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PolyU and Diagens Tech establish joint laboratory to advance AI-driven medical innovation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Hangzhou Diagens Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Diagens Tech) officially established the “PolyU-Diagens General Artificial Intelligence and Medical Applications Joint Laboratory” (Joint Laboratory) on 2 September. The Joint Laboratory will focus on developing and translating innovative general artificial intelligence (AI) applications tailored for medical settings. Key research areas include medical image analysis, medical foundation models and healthcare automation technologies. Through this collaboration, PolyU and Diagens Tech underscore a pivotal step in their collaborative efforts in AI and healthcare innovation. The plaque-unveiling ceremony was held at the PolyU campus. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU; Prof. CHEN Changwen, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences of PolyU; Prof. XIAO Bin, Associate Head (Partnership and Collaboration) of the Department of Computing of PolyU; Prof. Christina WONG, Director of Research and Innovation of PolyU; and Dr LI Yongqi, Project Lead of the Joint Laboratory, together with Dr SONG Ning, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Diagens Tech; Mr WEI Ran, Head of the Medical General Intelligence Lab of Diagens Tech; Mr WU Chengfa, Board Secretary and General Manager of the Strategic Investment Department of Diagens Tech; Mr ZHAO Yancheng, Assistant Manager of the President’s Office of the Diagens Tech Hong Kong Office; and Ms ZHU Yiqiong, Director of Marketing and Branding of the Diagens Tech officiated at the unveiling ceremony of the Joint Laboratory. Building on the strengths of both parties, PolyU and Diagens Tech will work hand in hand to advance the development of smart healthcare technologies, striving to enhance the quality and efficiency of medical services in Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and beyond. The Joint Laboratory brings together PolyU’s world-class research expertise in AI, data science, and healthcare technologies with Diagens Tech’s extensive experience in medical imaging, smart medical devices, and digital healthcare equipment. By integrating academic excellence with industry capabilities, the partnership will create a collaborative platform that bridges fundamental research with clinical and real-world applications, while promoting talent development, interdisciplinary collaboration and technology transfer. Prof. Christopher Chao said, “The Nation is accelerating the development of the ‘Healthy China’ initiative. The establishment of the Joint Laboratory reflects the shared commitment of PolyU and Diagens Tech to supporting national strategic imperatives, leveraging technological advancements, and fulfilling their social responsibilities in academia and industry. Through our collective efforts, the Joint Laboratory will propel progress in the development of medical AI and elevate healthcare quality, accessibility and efficiency in Hong Kong, across the Nation and around the world.” Dr Song Ning remarked, “AI for Science is fundamentally transforming the global healthcare landscape. As humanity seeks deeper insights into life and health and strives to overcome complex diseases, AI presents challenges and opportunities on a scale comparable to the historic moon landing mission. Diagens Tech is committed to advancing healthcare AI from innovation to industrial-scale deployment. Through this partnership, both sides will empower one another to meet the rapidly growing demand for next-generation healthcare solutions. By closely integrating PolyU’s pioneering research capabilities with Diagens Tech’s expertise in industrial commercialisation, the collaboration aims to establish a new productivity paradigm for healthcare AI and usher in the next era of AI for Science in medicine.” Through pioneering research and innovation, PolyU and Diagens Tech aspire to position the Joint Laboratory as a leading platform for AI-driven medical innovation and intelligent healthcare applications, contributing to the “Healthy China” initiative and advancing the modernisation of healthcare services.

