KT Awards Recipients of Year 2024/25

HKBU Innovation Award

Awardee: Dr Ashok IYASWAMY

School of Chinese Medicine

Project:

“Harnessing Engineered Extracellular Vesicles with Phytochemicals for Advanced Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Treatment”

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder characterised by autophagy impairment and the aggregation of Aβ and pTau, which impact memory loss in AD. Dr Iyaswamy's innovative project focuses on harnessing engineered extracellular vesicles enriched with phytochemicals to transform Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment. They have developed a novel method for brain delivery using FE65-engineered hippocampal neuron cell-derived exosomes (FE65-EXO) loaded with Cory-B (FE65-EXO-Cory-B), enabling targeted delivery of Cory-B in AD models, reducing APP-CTF levels and decreasing Aβ plaques (Nature-Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy; 2023). By utilising these vesicles as precise delivery vehicles, they aim to improve and develop a nasal spray using FE65-NSC-EXO-Cau for AD therapeutics, potentially slowing disease progression. This groundbreaking approach not only promises to advance medical science but also underscores our commitment to finding sustainable solutions through the synergy of biotechnology. They strive to make a significant impact on the lives of those affected by Alzheimer's disease using cutting-edge technology for neurodegenerative disease management.

HKBU Knowledge Transfer Award

Awardee: Prof. Wai Tung FUNG, Ada

Department of Sports and Health Sciences

Project:

“HK-VMT Brain Health Platform for Early Detection and Management of Dementia in Community Settings”

The Hong Kong-Vigilance and Memory Test (HK-VMT), developed by Prof. Ada Fung, is a pioneering dementia risk management platform promoting brain health among older adults. It offers free online cognitive screening and personalised lifestyle advice to detect early cognitive changes, enabling low-cost lifestyle interventions to delay the onset of dementia and lower healthcare costs. Since 2021, it has been implemented in 20 community centres and has benefited over 2,000 users. The platform delivers instant results, automated scoring, and visual dementia risk reports, empowering healthcare workers to provide targeted preventive care and enhance community dementia services.