Areas of Excellence Scheme

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Areas of Excellence Selection Panel

Committee Member	Title/Institution
Chairman
Professor Paul K L Yu*	Provost of Revelle College and William S C Chang Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, U.S.A. Interests in optoelectronic materials, devices and engineering, modern communication, microwave photonics (e.g. transmission of high frequency optical signals and signal processing).
Members
Biology and Medicine Sub-group
Professor Hongtao Yu*	Chair Professor and Dean of School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, P.R.C. Interests in combining cell biological, biochemical, and biophysical methods, to understand cellular mechanisms governing genomic stability at the molecular and atomic levels.
Professor Xiao-fan Wang*	Donald and Elizabeth Cooke Distinguished Professor of Cancer Research, Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, U.S.A. Interests in surgery, elucidation of molecular nature and signaling mechanisms associated with the initiation of cellular senescence and development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of various types of human cancer.
Professor Sandy Feng*	Professor of Surgery in Residence, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, U.S.A. Interests in solid organ transplantation, transplant immunology/tolerance, cirrhosis and associated complications including hepatocellular carcinoma, and clinical trials related to organ transplantation and including cellular therapies.
Professor Tony Gin	Emeritus Professor, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Interests in anaesthesia, pain medicine and pharmacology.
Professor Yibin Kang*	Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, U.S.A. Interests in functional genomics analysis of mammary gland development, breast cancer initiation, progression and metastasis.
Professor Kay Tee Khaw*	Professor of Clinical Gerontology, Clinical Gerontology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, U.K. Interests in epidemiology, public health, ageing, cardiovascular disease and nutrition.
Professor Andrew Lever*	Professor of Infectious Diseases, Head of Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Cambridge, U.K. Interests in retroviruses and rotaviruses, pathogen biology and evolution, gene transfer and gene therapy.
Professor Peter Polverini*	Jonathan Taft Distinguished University Professor of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, U.S.A. Interests in angiogenesis, tumor angiogenesis, endothelial cells, healthcare quality, tumors, apoptosis, cardiovascular system, vascular biology and macrophage.
Professor Jonas Rosendahl*	Leitender Oberarzt der Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Universitätsklinikum Halle, Germany Interests in genetic studies in gastroenterology, functional studies of genetic variants (in vitro/in vivo), clinical research in gastroenterology.
Professor Richard Strugnell*	Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Australia Interests in microbiology/immunology interface, and in basic bacterial molecular biology of key microbiological phenomena including bacterial physiology, biofilm development and adaptation to intracellular growth.
Engineering Sub-group
Professor Ronaldo Borja*	Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor (By Courtesy) of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, U.S.A. Interests in theoretical and computational solid mechanics, geomechanics and geosciences.
Professor Jon Longtin*	Associate Dean for Research and Entrepreneurship and Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, U.S.A. Interests in using the unique qualities of laser light for novel measurement of the thermophysical behavior of liquid and solids.
Professor Pedro Alvarez*	George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, U.S.A. Interests in environmental implications and applications of nanotechnology, bioremediation, fate and transport of toxic chemicals, water footprint of biofuels, water treatment and reuse, and antibiotic resistance control.
Professor Catherine Brinson*	Professor and Chair of Department of Mechanical, Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, U.S.A. Interests in advanced material systems and developing new methods to characterize and to model material behavior.
Professor Ray Chen*	Keys and Joan Curry/Cullen Trust Endowed Chair Professor, The University of Texas, Austin, U.S.A Interests in Nano-photonic passive and active devices for bio- and EM-wave sensing and interconnect applications; thin film guided-wave optical interconnection, computing and packaging for 2D and 3D laser beam routing and steering; True Time Delay (TTD) wide band Phased Array Antenna (PAA); 3D printed micro-electronics and photonics.
Professor Yiran Chen*	Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, U.S.A. Interests in emerging memory and storage systems, embedded systems, CPS, edge computing and mobile applications, neuromorphic computing, deep learning and systems security, and low power circuit and system.
Professor Roland T Chin	Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Interests in computer vision, image processing, pattern recognition and digital signal processing.
Professor George T C Chiu*	Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, U.S.A. Interests in mechatronics, dynamic systems and control, digital imaging and printing systems, functional printing and digital fabrication, robotics, perception-based engineering, human motor control, optimal and robust control.
Professor Wei Ding*	Professor of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Boston, U.S.A. Interests in data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, computational semantics, and with applications to health sciences, astronomy, geosciences, and environmental sciences.
Professor Lucy E Dunne*	Professor and Program Director of Apparel Design and Apparel Studies Track of Design Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, U.S.A. Interests in apparel design, functional apparel, smart clothing/wearable technology.
Dr Julio C Guerrero*	Founder and CEO, Cambridge Research and Technology L.L.C. Senior Manager of Exponent, Inc., U.S.A. Interests in analyzing, designing, and developing mechanical systems, including those for harsh and extreme conditions, and energy and oil and gas and biomedical industries.
Professor Jay CC Kuo*	Distinguished Professor of EE and CS, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, U.S.A. Interest in signal and image processing, machine learning and computer vision.