PolyU launches InnoHK I-GET to build intelligent grid for carbon-neutral future

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has officially established the InnoHK Research Centre for Intelligent GRID and Energy Technologies (InnoHK I-GET). Joining “SEAM@InnoHK”, the third cluster under the Hong Kong SAR Government’s InnoHK research platform, InnoHK I-GET is the only InnoHK initiative dedicated to power grid technology. Based in Hong Kong, it will bring together scientific and industrial strengths from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and around the world to advance the research, validation, standard-setting and industrialisation of smart grids and frontier energy technologies, supporting the Nation and Hong Kong in achieving their carbon neutrality goals. With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, electric vehicles and distributed renewable energy, global electricity demand continues to surge, and the one-way power transmission structure of the traditional grid can no longer cope with sharply fluctuating supply and demand. Coupled with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, this poses a severe challenge to the resilience of urban power systems. Ensuring a stable and intelligent power supply has therefore become crucial to both urban development and national energy infrastructure. Leveraging AI and big data analytics, InnoHK I-GET drives the upgrading of traditional power grids, enabling the coordinated operation of modern large-scale grids and distributed microgrids, monitoring electricity usage across different areas of the grid in real time and coordinating power supply and demand, thereby enhancing the resilience and reliability of the power system. In line with this, InnoHK I-GET has established four key research areas: autonomous energy management technologies for smart grids, green and intelligent grid interfaces, grid-friendly new energy transport, and emerging grid and energy technologies, comprehensively advancing the development and application of smart grid technology. Related research will span the fields of smart grids, microgrids, electrified transportation, AI and large models, intelligent buildings, power electronics, advanced materials, cybersecurity and quantum technologies, driving multi-disciplinary innovation to address the technological challenges of future energy systems. The Director of InnoHK I-GET is Prof. CHUNG Chi-yung, Head of the PolyU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Chair Professor of Power Systems Engineering and Director of the Research Centre for Grid Modernisation, with Prof. Sir Bashir M. AL-HASHIMI, Senior Vice President (Research & Special Initiatives) of King’s College London, serving as Co-Director. The Centre brings together an interdisciplinary team of more than 70 professors from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and overseas, and collaborates with world-leading institutions including King’s College London, Tsinghua University, Université Gustave Eiffel, National Technical University of Athens, Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research, University of Sheffield and Suzhou National Laboratory. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said: “PolyU has built extensive research strengths in power systems and AI, and the establishment of the Centre marks a proud milestone in our ongoing commitment to turning frontier research into real-world solutions that address global challenges. The Nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan prioritises a comprehensive green transition and the modernisation of traditional power grids into flexible, interactive smart architectures. As a global top-50 university, PolyU is committed to contributing to this goal, leveraging the interdisciplinary research strengths of InnoHK I-GET to advance frontier research in sustainability and energy. In doing so, we aim to support the Nation’s high-quality development and technological self-reliance.” Prof. Chung Chi-yung said: “As an international financial centre and innovation and technology hub, Hong Kong has extremely high demands for the stability of its power supply, which provides an ideal setting for developing and applying innovative technologies related to the modernisation of smart city grids. Based in Hong Kong, InnoHK I-GET is well positioned to connect Chinese Mainland with the rest of the world. Serving as a platform for technology testing, validation and global showcasing, the Centre is committed to advancing smart grid technology and setting industry standards, helping to align Chinese Mainland standards with international ones.” Prof. Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi said: “Power grids are critical infrastructure for modern life, yet much of today’s infrastructure is ageing and was not designed for an increasingly connected and technology-driven society. King’s College London is delighted to play a key role in this international research consortium. This InnoHK-funded research centre provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen collaboration between King’s College London and PolyU, while bringing together leading academics and industry partners from worldwide to reimagine a future power grid that is more resilient, sustainable, intelligent and capable of supporting everything from electric vehicles to AI-enabled services.” Funded by the InnoHK research initiative and based at the Hong Kong Science Park, InnoHK I-GET brings together 60 key industry partners, including China Southern Power Grid Company (CSG), CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, HK Electric and Companhia de Electricidade de Macau – CEM, S.A.. A recent Memorandum of Understanding between PolyU and CSG consolidates this network, focusing on joint talent development and technological innovation to energise the power sector across the GBA and beyond. Such strong industry engagement underscores PolyU’s established reputation and research strength in the energy domain. Outlining the vision for InnoHK I-GET, Prof. Chung highlighted a comprehensive strategy for commercialisation. The pipeline begins with technology transfer at Hong Kong Science Park, moving to pilot demonstration and production at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Northern Metropolis. Backed by Hong Kong’s robust financial infrastructure and global talent pool, the Centre is set to translate its research breakthroughs into international standards, bringing Hong Kong’s technologies to the world.

