HKUST 30 Anniversary Redbird Talk - Connecting the Dots - My Journey at HKUST
In this talk I will share my career journey, from finding my passion for science and developing a career as a scientific researcher - first in industry and later in academia, to building credibility in my chosen field and finding ways to give back to society.
I will share with you the evolution of my work on Alzheimer’s disease. Initial studies were in basic research where my team investigated how memory forms and what causes memory loss in AD, leading to the discovery of new therapeutic targets. More recent work has sought to understand the role of the immune system in AD. Specifically, how immune cells become impaired in AD and what causes the accumulation of toxic amyloid beta in the diseased brain. I will also talk about our most recent and exciting study on blood proteins, which has led to a simple but accurate blood test to screen, diagnose, and monitor the progression of AD. This innovation may revolutionize diagnosis and management of the disease.
To make a genuine impact on society, it is important to think big. I will also share my goals of building neuroscience as a strategic area and developing Hong Kong into a neuroscience hub, as well as my contributions to shape science policy locally, in Mainland China, and globally. I will end my talk on my efforts as an advocate, educator, and mentor to inspire and develop the next generations of scientists.
Professor Ip is currently The Morningside Professor of Life Science, Chair Professor in the Division of Life Science and the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Professor Ip received her PhD degree in Pharmacology from Harvard University, after which she held the position of Senior Staff Scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in New York. Since joining HKUST in 1993, she has served as the Vice-President for Research and Development, Dean of Science, Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute, and Head of the Department of Biochemistry.
Professor Ip is a world-renowned neuroscientist and is internationally recognized for her pioneering and prolific research in molecular neuroscience. Her major research interests are in understanding the complex mechanisms that underlie proper brain functions, as well as drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. She engages in innovative and impactful research in collaboration with local and international scientists and has initiated pioneering research to determine the genetic contribution of Alzheimer’s disease in ethnic Chinese. Findings from her work are enabling the development of diagnostic and prognostic tools for Alzheimer’s disease.
As a highly accomplished researcher, Professor Ip has published over 325 papers with 39,165 SCI citations and holds 70 patents. She has been elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and received numerous awards and honours including the National Natural Science Awards, the L’OREAL-UNESCO for Women in Science Award and the 10 Science Stars of China by Nature. She currently serves as a Member of the Leadership Group of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative and was also an elected Councilor for the Society for Neuroscience and the Senior Editor of the Journal of Neuroscience.
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