The SLS/GCNI Joint Seminar

Co-organized by School of Life Sciences (SLS) and the Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute (GCNI), the SLS/GCNI joint seminar was held at Science Centre L3, The Chinese University of Hong Kong on May 28, 2025.

Prof. Cahir O’Kane, Professor of Department of Genetics at University of Cambridge, delivered a talk titled “Axonal endoplasmic reticulum: an organelle continuous over metres, and its links to axon degeneration”. Following the presentation, participants engaged in lively discussions, exchanging insights on neuroscience research—particularly the role of cellular organelles in axons and their links to human diseases, such as hereditary spastic paraplegia.

SLS Seminar Series: Cardiolipin-sensitive PE transfer supports plant life

On April 30, SLS Seminar Serie has offered a new scientific seminar featuring a presentation by Professor Prof. Junjie Hu, from National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Transfer of lipid across different cellular compartments is an essential process for intracellular lipid traffic. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a main source for lipid synthesis, from where lipids or precursors are transported to other organelles through vesicle and nonvesicle routes. Prof. Hu presented a recent discovery about a novel lipid transfer regulator for lipid transfer between ER and mitochondria in plant development and stress response. Following PhD and postdoctoral work in US, Prof. Hu established an illustrious career researching the functional significance of different ER morphologies in different cell types, and their implication in various human diseases.

SLS Seminar Series: Vesicle organization and transportation via phase separation: from presynaptic terminals to general cells

Our nerve systems are made up by billions of neuron cells, which are responsible for the transfer of information through a process called neurotransmission. It has been well known that synaptic vesicles transport neurotransmitters in the neurons for their release to the presynaptic active zone. But how the transport of synaptic vesicles is regulated are still unclear.

On April 23, Prof. Xiandeng Wu from School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology has visited School of Life Sciences in CUHK. He nicely introduced how synaptic vesicles are regulated and organized for short distance and directional transport in the presynaptic terminals via phase separation, which was recent published in Cell. His current research has also expanded to explore this mechanism in general cells and disease models to understand how phase separation of vesicles links to physiological functions.

SLS Seminar Series: Reprogramming of Host Membrane Trafficking During Host-Pathogen Interactions
On April 15, Dr. Enoch Lok Him Yuen has visited School of Life Sciences in CUHK to share his latest research work to our students about host-pathogen interaction. Dr. Enoch Lok Him Yuen was born and raised in Hong Kong. He moved to the UK for secondary school and continued to finish his Bachelor and PhD in Imperial College London in Biological Sciences. Besides, he obtained an MPhil in Business Management from the University of Cambridge. He also had a great discussion with the students about university life in the UK.

On April 3, Professor Grant Dewson from WEHI (The Walter and Eliza Hall institute of Medical Research, Australia) delivered an insightful seminar titled "Targeting Mitochondrial Vulnerabilities in Parkinson's Disease" to our school. The session was attended by undergraduate and postgraduate students, along with faculty members. The engaging talk sparked numerous questions and discussions. Professor Dewson also introduced the Inspire Program, a summer exchange program to WEHI, which generated great interest among students.

SLS Seminar Series: How to Integrate 5“A”s to Live a Longer & Healthier Life
On Feb 20, Prof. Evandro Fei Fang from University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital (Norway) has visited School of Life Sciences in CUHK and delivered a fascinating seminar to our students about his excellent research in ageing.

As an CUHK alumnus, Prof. Fang was very glad to return to CUHK. He is also actively promoting the research collaborations and student exchange between Hong Kong and Nordic groups. He is the coordinator of the Hong Kong-Nordic Research Network and will be back to Hong Kong again in September this year for the Hong Kong-Nordic Research meeting.

On Feb 6^th, Professor Yuelin Zhang from Sichuang University has visited School of Life Sciences in CUHK to deliver a seminar entitled “Salicylic Acid Biosynthesis and Signaling in Plants”.

Salicylic acid, a plant hormone, is widely used in the preparation of aspirin and many pharmaceutical products. For plants, it serves as a vital component of the plant immune system, enabling plants to defend against pathogens. However, the mechanisms governing its synthesis have long been unclear. In the seminar, Professor Yuelin Zhang has introduced his groundbreaking new discovery of a novel biosynthetic pathway for salicylic acid biosynthesis, which is set to be published in the esteemed Nature journal. Furthermore, his has provided a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the regulatory pathways of salicylic acid in plant immunity, including an alternative signalling pathway of salicylic acid that modulates plant defence control by his group.