PolyU secures 103 NSFC-funded projects, including 3 Young Scientists Fund (B) awards

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received substantial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for 103 research projects, including 3 scholars honoured under Young Scientists Fund (B). This achievement demonstrates PolyU’s expanding research capabilities, its commitment to advancing the Nation’s strategic scientific priorities, and its excellence in nurturing young research talent and driving interdisciplinary innovation. The 103 funded projects include 3 initiatives under the “Young Scientists Fund (B)”, 1 under the “Key Program”, 17 under the “General Program”, and 82 under “Young Scientists Fund (C)”. Collectively receiving more than RMB 40 million in funding, these projects cover a broad spectrum of frontier research areas, address pressing societal challenges, and promote quality enhancement, technological advancement and sustainable development. Among these, the 3 projects awarded under the Young Scientists Fund (B) highlight PolyU’s multidisciplinary strengths in addressiing cutting-edge scientific problems. These research initiatives focus on critical technical challenges in aeroacoustics, data-driven decision-making optimisation, and perovskite semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices, respectively. PolyU also achieved a notable breakthrough under the Key Program, with a funded project led by a scholar from the School of Accounting and Finance. The project focuses on investigating the mechanisms of information disclosure behaviour involving artificial intelligence technology. In addition, 17 projects were awarded under the General Program to promote high-impact basic research. These initiatives include monitoring and providing early warning of forest-concealed landslides using MTInSAR technology, and developing a physics-informed foundation model for human-robot collaborative disassembly of ageing electric vehicle batteries. Under the Young Scientists Fund (C), PolyU made significant strides this year, with 82 projects awarded. Covering a wide spectrum of disciplines, these projects are spearheaded by young researchers from diverse fields. Notably, 27 of these research projects were initiated through the PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute (SZRI). As PolyU’s extension campus in Chinese Mainland, the SZRI undertakes national, provincial, and municipal research initiatives while empowering PolyU scholars, researchers, and students to translate innovative ideas into real-world applications and accelerate the commercialisation of impactful research outcomes.

PolyU participates in SEAM@InnoHK, the third InnoHK research cluster, contributing grid technology and space manufacturing expertise

Representatives of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today attended the launch ceremony of SEAM@InnoHK, the third InnoHK research cluster established by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. PolyU’s InnoHK Research Centre for Intelligent GRID and Energy Technologies (InnoHK I-GET) is the only research centre on the SEAM@InnoHK cluster dedicated to grid technology, with a mission to support carbon neutrality through smart grid research. In addition, in partnership with the Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PolyU is a major local partner in the InnoHK Centre for Space Manufacturing Technology (InnoHK CSMT), contributing the University’s expertise in advanced manufacturing and materials technologies. By participating in the research of both centres, PolyU harnesses its research excellence and robust global network to inject new momentum into Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub. The launch ceremony was officiated by Prof. SUN Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Ms Cordelia CHUNG, Chairman of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP); Mr Kelvin CHOI, Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Mr LYU Feng, Deputy Director-General of the Economic and Financial Department II of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Ivan LEE, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Mr Terry WONG, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP and Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; and senior representatives from universities and research centres.

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

The next generation of microelectronics relies on radical improvements in transistor switching performance to advance computing power. However, conventional semiconductor technology has hit a physical limit known as the "Boltzmann tyranny," which restricts the energy efficiency of traditional transistors and stalls progress in high-performance electronics. To address this key bottleneck, a research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) 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. The research was led by Prof. Jianhua HAO, Head of the Department of Physics and Materials, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices and Associate Director of PolyU-Wuhan Technology and Innovation Research Institute at PolyU, 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. 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. Prof. Jianhua Hao said, “The International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) has identified TFETs as the most promising alternative to MOSFETs. By replacing thermionic emission with quantum tunnelling, our 2D heterostructure transistor breaks through this       60 mV decade⁻¹ boundary, overcoming the standard MOSFET limit. Our TFET paves the way for ultra-low-power, high-performance ICs essential for emerging AI chips and advanced semiconductor applications.” 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 that 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.

