News

Prof. Charles XU Chunbao elected as Fellow of Royal Society of Canada

Congratulations to Prof. Charles XU Chunbao, Director of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) and Chair Professor of Advanced Biorefinery, on being elected a Fellow of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).  This prestigious honour recognises Prof. Xu’s outstanding contributions and unwavering dedication to the development of transformative biorefinery technologies, with research impacts extending across multiple industrial sectors in Canada and beyond. Founded in 1882, the RSC comprises leading scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences.  It is dedicated to recognising academic excellence, fostering innovation and providing evidence-based advice and scientific solutions to inform public policy and address major global challenges.  This year, 105 distinguished scholars worldwide were elected as new RSC Fellows, with Prof. Xu being one of only three scholars in Hong Kong to receive this accolade. Looking ahead, Prof. Xu will lead RCRE in advancing transformative biorefinery technologies towards industrial-scale deployment, converting organic waste into high-value bioproducts and contributing to global sustainable development while accelerating the transition towards carbon neutrality.

How to Bring Neuromodulation Innovations to More Patients? Boston Scientific Executive Shares Industry Insights

PolyU PAIR and Cambridge NeuroWorks are pleased to welcome Mr Vincent SOURDAINE, Vice President of Neuromodulation for EMEA at Boston Scientific, as the speaker for the forthcoming joint online seminar on 29 September 2026 (Tuesday).  The title of his presentation will be “Neuromodulation - Access to Innovation”. Boston Scientific is a global medical technology company specialising in implantable devices and minimally invasive therapies that help physicians diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, oncological, neurological and urological diseases and conditions. With more than 30 years of experience in the medical technology industry, Vincent has played a leading role in advancing and commercialising innovative therapies that improve patient care and quality of life across international markets. In this seminar, Vincent will share his perspectives on the evolving field of neuromodulation and the critical challenge of enabling access to innovation. While significant technological advances continue to drive progress in neurotechnology, broader adoption depends on improving patient access, increasing awareness, enhancing clinical training, and optimising treatment pathways. This keynote explores the gap between technological breakthroughs and real world adoption. Why do effective therapies remain underused? How can awareness, clinician training, patient education and procedure improvements accelerate access to care? And what role do industry, healthcare providers and policymakers play in turning innovation into impact? Drawing on his extensive industry experience, Vincent will discuss how stakeholders across healthcare, research and industry can work together to ensure innovative therapies reach more patients who may benefit from them. Participants will gain insights into the opportunities and challenges of commercialising neurotechnology, particularly in the field of neuromodulation, and the broader role of industry in translating scientific advances into practical healthcare solutions. The seminar will be of interest to researchers, clinicians, students and professionals across neuroscience, neurotechnology, biomedical engineering, healthcare innovation and translational medicine. The Cambridge NeuroWorks and PolyU PAIR Joint Seminar Series provides an international platform for researchers, clinicians, students and industry professionals to exchange ideas and explore emerging advances in neuroscience, neurotechnology and clinical practice. Cambridge NeuroWorks is a UK neurotechnology initiative led by Cambridge University Health Partners, United Kingdom, advancing innovation in neuroscience, healthcare and technology. PolyU PAIR is an interdisciplinary research platform of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China, driving innovations in advanced technologies and manufacturing, good health and well-being, and smart and sustainable cities. Event website: https://polyu.hk/SCOEh Registration: https://polyu.hk/OIXcD

Prof. HUANG Xinyan proposes novel autonomous firefighting emergency response agent integrating smart fire prediction and LLMs

