Since Joining CityU
Research Grants as PI or Co-PI:
Electrochemical lithium intercalation & exfoliation for mass production of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides
and their application for water purification (as Co-PI, led by Dr. Zhiyuan Zeng)
Young Collaborative Research Fund (C1003-23Y), Research Grants Council {NEW}
$ 4,832,040
June 2024 - May 2027
Hong Kong coastal HF-radar network (as Co-PI, led by Dr. Alessandro Stocchino)
Collaborative Research Fund - Equipment Grant (C5032-22EF), Research Grants Council
$ 8,000,000
June 2023 - May 2026
Monitoring of pharmaceuticals in world's estuaries (as PI, Hong Kong Scholar: Dr. Chong Chen)
Hong Kong Scholar Programme (2022)
$ 360,000
Feb 2023 - Jan 2025
Study on the ecology and biodiversity of soft shore in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park (as PI)
Environment and Conservation Fund
$ 972,200
May 2022 - Oct 2023
Optical and computational technologies to combat microplastics and nanoplastics pollution (as Co-PI, led by Prof. Edmund Lam)
Research Impact Fund, Research Grants Council
$ 8,290,000 + 30% matching fund [allocated $ 1,500,000]
Jun 2022 - Dec 2026
Enhancing marine biodiversity on the artificial seawall of the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) with innovative and environmentally friendly eco-engineered fixtures (as PI with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Environment and Conservation Fund
$ 1,200,000
Oct 2022 - Sep 2024
Occurrence and ecological risk of organotins in the marine environment of Hong Kong (as PI, with Prof. Xiaowei Zhang and Dr. G.J. Zhou)
General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
$ 666,015
Jan 2022 - Dec 2024
Assess antibiotic resistome flows from pollution hot-spots to environments and explore the control strategies (as Co-PI, led by Tong Zhang)
Theme-based Research Scheme, Research Grants Council
$ 34,213,000 [allocated ca. $ 2,432,000]
Jan 2021 - Dec 2025
Research Grants as Co-I:
Assessment of eDNA for monitoring fish and decapod diversity and distribution in Hong Kong’s western waters: comparison with trawling (led by Prof Jianwen Qiu)
Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund
$1,939,000
July 2023 - June 2025
Enhancing marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning on the manmade rip-rap seawall at Tai Shue Wan (led by Dr Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund
$1,980,600
July 2023 - Oct 2025
Comprehensive Risk Assessment on Finless Porpoises Exposed to Chlorinated Paraffins and Chemical Mixtures Using High-resolution Mass Spectrometry and Toxicokinetic Model (led by Dr Qi Wang)
Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund
$631,200
June 2023 - May 2025
Shore up with shells: Enhancing marine biodiversity on artificial rip-rap seawalls with a nature-based approach (led by Dr Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund
$ 499,400
July 2022 - June 2023
Shells for understanding Lantau sub-tidal ecosystem history: Part 2. Hong Kong wide comparison (led by Dr Moriaki Yasuhara)
Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund
$ 633,400
July 2022 - June 2023
Enhancement of marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning along Lantau eco-shoreline with low-pH sea-sand seawater eco-engineered seawall panels (led by Prof. C.S. Poon)
Lantau Conservation Fund
$ 2,269,000
Jan 2022 - Dec 2024
Ecological restoration of oyster shell reefs at Sham Wan Restricted Area (led by Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund
$ 1,198,200
Feb 2022 - July 2023
Feasibility study of detecting local seahorse and pipefish species in the coastal area of Hong Kong by environmental DNA (led by Dr. Apple Chui)
Marine Conservation Enhancement Fund
$ 1,485,556
Dec 2021 - Nov 2024
Development of a platform for rapid identification of microalgae and microplastics in seawater (led by Dr. Meng Yan)
Innovation and Technology Fund (粵港科技合作資助計劃丙類)
$ 899,300
Jan 2022 - Dec 2023
Development of nano-photocatalytic marine antifouling/ anticorrosion coatings (led by Prof. Michael Leung)
Innovation and Technology Fund
$ 1,879,299
Jan 2022 - Dec 2024
Shells for understanding Lantau sub-tidal ecosystem history: a conservation baseline (led by Dr Moriaki Yasuhara)
Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund
$ 448,320
July 2021 - June 2022
Revealing benthic habitats and sessile epibenthic biodiversity in Victoria Harbour: A preliminary study (led by Dr. Leo Chan)
Environment and Conservation Fund
$ 699,713
Mar 2021 - Sep 2022
Consultancy Services as PI or Co-I:
Advisory Services for Site Trial of Floating Artificial Reefs (as Co-I, led by Dr Jay Minuti)
Civil Engineering and Development Department {NEW}
$1,360,000
Feb 2024 - July 2025
Wider application of eco-shoreline in Hong Kong (as Co-I, led by Dr Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Civil Engineering and Development Department {NEW}
$2,400,000
Jan 2024 - Jan 2027
Provision of Service for Species Identification by DNA Test (as Co-I, led by Dr. Meng Yan)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department {NEW}
$ 1,100,000
Oct 2023 - Oct 2026
Amount: HK$ 1,100,000.00
Site trials of eco-shoreline in West Kowloon Cultural District and New Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter (as PI, with Dr. Jay Joan Minuti and Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$ 2,697,996