PolyU and the University of Oxford forge strategic partnerships to advance global research and academic collaboration

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of Oxford signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the University of Oxford on 23 July to foster pioneering academic and research collaboration. The MoU was signed by Prof. LI Xiangdong, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment and Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology at PolyU, and Prof. Michael OBERSTEINER, Director of the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), Professor of Global Change and Sustainability at the University of Oxford and Editor of Nexus. This strategic partnership is designed to leverage the complementary strengths of both institutions across multiple critical fields, including urban systems, energy and environment, public health, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and data science, as well as policy and governance. Prof. Li Xiangdong said, “We are delighted to embark on this strategic partnership with the University of Oxford. PolyU is committed to addressing pressing global challenges across critical fields through cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. By combining our strengths with ECI at the University of Oxford, this collaboration will foster pioneering research and create impactful solutions for global challenges. We look forward to deepening our academic exchanges and driving meaningful advancements in sustainable development and international scholarship.” Prof. Michael Obersteiner said, “This MoU creates an exciting opportunity for the University of Oxford and PolyU to bring together our complementary strengths and perspectives in addressing some of the most complex and interconnected challenges of our time. This partnership gives us a valuable framework for developing new ideas, learning from one another and building genuinely collaborative research across our two universities. I am very much looking forward to taking this work forward together.” The collaboration will encompass joint research initiatives, staff and student exchanges and visits, joint academic events such as seminars and workshops, the sharing of open-access publications, and the development of joint funding applications. This alliance underscores both universities’ dedication to tackling complex global challenges through interdisciplinary research and international academic excellence. The signing ceremony took place following the international conference, Nexus Forum 2026, held at the University of Oxford from 19 to 22 July. Co-organised by PolyU and Cell Press, the Forum was co-chaired by Prof. Jerry Yan, Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings at the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, and Editor-in-Chief of Nexus, and Prof. Michael Obersteiner. Themed “Unity in Diversity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives for a Sustainable Future”, the Forum brought together numerous global scholars to address critical challenges in sustainability, climate resilience, and integrated systems.

Five PolyU scholars elected to HKAE’s Young Member Section

Five scholars from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been elected Members of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) Young Member Section (YMS), in recognition of their breakthroughs and contributions in their respective fields. This remarkable achievement highlights the University's success in nurturing young research talent and driving scientific research and innovation. The five elected PolyU scholars are: HKAE Young Members Research contributions Prof. DUAN Huan-Feng Associate Head (Research) and Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Associate Director of Otto Poon Research Institute for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure (RICRI) and Associate Director of State Key Laboratory of Climate Resilience for Coastal Cities (SKL-CRCC) Innovation in engineering science and technology enhances the resilience of urban water infrastructure, and supports climate sustainability. Prof. LIU Liang Associate Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Breakthrough research contributs to next-generation cellular technologies. Prof. YANG Hongxia Executive Director of PAAI, Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Chair Professor of Generative Artificial Intelligence of the Department of Computing Pioneering engineering advances in large-scale AI infrastructure, foundation models, low-bit AI training, and collaborative generative AI systems. Prof. Pai ZHENG Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Wong Tit Shing Young Scholar in Smart Robotics, Director of NCDC - Hong Kong Branch Contributions to develop mutual cognitive human-robot collaborative manufacturing systems. Prof. Chao ZHOU Tsui Tack Kong Young Scholar in Civil Engineering, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Contributions toengineering advances in THM-coupled soil mechanics and promoting geo-sustainability. PolyU will continue to support young scholars in advancing impactful frontier research, deepening interdisciplinary collaboration, and fostering partnerships across industry, academia, and research sectors. The University is committed to translating its knowledge and research breakthroughs into real-world industry solutions, contributing to the development of engineering science and technology in Hong Kong, the Nation, and the world. Full list: Twenty Young Academics and Industrial Leaders Elected as Members of HKAE’s Young Member Section (HKAE)

AIoT-powered fire safety: Transforming smart buildings with real-time digital twins

