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About Edwin Chan

Ho Yin Edwin CHAN is Professor and Director of the School of Life Sciences (SLS) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He served as Director of the Master of Science Degree Programme in Biochemical and Biomedical Sciences of SLS from 2010-2016, Biochemistry Undergraduate Programme Associate Director (2022-2023), Biochemistry Undergraduate Programme Director (2023-2024), and Deputy Director of the Bachelor of Science Degree Natural Sciences Programme (2013-2024). Edwin has been involved in a wide spectrum of services at CUHK. In particular, he was Associate Vice-President and University Dean of Students of CUHK (2017-2019); Dean of General Education (2014-2017) and Associate Head (2021-2023)/Dean of Students (2022-2023) of Chung Chi College, CUHK.

Edwin obtained his undergraduate training in biochemistry from CUHK, doctoral training in genetics from The University of Cambridge (UK), and postdoctoral training in neuroscience from The University of Pennsylvania (USA). As a trainee, he received numerous scholarship and fellowship awards in support of his research training, including Croucher Foundation Scholarship, Wellcome Trust International Traveling Research Fellowship, Human Frontier Program Long-Term Research Fellowship, Huntington’s Disease Society of America Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, and Hereditary Disease Foundation John J. Wasmuth Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Since 1999, Edwin investigates pathogenic pathways of repeat expansion diseases, including spinocerebellar ataxias, Huntington’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and myotonic dystrophy, which belong to a group of rare neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. He takes a multi-disciplinary approach to identity new disease loci, study disease pathogeneses, and develop therapeutics for these disorders. Edwin’s contribution to the field is well recognized. He has received various research prizes, including the 2010 CUHK Young Researcher Award, and the Genetics Society of China 13th Ju-Chi Li Animal Genetics Prize in 2011. In 2014, he was awarded a Churchill College Visiting By-Fellowship to study pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxias at the Department of Genetics, The University of Cambridge (UK). Edwin established an intercontinental research collaboration network Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases (NRND) in 2019, and co-manages research programs with collaborators from Denmark, France, Italy, Slovenia, UK and USA. To date, Edwin’s research has attracted over HK$64M (~US$8.2M) of external funding, and he has published over 110 scientific articles. In terms of technology transfer, Edwin currently holds 6 US patents. He co-founded his company Rare Power Limited in 2023. Rare Power Limited has been admitted to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks’ IncuBio Programme in 2024.

Edwin is consultant of the Hong Kong Spinocerebellar Ataxia Association and Chairperson of the Association’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee. He served on the Asia-Pacific Drosophila Board as the founding representative of Hong Kong, and was the Organizing Committee member of the inaugural and 2nd Asia-Pacific Drosophila Research Conference in 2011 and 2013 respectively, and the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Drosophila Neurobiology Conference in 2017. He is currently member of the Public Education and Communication Committee of the Society for Neuroscience from 2024-2027. He is Associate Editor of Frontiers in Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration; and ad hoc reviewer for scientific journals, including Autophagy, Brain, Cell Death & Disease, Cell Research, EMBO Journal, EMBO Molecular Medicine, EMBO Reports, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Communications, PLoS Genetics, PNAS, Science Translational Medicine. Edwin is a Biology and Medicine Panel (Joint Research Schemes) member of the Research Grants Council Hong Kong. He also serves as reviewers for international funding agencies, including Medical Research Council (UK), Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, Wellcome Trust (UK) and Telethon Foundation (Italy). Edwin is Founding Member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, and served on Academy’s inaugural Executive Committee from 2019 to 2022.

Edwin is married to Mandy, and they have a lovely daughter Gabriella. In his spare time, he takes up the role as photographer of the family. He loves endurance sports, such as long-distance running, tri-sports and hiking. He published his autobiography 毋忘初心的科學家 in June 2017 and contributed to the production of a popular science education comic book 果蠅俠 in September 2020. Edwin is committed to both secondary and tertiary education. He is School Supervisor and School Council member of secondary schools in Hong Kong.

