Academic Staff

Prof. Philip HO

Assistant Professor

PhD in Neuroscience (HKU), FIBMS(UK), MRSB (UK)

ST506
+852 3400 8966
philip-wl.ho@polyu.edu.hk

ORCID ID

SCOPUS ID

Google Scholar

Biography

Prof. Philip Ho completed Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, and Master of Philosophy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1997 and 1999, respectively. Afterward, Prof. Ho obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong in 2004. Before joining PolyU, Prof. Ho received his postdoctoral fellowship and worked in a position as Research Assistant Professor and Scientific Officer in HKU.

Prof. Ho’s research focuses on pre-clinical investigation of Parkinson’s disease and various related neurological disorders, including elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms related to mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired autophagy associated with LRRK2 mutations using in vitro and in vivo experimental models to develop novel neuroprotective strategies. In addition to his in-house generated LRRK2mutant mouse model, Prof. Ho also started to develop PD patient-derived iPSCs as an alternative disease model. Moreover, Prof. Ho is actively participating in collaborative research projects as principal investigator on environmental risks of chemicals of emerging concern in the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SKLMP, CityU). In particular, he has developed a novel human cell-based assay kit to assess level of estrogenicity induced by environmental xenoestrogens and various endocrine disruptive compounds. This novel assay has incorporated a novel patented protein tag as a major detection component of the assay kit. As a listed inventor, this invention is patented in US, Europe and China since 2015.

Prof. Ho has published over 50 original research articles and invited reviews in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including Autophagy, npj Parkinson’s disease, and Translational Neurodegeneration. Philip obtained a number of competitive research grants, including HMRF and RGC/GRF as PI/Co-I, and supervised research postgraduate students in experimental neuroscience. Furthermore, he is invited as review editor, editorial board member, and ad hoc reviewer of a number of peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Communications, Translational Neurodegeneration, Journal of Neurology, Brain and Behavior, and Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, demonstrating his active participation in research community services.

Education and Academic Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy, Dept of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
Master of Philosophy in Biochemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Professional Qualifications

Fellow - Institute of Biomedical Science, United Kingdom (since Jan 2021)
Professional member (Explorer) - Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC Asia-Pacific) - a global, non-profit professional organization dedicated to the advancement of environmental science and management (since Jun 2024)
Member – Society for Neuroscience (SfN), USA (since Nov 2025)
Member – The Royal Society of Biology, United Kingdom (since Jan 2026)
Full member – State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health (SKLMEH), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (since Oct 2022)
Principal Investigator - Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China (since May 2025)
Principal Investigator - Mental Health Research Centre, PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China (since Jan 2024)
Principal Investigator - Research Institute for Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China (since Apr 2024)