Professor Alexandru Morega*	Professor of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical Machines, Materials and Actuators, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania Interests in electromagnetism, electrical and magnetic circuits, processes of heat and mass transfer, energy conversion and sources, mathematical, numerical modeling for boundary and initial condition problems, nonlinear dynamics, biomedical engineering and technology, structural optimization, construction design, modeling interdisciplinary problems.
Professor Duc Truong Pham*	Chance Professor of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom Interests in rapid manufacturing, micro manufacturing, automation, robotics, IT and intelligent systems.
Professor Steve Wai-ching Sun*	Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University in the City of New York, U.S.A. Interests in the mechanics and physics of geological and porous materials such as soil, rocks, concrete, and salt.
Professor Dacheng Tao*	Professor of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Australia Interests in artificial intelligence, including computer vision, data science, deep learning, image processing, machine learning, medical informatics, social media, and video surveillance.
Professor Wei Wu*	Director of Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria Interests in ground investigation, numerical simulation, geotechnical expertise, geotechnical design, geohazard.
Physical Sciences Sub-group
Professor Wesley Cantwell*	Director, Aerospace Research and Innovation Centre and Associate Dean for Research, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Khalifa University of Science Technology and Research, U.A.E. Interests in composites, polymers, fracture, adhesion, nanocomposites.
Professor Jonathan Cooper*	Wolfson Chair of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, U.K. Interests in use of micro and nanotechnology at the life-science interface, particularly in the area of advanced diagnostics and Lab-on-a-Chip.
Professor Isabelle Baraffe*	Professor of Astrophysics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Exeter, U.K. Interests in Stellar hydrodynamics, Exoplanets, Planetary atmospheric dynamics.
Professor Pierre Braunstein*	Emeritus Research Director CNRS, CNRS-University of Strasbourg, France Interests in Molecular chemistry, Transition elements, Polytopic ligands, Ligands with delocalized electronic system, Metal complexes of functional enolates, Bimetallics with Silicon ligands, Molecular clusters, Carbene complexes.
Professor David Carey*	Professor and Head of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey, U.K. Interests in graphene and beyond graphene: 2D Layered Materials, band gap engineering, doping and characterization.
Professor Young Hee Lee*	Director, IBS Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea Interests in physics, energy science and nanostructure physics.
Professor Chung-yu Mou*	Professor of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan Interests in Theoretical Condensed Matter, Physics, Superconductivity, Kinetic surface, roughnening.
Professor Pablo Ordejón*	Research Professor, Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and acronym ICN2, Spain Interests in Development of efficient methods for electronic structure calculations in large and complex systems, fundamental properties of materials at the atomistic level.
Professor Didier Pribat*	Research Director, Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, France Interests in Nanoscience & Nanotechnologies, Crystal growth, Materials science.
Professor Nora Fung-yee Tam	Emeritus Professor of Department of Chemistry, Member of State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Interests in biological waste treatment, bioremediation, mangrove ecology and pollution control.
Professor Christopher Tout*	Professor of Stellar Evolution , Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, U.K. Interest in the theory of stellar evolution including that of interacting binary stars. Fluid and magnetohydrodynamic processes in stars.
Humanities and Social Sciences Sub-group
Professor Gigi Luk*	Associate Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Canada Interests in Bilingualism, cognitive development, lifespan development and neuroimaging.
Professor Paul Clark*	Professor of Chinese, Department of Asian Studies, The University of Auckland, New Zealand Interests in Contemporary Chinese popular culture, including film and the Cultural Revolution; Contemporary Chinese history.
Professor Brian James Baer*	Chair Professor of Chinese Legal Culture, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Cologne, Germany Interests in theory and practice of translation and cross-cultural communication.
Professor Piper Gaubatz*	Professor of Geography, Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, U.S.A. Interest in urban geography, China, regional development, urban environment, urban form, urban planning.
Professor Agnes He*	Professor of Asian & Asian American Studies, Stony Brook University, U.S.A. Interests in Applied linguistics, Conversation Analysis, Heritage language.
Professor Jiehong Jiang*	Professor of Chinese Art, Head of Research, School of Art, Birmingham City University, U.K. Interest in contemporary art, curating, visual culture and art history
Professor Fahui Wang*	Associate Dean, The Graduate School, Louisiana State University, U.S.A. Interests in Spatially-integrated social sciences, public policy and planning (S3P3).
Professor Weiping Wu*	Professor & Director, Urban Planning Program Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, U.S.A. Interests in urbanization and migration, urban development and policy, urban infrastructure.
Business Sub-group
Professor Nancy Y Wong*	Professor, Consumer Science, School of Human Ecology and Faculty Director, Kohl's Center for Retailing Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A. Interests in culture, materialism and emotion, cross-cultural research methods, consumer decision making and public policy.
Professor Rosalie Tung*	Ming&Stella Wong Professor of International Business, Simon Fraser University, Canada Interests in international business, international management.
Professor Kai Li*	Canada Research Chair in Corporate Governance & W. Maurice Young Chair in Finance, UBC Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Canada Interests in Corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, culture and finance, corporate innovation, machine learning, gender and finance.

* Members outside Hong Kong