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A top research academic from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Professor JIANG Liwen, Professor of the Department of Biology and Director of the Centre for Cell and Development Biology, was presented the prestigious Senior Research Fellowship of The Croucher Foundation today (24 March), in recognition of his outstanding scientific achievement in the international scientific community. The award was presented by the Honourable Wong Yan Lung, SC, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government.

The Croucher Senior Research Fellowships scheme was first introduced in 1997/98 academic year. The value of each Senior Research Fellowship is about US$100,000. It is awarded to local academics who have excelled in scientific research work as judged by leading international scientists invited to provide confidential reviews of candidates nominated in a competitive exercise. Funds are awarded to the universities of the fellowship recipients, enabling the university to recruit replacement teachers to take over the award winner’s duties for the period of the fellowship. This enables the awardees to devote more time and effort to research work. Each winner will also receive a grant towards research expenses of HK$60,000.

A total of 18 scholars from CUHK have been awarded the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship since its inception, they are: Professor Henry WONG Nai Ching, Professor WU Chi, Professor XIE Zuo Wei, Professor CHOW Hak Fun and Professor Tony SHING Kung Ming of Chemistry, Professor Raymond YEUNG Wai Ho of Information Engineering, Professor ZHOU Xun Yu of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, Professor WEI Jun Cheng of Mathematics, Professor XIA Ke Qing and Professor Emily CHING Shuk Chi of Physics, Professor HUANG Jie of Automation and Computer-Aided Engineering, Professor CHAN Hsiao Chang of Physiology, Professor Michael LYU Rung Tsong of Computer Science and Engineering, and Professor JIANG Liwen of Biology. Four scholars have been awarded Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowship which include Professor Jean WOO, Professor Joseph SUNG Jao Yiu and Professor Francis CHAN Ka Leung of Medicine and Therapeutics, and Professor Dennis LO Yuk Ming of Chemical Pathology.

Professor JIANG Liwen’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of protein trafficking and organelle biogenesis in the plant secretory and endocytic pathways, as well as their potential applications in plant biotechnology.

Professor Jiang received his BSc from South China Agricultural University. He then continued his studies in Canada, obtaining his MSc from the University of British Columbia and his PhD from Simon Fraser University. He spent four years on his postdoctoral research at Washington State University prior to joining the Department of Biology at CUHK as an assistant professor in 2000. He was promoted to associate professor and professor in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

Professor Jiang received awards from CUHK for his outstanding teaching and research achievements, including the Science Faculty Exemplary Teaching Award 2008 and the Research Excellence Award 2006-07. Postgraduate students of Professor Jiang’s laboratory have also received prestigious awards, including twice winning both the Award for the Best Research Output by Research Postgraduate Students of CUHK and Best Paper Awards from the Chinese Associate of Plant Physiology, and others such as the Keystone Symposium Scholarship of USA and Best Student Oral Presentation at international conferences.

Over the past eight years, Professor Jiang has received competitive research grants totaling more than HK$20 million from, among others, the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the National High-technology Research and Development (863) Programme.