18 Jun - 22 Aug 2023
Event Date(s)/Period(s)
18-23 June; 13, 14 July; 07, 22 August 2023
Organised by:
School of Public Health
The HKU-Pasteur Research Pole (HKU-PRP)’s renowned Croucher Summer course returned with a new edition on emerging viral infections: ‘Outbreak Investigation and Pandemic Preparedness’ from 18 to 23 June 2023. With an emphasis on SARS-CoV-2, as well as the understanding of its biology and countermeasures developed to mitigate the pandemic, this new Croucher Summer Course addressed the grand challenges of outbreak investigation and pandemic preparedness with an inclusive One-Health approach. A total of 32 participants from 15 nationalities were introduced to innovative concepts in epidemiology, molecular diagnostic, serology, host-pathogen interaction, pathogenesis, immunology, surveillance and nonpharmaceutical interventions.
On 13 July 2023, a seminar entitled ‘A TANGO for Skin and Bones’ was held. Professor Vivek Malhotra, ICREAR Research Professor and Group Leader, shared how TANGO1, an endoplasmic reticulum exit site resident and a transmembrane protein, helped in understanding the mechanism of how cells secrete the right quantity and quality of extracellular matrix components to make tissues and bones.
On 14 July 2023, the HKU-Pasteur Fellowship Ceremony was held in presence of Professor Chak-sing Lau (劉澤星), Dean of Medicine; Professor David Bishai, (貝大為), Director and Clinical Professor of the School of Public Health; and Mr Leo Kung (孔令成), Chairman of the Council of Pasteur Foundation Asia.
Launched in 2021, the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole Fellowship supported postgraduate students from Hong Kong and Macau universities to conduct 3-4 months summer research internships at Institut Pasteur in Paris. At the ceremony, fellows from the current and previous cohorts shared their fellowship experience with guests and attendees. Sponsors of the fellowship programme, namely Pasteur Foundation Asia, the Legion d’Honneur Club Hong Kong Chapter, and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau, were also invited.
On 7 August 2023, HKU-PRP and the Pasteur Network organised an oral communications training workshop to enhance students’ oral presentation skills, and prepare them to defend their thesis, speak in international conferences and pitch their projects in the future. Faculty members from the School of Public Health, namely Professor Leo Poon (潘烈文), Professor and Head of Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences; Dr Vijay Dhanasekaran, Associate Professor; and Dr Wong Sook-San (黄淑珊), Assistant Professor, as well as Paola Pino Unti, representative from the Pasteur Network, shared their experience and advice on public speaking techniques. A practical practice session followed.
HKU-Pasteur 1st Science Slam was held on 22 August 2023. Co-organised by HKU-PRP and the Pasteur Network, the event aimed to disseminating science through an easy and creative way to engage researchers and the non-scientific public. During the event, participants shared a scientific concept, thesis or research project of their choice in a 5-minute presentation of any format they preferred. Six students from the School of Public Health participated.
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