A research team led by Prof. HUANG Xinyan, Associate Professor of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has published a pioneering “LLM-AI” autonomous firefighting emergency response agent framework in Engineering, a flagship journal of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.  The study presents a new solution for the future development of smart firefighting. Powered by a Large Language Model (LLM) as its reasoning and task coordination core, the system integrates the ConvLSTM-Fire prediction model based on artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) technology.  To overcome the constraints of manual data handling during emergencies, the system incorporates a self-driven mechanism.  It can autonomously translate users’ natural-language requests related to fireground conditions and emergency response needs into executable tasks, generate and execute code, and automatically debug and retry upon encountering errors.  This establishes a fully closed-loop workflow spanning data acquisition, model invocation, analytical reasoning, and result visualisation. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that even under extreme fireground conditions where sensor failures occur, the system maintains a prediction accuracy of over 97% for two-dimensional temperature fields and smoke propagation pathways, exhibiting exceptional robustness.  This research advances LLMs beyond conventional “static Q&A” interfaces, transforming them into intelligent firefighting emergency decision-making entities endowed with perception, computation and execution capabilities, thereby enhancing the usability and reliability of smart firefighting technologies in real-world fireground environments.  Moving forward, the team aims to incorporate multimodal sensory data, strengthen cross-scenario generalisation capabilities, and accelerate the real-world deployment of this technology in smart buildings and municipal firefighting. Prof. Huang is currently a member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI), the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), and the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) at PolyU. Read the full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095809926001244?via%3Dihub   Online coverage: Sciencenet - https://polyu.me/4yhr5Cj

Establishment of the Research Institute for Microbiology

We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Research Institute for Microbiology (RIM) with effect from 1 September 2026 as a constituent research unit of PAIR. RIM aims to become a world-leading hub for cutting-edge microbiological research, dedicated to addressing global microbial challenges that pose significant threats to human health, environmental sustainability, food security and biotechnological advancement, while also advancing the beneficial applications of microorganisms to improve human health. Prof. CHEN Sheng, Head and Chair Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, will lead the Institute as Director. Prof. DONG Cheng, Associate Vice President (Knowledge Transfer) and Chair Professor of Cell Engineering and ImmunoMedicine in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Prof. HUANG Jian, Chair Professor of Data Science and Analytics in the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and Department of Applied Mathematics; and Prof. ZHANG Weixiong, Associate Director of PAIR and Chair Professor of Systems Biology and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, will serve as Associate Directors. Please join us in welcoming them and all members of RIM to the PAIR family!

PolyU develops quantum-tunnelling field-effect transistor to overcome barriers to integrated-circuit chip development