Fire, especially in skyscrapers, highlights the urgent need for smarter, faster and more reliable firefighting solutions tailored to these high-tech spaces. In smart buildings, where every second counts and the stakes are higher, conventional fire detection and response methods are no longer adequate.  Prof. Asif Sohail USMANI, Chair Professor in Building Sciences and Fire Safety Engineering of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and his research team address these challenges by introducing a novel approach that leverages Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and Digital Twin technologies for super real-time fire forecasting and management.  AIoT is the integration of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is a network collecting data from sensors and transmitting the data through the internet. It is widely used in fire detection systems to collect real-time data such as smoke, heat and gas, and to optimise emergency response. With AI embedded into IoT, AIoT can analyse and learn the data for more accurate forecasting. Digital Twin is a virtual representation (a virtual twin) of physical objects or systems. It uses real-time data to accurately reflect the real-world situation. The AIoT-integrated Digital Twin system is designed to bridge the gap between fragmented sensor data and comprehensive situational awareness, enabling decision-makers to anticipate fire dynamics and coordinate effective responses in complex building environments. The research titled, “AIoT-powered building digital twin for smart firefighting and super real-time fire forecast,” was published in Advanced Engineering Informatics. This integration of IoT hardware and AI enables rapid detection of fire hazards, supports automated safety responses and provides the foundation for super real-time forecasting of impending critical events and decision-making within the Digital Twin environment. The AutoDecoder Long Short-term Memory Neural Network (ADLSTM-Fire), a hybrid deep learning model the team developed, processes these sensor data to reconstruct high-dimensional temperature fields and forecast future developments up to 60 seconds in advance. By combining AutoDecoder and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks, the model transforms sparse sensor inputs into detailed spatiotemporal maps of fire progression. This predictive capability is essential for smart buildings, where early warnings and dynamic risk assessment can prevent escalation and guide evacuation strategies. Information interaction within the system is managed through a multi-layered architecture, encompassing physical sensing, virtual data processing and user application interfaces. Sensor data are transmitted to a local router and uploaded to a cloud server, where the ADLSTM-Fire model operates within a Digital Twin platform. This platform, integrated with Building Information Modelling, offers a user-friendly interface for visualising temperature distributions, identifying hazardous regions and issuing commands for physical interventions. The modular design ensures seamless communication between hardware, software and users, supporting both real-time monitoring and strategic decision-making. Test results from numerical simulations and real-world experiments demonstrate the system's accuracy and robustness. The real-time reconstruction model achieved an accuracy of 93%, while the ADLSTM-Fire advance forecast model reached 92%. Both models predicted the spatial and temporal evolution of temperature fields with inference times under 0.5 seconds, delivering super real-time insights into fire dynamics.  The integration of AIoT and Digital Twin technology marks a significant advancement in fire safety for smart buildings. The demonstrated accuracy, speed and adaptability of the ADLSTM-Fire model highlight its potential to enhance urban resilience, reduce fire casualties and support the development of safer, smarter cities. As research continues to refine these models and expand their applicability, AIoT-driven fire safety systems are poised to become an essential component of future urban infrastructure. Prof. Usmani has, for 30 years, primarily worked in the field of fire safety engineering and structural fire engineering. In 2020, his proposed project "SureFire: Smart Urban Resilience and Firefighting" was awarded HK$ 33.33 million from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council Theme-based Research Scheme. As an extension of FireGrid, SureFire is developed typically for large building compartments like the skyscrapers commonly seen in Hong Kong.  The AIoT-integrated Digital Twin system in this study is part of the SureFire system. The team's work was awarded the 2026 Philip Thomas Medal of Excellence for the best paper presented at IAFSS 2023, which was titled "Introducing an active opening strategy to mitigate large open-plan compartment fire development."  Source: Innovation Digest 7

PolyU computer-vision scientist honoured with 2026 Frontiers of Science Award by International Congress of Basic Science

Prof. ZHANG Lei John, Chair Professor of Computer Vision and Image Analysis of the Department of Computing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has been honoured with the prestigious 2026 Frontiers of Science Award presented by the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS). This accolade recognises his outstanding research and major contributions to the field of image processing and computer vision. Prof. Zhang was recognised in the “Information Sciences and Engineering” category for his paper “Beyond a Gaussian denoiser: residual learning of deep CNN for image denoising” published in IEEE Transactions on Image Processing (2017). He shares this distinction with co-authors from Harbin Institute of Technology, ULSee Inc., and Xi’an Jiaotong University. Prof. Zhang’s research interests focus on computer vision, image and video analysis, deep learning, etc. As of 2026, his publications have attracted more than 130,000 citations. He was named a “Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher” consecutively from 2015 to 2025. He has also served as a (Senior) Associate Editor and (Senior) Area Chair for several top-tier international journals and conferences. Beyond academia, Prof. Zhang’s research has been successfully translated into commercial products such as OPPO’s flagship smartphone series Find X7, X8 and X9. The Frontiers of Science Award recognises exceptional, original research published over the past decade across Mathematics, Physics, and Information Science & Engineering. To receive this honour, a scientific achievement must be of the highest scholarly value and have made a major global impact in its field. Learn more about Prof. Zhang’s research: A vision to enhance image quality and analysis