Research Interests

Research Output

Choi ZYK, Liu HF, Chang EES, Pang SYY, Luo LY, Ruan Y, Wang Q, Malki Y, Zhang SXY, Weng KY, Lau BWM, Ng RCL, Zhang Z, Ho SL, Ho PWL*. Long-term oral glucocerebrosidase activator reduces soluble α-synuclein oligomer accumulation in parkinsonian LRRK2 mutant mouse brain npj Parkinsons disease. 2025; 11:359 doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01205-7.
Tang W, Chen B, Ho PWL, Zheng Q, Nga CTY, Zhu Z, Leung GKK*, and Kiang KM*. Activation of chaperone-mediated autophagy suppresses glioblastoma by promoting wild-type IDH1/isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) degradation. Autophagy 2025; 30:1-21. doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2025.2589906.
Ng MHF, Lam JWY, Choi ZYK, Liu H, Ho PWL, Lau BWM and Yee BK*. Affective Phenotypes in Heterozygous LRRK2 R1441G Knock-In mice. Frontiers in Genetics. 2025; 16:1629897. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1629897.
Kwok JYY*, Chan LML, Lai CA, Ho PWL, Choi ZYK, Auyeung M, Pang SYY, Choi EPH, Fong DYT, Yu DSF, Lin CC, Walker R, Wong SY, Ho RTH. Effects of meditation and yoga on anxiety, depression and chronic inflammation in patients with Parkinson's disease: A randomised clinical trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2025; 94(2):101-118. doi: 10.1159/000543457.
Chang EES, Liu HF, Choi ZYK, Malki Y, Zhang SXY, Pang SYY, Kung MHW, Ramsden DB, Ho SL, Ho PWL*. Loss of mitochondrial Ca2+ response and CaMKII/ERK activation by LRRK2R1441G mutation correlated with impaired depolarization-induced mitophagy. Cell Communication and Signaling. 2024; 22:485. doi.org/10.1186/s12964-024-01844-y.
Kwok JYY*, Auyeung M, Pang SYY, Ho PWL, Yu DSF, Fong DYT, Lin CC, Walker R, Wong SY, Ho RTH. A randomized controlled trial on the effects and acceptability of individual mindfulness techniques - meditation and yoga - on anxiety and depression in people with Parkinson's disease: a study protocol. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023; 23(1):241. doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04049-x.
PWL Ho*, LF Li, HF Liu, ZYK Choi, EES Chang, SYY Pang, Y Malki, CT Leung, MHW Kung, DB. Ramsden, SL Ho*. In vivo overexpression of synaptogyrin-3 (SYNGR3) promotes striatal synaptic dopamine uptake in LRRK2R1441G mutant mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Brain and Behavior. 2023; 13:e2886. doi:10.1002/brb3.2886.
PWL Ho*#, EES Chang#, CT Leung, HF Liu, Y Malki, SYY Pang, ZYK Choi, Y Liang, WS Lai, Y Ruan, KMY Leung, S Yung, JCW Mak, MHW Kung, DB. Ramsden, SL Ho*. Long-term inhibition of mutant LRRK2 hyper-kinase activity reduced mouse brain α-synuclein oligomers without adverse effects. npj Parkinsons disease. 2022; 8:115. doi:10.1038/s41531-022-00386-9.
Li L#, Ho PWL#, Liu HF, Pang SYY, Chang EES, Choi ZYK, Malki Y, MHW Kung, Ramsden DB, Ho SL*. Transcriptional Regulation of the Synaptic Vesicle Protein Synaptogyrin-3 (SYNGR3) Gene: The Effects of NURR1 on Its Expression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022; 23(7):3646. doi:10.3390/ijms23073646.
Chang EES, Ho PWL*, Liu HF, Pang SYY, Leung CT, Malki Y, Choi ZYK, Ramsden DB, Ho SL*. LRRK2 mutant knock-in mouse models: therapeutic relevance in Parkinson's disease. Translational Neurodegeneration 2022; 11:10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40035-022-00285-2.
Pang SYY, Lo RCN, Ho PWL, Liu HF, Chang EES, Leung CT, Malki Y, Choi ZYK, Wong WY, Kung MHW, Ramsden DB, Ho SL*. LRRK2, GBA and their interaction in the regulation of autophagy: implications on therapeutics in Parkinson's disease. Translational Neurodegeneration 2022; 11:5. doi:10.1186/s40035-022-00281-6.
Klinosky DJ*, … Ho PWL, Ho SL, Leung CT, Liu HF, Pang SY, et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition). Autophagy 2021; 17(1):1-382. (doi:10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280).
Liu HF#, Ho PWL#, Leung CT, Pang SY, Chang EES, Choi ZYK, Kung MHW, Ramsden DB, Ho SL*. Aberrant mitochondrial morphology and function associated with impaired mitophagy and DNM1L/ERK signaling are found in aged mutant Parkinsonian LRRK2R1441G mice. Autophagy 2021; 17(10):3196-3220. (doi: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1850008).
Ho SL*, Ho PWL, Siu DCW. Parkinson disease and leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene mutation: abridged secondary publication. Hong Kong Med J 2020; 26(Suppl 8): S22-6.
Ho PWL, Leung GC, Liu HF, Pang SY, Lam CS, Xian JW, Li LF, Kung MHW, Ramsden DB, Ho SL*. Age-dependent accumulation of oligomeric a-synuclein from impaired degradation in mutant LRRK2 knockin mouse model of Parkinson disease: role for therapeutic activation of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). Autophagy 2020; 16(2):347-370. (doi: 10.1080/15548627.2019.1603545).
Pang SY, Ho PWL, Liu HF, Leung GC Li LF, Chang EES, Ramsden DB, Ho SL*. The interplay of aging, genetics and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Translational Neurodegeneration 2019; 8:23. (doi:10.1186/s40035-019-0165-9).

Human Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Assay [European Patent Office (EPO): EP2328909A1] - Listed inventor
Human Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Assay [United State Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO): US20100081147A1] - Listed inventor
Human Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Assay [China Cooperation Treaty (PCT): CN102203119A] - Listed inventor