A research team led by Prof. HAO Jianhua, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices and Head of Department of Physics and Materials, in collaboration with researchers from Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore, has engineered a novel tunnelling field-effect transistor (TFET) utilising two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. The breakthrough brings this long-awaited experimental technology closer to commercial reality, offering a fundamental building block for energy-efficient computing and next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Integrated circuits (ICs), composed of transistors switching between ON and OFF states, form the foundation of modern computing. Conventional complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) rely on thermionic emission of electrical charges over a barrier, driven by the gating voltage, the minimum of which is just 60 millivolts (mV). However, the notorious Boltzmann limit, or “Boltzmann tyranny”, makes subthreshold swing (SS, a measure of switching barrier) values below 60 mV decade⁻¹ at room temperature a physical impossibility for MOSFETs, putting the brakes on further progress in high-performance electronics. To solve the performance limitations of previous TFET designs, Prof. Hao’s team created ultra-thin heterostructure of 2D bismuth (Bi) and indium selenide (InSe) alternating layers using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). By exercising precise control over the layer structure at nanoscale, the normally semi-metallic bismuth transforms into a semiconductor in 2D form, creating ideal energy band alignment for charge carriers to tunnel efficiently into InSe through quantum tunnelling mechanism. The resulting Bi/InSe TFET achieved SS values well below the 60 mV decade⁻¹ thermionic limit across six orders of magnitude of current switching. Operating at room temperature on standard centimetre-scale silicon substrates, the device required a gate-voltage range of only 160 mV—far lower than the 800 mV required by advanced MOSFETs. Crucially, the device resolved a long-standing challenge in experimental TFETs by delivering a high output current of up to several microamps per micrometre (μA μm⁻¹) alongside an exceptionally high ON/OFF current ratio. High output current is essential for driving multiple downstream logic gates (fan-out), demonstrating diminished circuit-delay, and ensuring compatibility with and even generational upgrade for the existing IC chips. The study also demonstrates the practical viability of PLD for high-precision, wafer-scale manufacturing of 2D materials appreciated for future transistors with ultra-short channel lengths. Given its seamless integration capability with traditional silicon-based manufacturing processes, this breakthrough provides a scalable roadmap for energy-efficient microchips and specialised hardware powering AI applications. The research was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the National University of Singapore, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Peking University, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The landmark findings have been published in the prestigious international scientific journal Science. Prof. Hao Jianhua is currently a Member of Photonics Research Institute (PRI), Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) and Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports). Read the full paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx6059 Press release: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/rio/news/2026/20260831---polyu-develops-quantum-tunnelling-field-effect-transistor/   Online coverage: Zhihu - https://polyu.me/4zOUDc3 Superadrianme - https://polyu.me/3T3fism Daily Bulletin - https://polyu.me/4gwxS57 WhaTech - https://polyu.me/3Uv2Thk Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4cmtxir Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/4gtTqzl (subscription required); https://polyu.me/4A78ydV Media OutReach - https://polyu.me/4gJT6LM Siamnews - https://polyu.me/4qKXJKd Dbpower.com.hk - https://polyu.me/4gD2kt3 ETNet - https://polyu.me/4gJwz1u Guandian - https://polyu.me/4qRJ7J4 Quamnet - https://polyu.me/4i0AQA3 Sina - https://polyu.me/4wYE6Q2; https://polyu.me/4qPnKrB Hkong.hk - https://polyu.me/4h1DR1T Bastillepost - https://polyu.me/4qLRaqL; https://polyu.me/4h1DKDv Eastmoney - https://polyu.me/4qQ1tdt Yidianzixun - https://polyu.me/3SkMZWb Ifeng - https://polyu.me/3SpR0Zs The Manila Times - https://polyu.me/4qPv86o Newsbreak.com - https://polyu.me/4ydwJFI Semiconductor-digest - https://polyu.me/4xb9OKk Forever News - https://polyu.me/4wVCJ4H Financialcontent - https://polyu.me/3UL2JlW; https://polyu.me/4chKNFB; https://polyu.me/4ybyzGS Chroniclejournal - https://polyu.me/4gJTlGG Pierrecountry - https://polyu.me/46yeyi0 VietNam News - https://polyu.me/4i5E45o Westjordanjournal - https://polyu.me/45Yo1yY Faceacadiana - https://polyu.me/4iaE6Jj CRWE World - https://polyu.me/4gwjUQI Channel News Asia - https://polyu.me/4gvovCH Apnews - https://polyu.me/4cQmM8I Observer-reporter - https://polyu.me/4qPPfkW Chronicle Journal - https://polyu.me/45UU178 Woonsocketcall - https://polyu.me/4y53tRo Businessinsurance - https://polyu.me/3SB5p56 Theeveningleader - https://polyu.me/4yeA733 The Valley City Times Record - https://polyu.me/4zNJojZ Thesundaily - https://polyu.me/4ioaIzp Minyanville - https://polyu.me/4gJV0ft The Antlers American - https://polyu.me/3SDjvmu Thailand Business News - https://polyu.me/4h1XiHU Malaymail - https://polyu.me/4zP7X00 Mirage News - https://polyu.me/4xywZiH Businessintelligence - https://polyu.me/4xvTVPh Malone Telegram - https://polyu.me/4wYEpdE Eurekalert - https://polyu.me/3V4kRY2 Morning News - https://polyu.me/4zPLgsw The Wapakoneta Daily News - https://polyu.me/4qJEOiF The Valley City Times Record - https://polyu.me/4qMyLdf Electronicsforu - https://polyu.me/4ymgqq8