  Updated on 1 August 2024
 
September 2024
中大教授倡議罕見病患「預設照顧計劃」 知識轉移基金助實踐願景
{Photo source: [香港01:港聞 社會新聞 2024-09-19 ]}
>>Link
 
February 2024
從初創中進化 陪伴弱勢病患對抗死神 —— 遺傳病學者陳浩然30年堅持科研路研AI溝通工具破解罕見病無聲苦難 《Cubic Zine 2024年2月號
{Photo source: [Cubic Zine 2024年2月號]}
>>Link
 
罕見病患者的AI留聲機 《Cubic Zine 2024年2月20
{Photo source: [Cubic Zine 2024年2月20]}
>>Link
 
January 2021
緊守崗位 必有和應 Influencing with determination 《崇基校園通訊 2021年1月20日—Vol. 57 卷 No. 1期
{Photo source: [崇基校園通訊 2021年1月20日—Vol. 57 卷 No. 1期]}
 
November 2020
在生命的順流或逆流中成為更好的自己-罕見的堅毅 《循道衞理優質生命教育中心 2020年11月14
{Photo source: [循道衞理優質生命教育中心] 14 Nov. 2020}
>>Links
1. Video
2. 中學版教材套
3. 學版教材套
 
September 2020
果蠅模式生物科普叢書1-果蠅俠
>>i. Synopsis故事介紹
果蠅是一種昆蟲,但牠不同於蒼蠅,在科學研究上是一種模式生物,是科學家進行生物科技研究的好幫手。故事中的果蠅兄妹在偶然的機會下進入果蠅俠訓練營,訓練期間,他們學習研發治療不同疾病的方案,與科學家合作利用轉基因等方法幫助人類消滅病毒。故事結尾,果蠅兄妹還與科學家一起拆解了人類自身免疫系統的謎團,令人類更深入了解病毒入侵人體的過程,從而採取保護措施,增強免疫力,減少生病。
>>ii. Links
1. 果蠅俠 故事介紹短片
2. 果蠅俠 主題曲
3. 果蠅俠 有聲故事書
4. 果蠅俠 ZebraEdu 科普繪本
 
June 2019
中大六學者任香港青年科學院院士   Six CUHK Professors Elected into Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences
>>Links: i. 中大通訊   ii. 明報新聞網
 
May 2019
織聚點 (賽馬會自助組織發展計劃)
 
May 2019
縈迴腦海的演詞  《號角 香港版 耳聽八方: (師心童心) 2019年5月
 
Nov. 2018
新城電台教育節目《世界大學堂》 2018年11月10日
>>Audio:    Part I    Part II
 
Sept. 2018

年輕人的別稱    號角 香港版 耳聽八方: (師心童心) 2018年9月

 
Aug. 2018

Fuz protein and neurological disorders     (Croucher Foundation 18 August 2018)

 
Aug. 2018

中學生參與小腦萎縮症研究 (RTHK 精靈一點 2018年8月7日)

 
Aug. 2018

淺談脊髓小腦運動失調症 ─ 專訪陳浩然教授 (立場新聞 2018年8月6日)

 
Feb. 2018

CUHK Newsletter 中大通訊 No. 512: Students’ Steely Support: Edwin Chan on Students and Growth

 
Nov. 2017

大學廣場 Issue 182: 訪問新任大學輔導長 ─ 陳浩然教授

 
Sept. 2017

中大校友 2017年9月

 
July 2017

受病友感動   傾力研究罕見疾病   [星期日生活SundayMingpao , 9 July 2017]

 
Aug. 2016
Beliefs of scientific researchers who engage in biomedical research 科研工作者的信念
 
Mar. 2016
崇基校友季刊 二零一六年三月號
 
Mar. 2016
「創意」細胞的孕育 >> Video (from 1:26)
An Ethos of Empathy 互助助人 >> Video (from 2:06)
 
 
31 Dec. 2015
Results pay off in studying science of life [The Standard 31 Dec. 2015]
>> Details
 
30 Dec. 2015
陳浩然:生命的啟發    [頭條日報 30 Dec. 2015]
>> Details
>> News Clip
 
June. 2013
Science Faculty 50th Anniversary Commemorative Publication- June 2013
1. The Interview       2. The Booklet
 
Nov. 2012
生活晴報 interview