The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which is preparing to establish the city's third medical school, has recruited new talent, with updated online information showing that Anskar Leung Yu-hung, former vice-dean (human capital) of the University of Hong Kong's medical faculty, has joined as senior associate dean of the new medical school.
Leung, a professor of haematology in HKU's Department of Medicine, has long researched acute myeloid leukaemia. In May he briefed media at HKU on his team's development of a new combination therapy that significantly reduces leukaemia relapse rates.
According to HKUST's website, apart from founding dean King Li, who took office in June, several full-time academics have formally joined the new medical school, with Leung the most prominent.
Other overseas academics joining include Elaine Holmes, former professor of biochemistry at Imperial College London and professor of molecular phenomics at Murdoch University in Australia, who has been appointed professor. In an online post, she said she joined HKUST in early July, describing the university as one of the few places where disciplines can naturally converge, spanning systems medicine, microbiome research, AI and precision health. She said she was deeply inspired by HKUST's energy and ambition.
Jeremy K. Nicholson, former pro-vice-chancellor for health sciences at Murdoch University and executive director of the Australian National Phenome Centre, has also been appointed professor at the medical school.
The team also includes HKUST president Nancy Ip, who said in April that seven clinical professors had taken up posts and about 30 had signed letters of intent to join from the US, Europe, Australia and Singapore. She reiterated then that the university would not poach staff from HKU's and Chinese University's medical schools, stressing that medical schools should cooperate to build Hong Kong into an international health innovation hub rather than compete.