PAIR Newsletter · Issue 19 · September 2026 is now available

A new academic year brings new ideas, new collaborations and new discoveries. In Issue 19 of the PAIR Newsletter, we look back on a particularly vibrant season at PAIR, marked by distinguished lectures, research seminars and scholarly exchanges that connected PolyU with leading researchers from around the world. This issue features thought-provoking conversations with two distinguished scholars whose insights offer valuable perspectives on some of the most pressing challenges facing society today. Prof. Sir Bashir M. AL-HASHIMI, Senior Vice President (Research & Special Initiatives) of King’s College London, shares his reflections on human reasoning, critical thinking and the future of research in the age of artificial intelligence, reminding us that independent thinking, sound judgement and the pursuit of knowledge remain indispensable, even as AI technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, PAIR Fellow Prof. Sara DOLNICAR of The University of Queensland takes readers into the world of sustainable tourism and hospitality, exploring how behavioural science can encourage more sustainable choices without compromising the joy of travel. We also celebrate the achievements of PAIR scientists. Several scholars have recently been elected Fellows of prestigious learned societies and professional bodies, underscoring the growing international impact of PAIR research. Among them, PAIR Director Prof. CHEN Qingyan has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, one of the world’s most distinguished scientific academies, with a centuries-long tradition of scientific excellence. We are also delighted to welcome the newly established Research Institute for Microbiology (RIM) to the PAIR family, further expanding our interdisciplinary research landscape and strengthening our capacity to address global challenges in health, biomedicine and beyond. Beyond these important updates, readers will discover research achievements, knowledge transfer initiatives and impact stories spanning health and wellbeing, sustainability, emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing and ESG, showcasing how interdisciplinary research continues to create meaningful benefits for society.   Read PAIR Newsletter – Issue 19: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/pair/publications/issue-19/    

Bridging aerosol science and policy action: Prof. Lidia MORAWSKA discusses ultrafine particles, microplastics and public health

On 27 August 2026, Prof. Lidia MORAWSKA of the Queensland University of Technology delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Current Problems of Science: The World of the Particles We Inhale and How to Control it”.  The event drew more than 70 in-person attendees and approximately 14,700 online viewers across multiple social media platforms.  During her lecture, Prof. Morawska provided a comprehensive overview of the profound impacts of atmospheric pollution on human health and socioeconomic development.  She noted that the health and economic burden associated with indoor air pollution is estimated at 3.45% of China’s gross domestic product (GDP).  She underscored the critical need to translate advances in aerosol science into concrete and enforceable public health policies to address better the challenges posed by atmospheric pollution. A major highlight of the lecture was the discussion on ultrafine particles (UFPs).  These tiny pollutants, measuring less than 0.1 micrometre in diameter, can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation and posing long-term risks to brain health.  To overcome the limitations of conventional, costly monitoring spectrometers, Prof. Morawska presented a global study launched in September 2024 across 19 international monitoring sites.  Utilising the portable Partector2-Pro instrument, the project aims to validate a scalable, long-term approach to UFP monitoring, enabling a more robust assessment of the relationship between exposure levels and health impacts.  These findings, she noted, will provide scientific foundation for upcoming World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and future regulatory standards worldwide. The presentation also examined the dual threats of infectious respiratory particles and airborne microplastics.  Drawing on lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Prof. Morawska highlighted the importance of monitoring airborne pathogens and examined the technical bottlenecks facing real-time pathogen detection, including sensitivity, specificity and cost-effectiveness.  She also warned of the escalating crisis of microplastics and nanoplastics (NMPs).  Since 1950, global plastic output has exceeded 10 billion tonnes, while only around 6% has been recycled.  Inhalable plastic fragments smaller than 10 micrometres from synthetic textiles, tyres and paints have become increasingly pervasive in the atmosphere.  She urged the scientific community to establish and adopt standardised testing methods to assess better their toxicological risks and potential health impacts under real-world conditions. In conclusion, Prof. Morawska emphasised that airborne particles are influenced by multiple factors, including the built environment, human activities and surrounding environmental conditions.  Effective risk mitigation necessitates a three-pronged approach: controlling source emissions, reducing environmental concentrations and limiting human exposure.  She further stressed that scientific discoveries could bring about meaningful change only when translated into policy action.  Due to the intrinsic complexity of aerosol science, such regulatory measures must be grounded in rigorous scientific evidence to protect global public health. The lecture concluded with a Q&A session moderated by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PAIR.  Both in-person and online participants engaged in lively and insightful discussions with Prof. Morawska. Please click here for an online review.

