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Professor Siew Ng from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) is the first female clinician-scientist selected as a New Cornerstone Investigator in mainland China. She is also the first scholar in Hong Kong to receive this honour in the field of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, under Professor Ng’s leadership, will dissect the complex Da Vinci Code underlying food, microbes and immunity, and bring hope for the development of novel therapeutic targets for chronic inflammation, cancer and immune-mediated diseases.

New laboratory focuses on the human immunoregulatory mechanisms against food antigens

Guests at the New Cornerstone Science Laboratory unveiling ceremony included Professor John Chai, CUHK Council Chairman; Dr Ronald Lam, Director of Health in the Hong Kong government; the Hon Duncan Chiu, Legislative Council Member (Technology and Innovation Constituency); Professor Alan K.L. Chan, Provost of CUHK; Ms Rose Wang, Vice Chair and Secretary General of New Cornerstone Science Foundation; Professor Philip Chiu, Dean of Medicine; Professor Francis Chan, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics; Mr James Li, Vice President of Public Affairs of Tencent; and Professor Ng.

Professor Chai remarked at the ceremony, “I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the New Cornerstone Science Foundation for generously supporting Professor Siew Ng’s research and for bestowing this prestigious award on her and providing her with the necessary resources in pursuit of her innovative ideas. This ceremony not only acknowledges Professor Ng’s remarkable accomplishments but also serves as a testament to CUHK’s unwavering commitment to fostering groundbreaking research and advancing the frontiers of knowledge. We firmly believe that research plays a pivotal role in driving societal progress and transforming lives. Professor Ng’s groundbreaking research will bring significant advancements in diagnosis and treatment in the field of the gut microbiome, benefiting the lives of countless patients worldwide.”

Dr Lam said, “The Government is determined to seize the opportunity to develop Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub. With the establishment of the Centre for Medical Products Regulation, the launch of the new policy of ‘primary evaluation’ that will enhance our drug regulatory regime and our biomedicine development ecosystem, the setting up of a one-stop clinical trial support platform in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, I believe Hong Kong stands ready to become the centre of ‘bringing in’ and ‘going global’ for health and medical innovations. With the New Cornerstone Science Laboratory serving as a springboard for future research breakthroughs, a new chapter of scientific endeavor awaits.”

The Hon Duncan Chiu added, “Hong Kong has strong scientific research capabilities. As the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the RAISe+ Scheme, I have reviewed many excellent research projects from local universities, which fills me with anticipation for Hong Kong’s innovation and technological development. The inauguration of the New Cornerstone Science Laboratory also demonstrates that local university scholars can have impressive achievements in basic research, which help translate the research findings into clinical applications. I hope there will be more research talent and projects receiving support from the community, industry and the Government, to realise Hong Kong’s determination to develop into an international innovation and technology centre.”

Ms Wang stated, “Congratulations to Professor Siew Ng on being selected as a 2023 New Cornerstone Investigator. She is not only the first female New Cornerstone Investigator in Hong Kong, but also the first female physician-scientist across China in The Program. The New Cornerstone Science Foundation is currently China’s largest non-governmental and non-profit funding organisation providing support in the field of basic science. It was founded in 2022 with an initial donation of 10 billion RMB (approximately 1.4 billion USD) from Tencent. The principle of the New Cornerstone Investigator Program is ‘People, not Projects’. It focuses on original basic research, supporting curiosity-driven, free exploration. The project cycles are long, and the funding amounts are large. There are no assessments or evaluations during the funding period, allowing the investigators to freely pursue the research they want to do. The Program insists on an objective and fair review process. In the 2023 round of evaluation, it implemented 100% international peer review to promote fair and objective selection. As a basic research funding project, The Program focuses on exploratory and original work examining disease essence and patterns. It encourages physician-scientists like Professor Siew Ng to pose key scientific questions from clinical practice and achieve major breakthroughs through research.”

A milestone in Professor Ng’s career

At the unveiling ceremony, Professor Ng delivered a lecture titled “Food, Microbiome and Medicine: My Love Language”. She introduced her work under The Program, which focuses on deciphering the immunoregulatory mechanisms of the human body in response to different food. Professor Ng said, “Scientific breakthroughs are the result of the collective effort of a team, not the merit of any individual. The establishment of the New Cornerstone Science Laboratory is a milestone in my career, and I am deeply grateful to the New Cornerstone Science Foundation for providing the support for us to push forward biomedical science for better human health. This will allow us to explore uncharted territories and translate laboratory findings into clinical applications that will benefit the global community.”