including Dr Cynthia LAI, Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) and Prof. Shamay NG, Associate Head and Professor of RS Department, was awarded a grant of HK$5.9 million under the e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme of the Quality Education Fund. Dr Lai and Prof. Ng are the project’s Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator, respectively.   The project aims to develop a digital learning platform for promoting children’s physical and cognitive development. The platform will include motor and cognitive skills developmental assessment and training for children, as well as online learning programmes for children, parents and teachers. The platform will apply multi-media, internet of things (IoT) tools and cloud technologies to enhance the learning and teaching experiences.

MHRC member awarded funding from Health and Medical Research Fund to conduct study for early detection of postpartum depression

A project “A Mobile Application for Early Detection and Symptoms Trajectories of Postpartum Depression Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A Prospective Cohort Validation Study” led by Dr Jessie LIN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was awarded a grant of about HK$500K from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR. The project aims to evaluate the validity of using a mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) for studying the changes in mood symptoms among pregnant women during and after pregnancy, thus enabling the early identification of postpartum depression and the trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated factors. The study will follow a sample of 120 pregnant women for six months, and assess their mood, sleep, exercise, physical wellbeing and environmental context via a mobile application. Findings of this project will facilitate the future development of effective digital interventions for maternal mental health.

RIAIoT Director receives funding from Research Grants Council for project on high-performance collaborative edge computing for smart city applications

The project “High-performance Collaborative Edge Computing Enabling Smart City Applications: Framework and Methodologies” led by Prof. CAO Jiannong, Director of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Dean of Graduate School, Associate Director of University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics, Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science, and Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing in the Department of Computing, was awarded a funding of HK$50.821 million from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24.   The project aims to build a new smart city computing infrastructure enabled by collaborative edge computing with edge/cloud collaboration, city-scale edge network deployment and built-in AI services. During development, the research team will propose a Collaborative Edge Computing Framework (CECF), which provides new abstractions and functionalities for geo-distributed edge nodes, hence supporting technical requirements of collaboration and sharing of computing and data resources in performing application tasks.   The project will help address many key challenges in large-scale resource management, performance-guaranteed task scheduling, resource-aware edge AI and secure data sharing, thus enabling advanced smart city applications.   Press release: https://polyu.me/3rrBRsF   Online coverage: Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3pNARP2 Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3NUj4Ol Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/44rSgMg Sky Post - https://polyu.me/46Kg2EJ Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/44AlHeO HK01 - https://polyu.me/3OcrxNX Line Today - https://polyu.me/3pFswNr

RISUD Member receives funding from Research Grants Council for project on intelligent tropical-storm-resilient system

The project “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities” led by Prof. NI Yiqing, Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch), was awarded a funding of HK$48.293 million from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24.   The project aims to mitigate the risk of tropical storms and enhance the resilience of high-rise building clusters in coastal cities by developing a real-time early-warning and management system, which will be made accessible to the public for guiding effective emergency responses. The project will also lead to new methodologies and design codes/standards for high-rise buildings that are more resistant to tropical storms, thus benefitting the construction industries, developers, public and city planners in the medium and long run.   Press release: https://polyu.me/3rrBRsF   Online coverage: Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3pNARP2 Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3NUj4Ol Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/44rSgMg Sky Post - https://polyu.me/46Kg2EJ Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/44AlHeO HK01 - https://polyu.me/3OcrxNX Line Today - https://polyu.me/3pFswNr

PAIR research projects receive over HK$37 million from RGC

The Research Grant Council (RGC) announced the funding results of the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2022/23 Exercise. Six research projects led by members of PAIR’s constituent research units received a total grant of over HK$37 million. Four projects received 25 million under the Collaborative Research Project Grant, one project received HK$8 million under the Collaboration Research Equipment Grant, and one project received over HK$4 million under the Young Collaborative Research Grant. Project Title Coordinating University / Collaborating University(ies) Amount Granted (HK$) PAIR’s Constituent Research Unit(s) / Project Leader Collaborative Research Project Grant Smart self-adaptive shearing interferometry for wavefront optical characterisation PolyU / CityU, CUHK 4,267,120 RCRE & RCSV / Prof. Benny CHEUNG Sonogenetics for specific deep neural circuit modulation and mitigation of Parkinsonian mice PolyU / CityU, HKUST 7,152,840 RISA / Prof. SUN Lei Subambient Daytime Radiative Cooling Coating for Energy-Efficient Building Envelope PolyU / CityU, HKU 5,384,413 RIAM, RILS, RISE & RISUD / Prof. DAI Jianguo Transmission of antimicrobial resistance from hotspot sources to occupational populations and urban communities PolyU / CityU, HKU 8,709,120 RISUD / Prof. LI Xiangdong Collaborative Research Equipment Grant Hong Kong Coastal HF-Radar Network PolyU / CityU, HKUST 8,000,000 RILS / Dr Alessandro STOCCHINO Young Collaborative Research Grant Coastal Urban Flooding under Climate Change: Evolution Mechanisms and Intelligent Analysis PolyU / HKUST, HKU 4,133,507 RILS & RISUD / Dr DUAN Huan-feng *In alphabetical order of project title Full list of projects funded by the RGC Collaborate Research Fund: https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/crf/funded%20research/22-23.html

Three PAIR projects awarded Research Impact Fund to deliver innovations for a sustainable community

Three research projects led by scholars at the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) have been awarded the Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2022/23 by the Research Grants Council, with a total grant value of HK$14.35 million. Thirteen projects were supported by RIF in this exercise. PolyU was awarded a total funding of HK$27.55 million for five projects, topping local universities in terms of the number of funded projects. Project Description Project Coordinator Budget to be funded by the RGC* (HKD) A novel approach to target cancer stemness using peptidic chimeric antigen receptor (pCAR) macrophages New scientific knowledge for a novel therapeutic strategy against liver cancer stem cells for hepatocellular carcinoma Prof. LEE Kin-wah Terence Member of Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI) (in collaboration with HKU) $4,150,000 Flexible and Stretchable Batteries for Wearable Applications For wearable technologies, smart electronic textiles, electronic skins, soft robotics, bioelectronics and the Internet of Things Prof. ZHENG Zijian Associate Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) (in collaboration with CityU and CUHK) $5,550,000 Next Generation of In-situ Precision Three-dimensional Surface Metrology: A Smart Self-adaptive Multiscopic Approach for Industrial 4.0 The project attempts to research and develop a customizable smart SAMS system for in-situ precision 3D surface measurement under different manufacturing environments and applications for lasting impact on the advancement of measurement science and technology ready for Industry 4.0. Prof. Benny C.F. CHEUNG Associate Director of Research Centre for SMART Vision (RCSV) and Management Committee Member of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) (in collaboration with HKU) $4,650,000 *The RGC funds 70% of the project cost while university / organisational partner(s) will match the remaining 30% of the project cost. Further reading: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/media/media-releases/2023/0106_five-polyu-projects-awarded-research-impact-fund/