Prof. Vivian HUI Leads New Phase of PolyU-led Community Mental Health Support Programme for Fire-affected Residents

Prof. Vivian HUI, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Assistant Professor of the School of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has been appointed Programme Lead of the new phase of the Community Mental Health Support Programme.  Coordinated by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health under the Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government and supported by a donation of over HK$10 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the programme will be implemented in 2026–2027 to provide sustained and comprehensive mental health support for residents affected by the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire.  Prof. Hui is a member of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health and has long been involved in the development of mental health policies and services in Hong Kong. Led by PolyU, the Community Mental Health Support Programme aims to provide comprehensive and tailored mental health support through mental health monitoring, risk assessment and stepped-care services.  The programme also leverages data analytics to inform long-term support strategies, with a view to enhancing the community’s capacity to respond to and recover from major incidents.  Particular attention is given to residents who were relocated to transitional housing following the fire, through outreach mental health services and professional counselling support. The first phase of the programme achieved significant outcomes, with about 300 residents having completed comprehensive mental health screenings to date.  The project team also organised 10 workshops focusing on insomnia management and psychological resilience, and referred more than 10 individuals in need to clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness for further support and follow-up. Under the new phase, a multidisciplinary team comprising psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and other allied health professionals will provide mental health support services at 12 transitional housing sites.  Over the next 12 to 18 months, the team will work closely with the JC JoyAge Project to further strengthen community outreach efforts, offering psychological counselling to individuals experiencing anxiety, stress and other mental health challenges.  The programme will also facilitate access to appropriate medical and specialist services for those in need, thereby promoting mental well-being and recovery within the community.

PAIR Research Impact Video Series | Episode 5 | Vision elevated: Bioinspired sensing technologies for intelligent machine perception

The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) is delighted to present the fifth episode of the PAIR Research Impact Video Series. This series invites PAIR researchers to share their latest research achievements and innovative solutions to major societal challenges. The fifth episode, titled “Vision elevated: Bioinspired sensing technologies for intelligent machine perception”, features Prof. CHAI Yang, Director of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Science and Chair Professor of Semiconductor Physics. In this episode, Prof. Chai discusses his team’s development of bio-inspired semiconductor hardware designed to advance AI through integrated sensing and computing. By mimicking the visual systems of flying insects and the human retina, the team created optoelectronic graded neurons for real-time motion tracking in machine systems, alongside sensors capable of adapting to dynamic light environments. These innovations significantly reduce data transmission latency and power consumption while improving machine vision performance. Watch the video now to discover how Prof. Chai’s research is shaping the future of sensory AI, paving the way for smarter cities, intelligent mobility and next‑generation artificial intelligence! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYhTrRdfXc

Prof. FAN Jintu outlines key challenges in textiles in ScienceNet.cn interview

In a recent exclusive interview with ScienceNet.cn, Prof. FAN Jintu, Director of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF) and Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Engineering, reflected on his research journey, examined the key scientific challenges facing the textiles field, and offered valuable advice for young academics navigating their research careers.  He also shared his vision for the journal Textiles. Prof. Fan identified three primary hurdles facing today’s textiles industry: Sustainability bottlenecks: Overcoming technical barriers in recycling blended fibers, reducing microplastic pollution, and establishing low-energy, high-efficiency closed-loop recycling systems. Health-oriented functional textiles: Developing functional textiles for physiological monitoring, therapeutic applications and specialised protection without compromising product safety or wearer comfort. Intelligent industrial transformation: Utilising 5G and industrial IoT to connect data across the entire supply chain, and embedding core textile physics into AI models to drive a shift from production optimisation to product R&D. Addressing the development of young scholars, Prof. Fan stressed the importance of tackling fundamental scientific problems within the field.  He advised against chasing fleeting research trends, encouraging long-term dedication to a core field alongside measured innovation.  He noted that young scholars should maintain a keen awareness of emerging developments while striking a balance between sustained commitment to their core research areas and appropriate innovation.  Such an approach, he explained, is essential for building a solid academic foundation and achieving impactful research breakthroughs. On assuming the role of Editor-in-Chief at Textiles, Prof. Fan said the decision stemmed from a sense of duty to the academic community, with the aim of building a high-calibre platform for scholarly exchange and helping to retain top-quality submissions.  While highlighting that Open Access breaks down barriers to knowledge dissemination and significantly enhances the international visibility of research outcomes, he underscored the necessity of upholding rigorous peer-review standards and strict adherence to academic integrity.  Moving forward, Textiles will focus on frontier research and interdisciplinary innovation and recruit talented young researchers to its editorial team to drive sustained growth.   Online coverage: Sciencenet.cn - https://polyu.me/3SkWcxr