PolyU develops Hong Kong’s first screening tool to detect social frailty in seniors

Loneliness and social isolation are widely recognised as harmful to elders’ health, yet frontline care workers have long lacked a simple, objective way to identify those most at risk. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a set of community-based, preventive approaches to addressing social frailty among seniors, including a new screening tool and nature-based interventions in care facilities. This work responds directly to the Government’s policy shift from treatment towards prevention and community-based care. Social frailty refers to a state of vulnerability arising from a lack of social support, resources, connectedness and the fulfilment of basic needs. It is linked to poorer health and may increase the risk of physical frailty. Until now, the absence of standardised terminology and objective measurement tools has made these subjective experiences difficult to consistently assess. To close this gap, the team led by Prof. Jed MONTAYRE, Associate Head (Strategy) and Associate Professor of the School of Nursing, developed the Social Frailty 10-Item screening tool (SF-10). Brief in design for busy clinical settings, it helps enable frontline workers to identify at-risk older adults early and direct them to appropriate help. Supported by the General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council, the study was published in Contemporary Nurse, and social workers in non-governmental organisations and community clinics have already adopted the tool. Prof. Montayre said, “Recognising social frailty as a risk factor opens up a more holistic understanding of ageing. It positions social well-being on par with physical health, acknowledging that the two are inextricably linked and that addressing social risks can profoundly improve overall health outcomes.” In developing SF-10, the team used a co-design approach to make it both rigorous and non-stigmatising, conducting two rounds of workshops with 40 diverse stakeholders, including older adults, family caregivers, social workers, occupational therapists, nurses and doctors. 234 community-dwelling seniors were evaluated with the resulting tool, which demonstrated promising reliability and validity, with further validation currently under way. SF-10 assesses five domains: general resources, social participation, social connections, interpersonal relationships and self-management. Each is rated on a five-point scale, with higher scores signalling greater risk. The results guide practical next steps: low scores for general resources can trigger referral to financial or healthcare support, while low social participation scores can point individuals towards community programmes or social prescribing  — a holistic approach promoted by the World Health Organisation of referring people to non-medical community activities to improve their well-being. “SF-10 serves as a practical instrument for longitudinal care tracking in fast-paced environments like primary care, community services and home-based care, providing a solid foundation for social prescribing,” said Prof. Montayre. “By administering periodic screening, care networks can track how an individual’s social risk profile changes over time. We hope it will eventually become a standardised assessment across Hong Kong.” In related work that reinforces the importance of social connectedness, Prof. Montayre’s team also conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of nature-based interventions for reducing agitation in older people with dementia in care settings. Drawing on global evidence from both direct nature experiences, such as garden visits, and indirect exposures, such as circadian lighting, natural sounds or scents, it identifies physical settings and social interaction as the two critical drivers of clinical effectiveness. The relevant work is published in Healthcare.    Indoor interventions proved more effective than outdoor ones, while interventions involving social interaction outperformed those without. Notably, unregulated outdoor stimulation sometimes had negative effects, demonstrating that environmental designs must keep residents of care facilities engaged but not overwhelmed. “Non-pharmacological measures such as nature-based interventions can enhance social well-being and help prevent social frailty, particularly among those experiencing cognitive decline,” Prof. Montayre noted. “Having the space to socialise through such programmes significantly enhances social connectedness among older adults.” The findings offer practical solutions for high-density cities like Hong Kong, laying the groundwork for future dementia-friendly design guidelines. Because individuals with dementia respond differently depending on their tolerance for stimulation, Prof. Montayre stressed that environmental support must be tailored to the person. The research team is continuing to expand validation of SF-10 and to work with community partners to translate these findings into routine practice, contributing to a more preventive, sustainable and person-oriented model of care for Hong Kong’s ageing population.