April 2023 - Mar 2026
Design and fabrication services of ecological unites on pilot site trials of sustainable measures at seawalls within Victoria Harbour - Revitalized typhoon shelter precinct at Victoria Park Road Waterfront (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Development Bureau
$ 797,125
Dec 2022 - Jun 2023
Site trial of water quality enhancement by bivalve restoration in Wan Chai Basin (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$ 1,380,000
Oct 2022 - Oct 2024
Ecological monitoring of the eco-enhancement of sloping seawall (subtidal section) (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited (funded by AAHK)
$ 214,588
April 2022 - Nov 2023
Provision of services for laboratory analysis of toxic substances in marine environmental samples (Groups II and III tests) (as PI, with Dr. Phoebe Ruan)
Environmental Protection Department
$ 980,000
Sep 2022 - Aug 2023
Provision of technical supporting services to the AFFS-GBA Scheme at Hui Zhou (as PI, with Dr. Meng Yan)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,399,980
July 2022 - June 2023
Provision of services for conducting night fisheries resources surveys (as PI, with with Dr. Meng Yan, Dr. Pricilla Leung & Prof. Min Liu)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,400,000
May 2022 - April 2023
Consultancy Services on Pilot Site Trials of Sustainable Measures at Seawalls within Victoria Harbour - Revitalized Typhoon Shelter Precinct at Victoria (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo & Mr. Michael Kokora)
Development Bureau
$1,199,405
April 2022 - March 2024
Fishing survey at existing and proposed marine parks in western Hong Kong waters (as PI, with Dr. Meng Yan, Mr. Vincent Lai, Dr. Pricilla Leung & Prof. Min Liu)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,360,000
Oct 2021- Oct 2023
Fishing survey at Hoi Ha Wan, Tung Ping Chau, Yan Chau Tong Marine Parks and Cape D’Aguilar Marine Reserve in eastern Waters of Hong Kong (as PI, with Dr. Meng Yan, Mr. Vincent Lai, Dr. Pricilla Leung & Prof. Min Liu)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,340,000
Oct 2021- Oct 2023
Provision of service for species identification by DNA test (as Co-I, led by Dr. Meng Yan)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,080,000
Oct 2021- 5 Oct 2023 [Completed]
Ecological monitoring of the eco-enhancement of seawall (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited (funded by AAHK)
$ 385,080
Aug 2021 - Nov 2022 [Completed]
Provision of technical supporting services to the AFFS-GBA Scheme at Hui Zhou (as PI, with Dr. Meng Yan)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,399,980
July 2021 - June 2022 [Completed]
Post-construction marine ecological survey at Lung Mei Beach (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$ 1,300,000
Feb 2021 - Aug 2022 [Completed]
Field sampling, species identification and data analysis of benthic infaunal communities of Hong Kong marine waters (as Co-I, led by Dr. Jianwen Qiu)
Environmental Protection Department
$ 1,200,000
Feb 2021 - Jan 2022 [Completed]
Microplastics survey in stormwater discharge (as Co-PI, led by Dr. Kai Zhang)
Drainage Services Department
$ 524,800
Jan 2021 - Dec 2021 [Completed]
Juvenile fish studies in marine habitats at Port Shelter (as PI, with Dr. Meng Yan)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$ 1,400,000
Jan 2021 - Jun 2022 [Completed]
Ecological monitoring on evaluation of the effectiveness of the eco-enhanced seawall design: Preliminary study (as PI, with Dr. Juan Carlos Astudillo)
ERM-HK Limited (funded by AAHK)
$ 143,100
Oct 2020 - Feb 2021 [Completed]
Conference Grants as PI:
The Croucher Foundation's Conference Sponsorship for the 2nd International Conference on Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems (BECoME 2022) (as PI)
The Croucher Foundation Limited
$ 100,000
Nov 2021 - April 2022
ECF Conference Grant for the 2nd International Conference on Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems (BECoME 2022) (as PI)
Environment and Conservation Fund
$ 500,000 (or 70% of total running cost and whichever would be the less)
Feb 2021 - Feb 2022
Before Joining CityU
Research Grants as PI or Co-PI:
SIRMS 2.0: Establishing Asia's premier stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry laboratory in Hong Kong (as Project Coordinator up to July 2020; as Co-PI thereafter)
Collaborative Research Fund (C7050-18EF), Research Grants Council
$3,804,007 (Same amount of matching fund be provided by HKU)
Jun 2019 - May 2022
Ecological risk assessment of retinoic acids in urbanized coastal marine ecosystems (as PI with Prof. Jae-Seong Lee and Dr. G.J. Zhou)
General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
$733,240
Sep 2017 - Mar 2021
Enhanced separation and sludge refinery for wastewater treatment - Solving the nexus of pollution control and resource recovery in mega cities (as Co-PI, led by Prof. X.Y. Li)
Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) for 2016/17, Research Grants Council (T21-711/16-R)
$32,000,000 [allocated 1,700,000]
Oct 2016 - Sep 2022
Research Grants as Co-I:
Apelin receptor agonist – a novel oral therapeutic agent to treat Alzheimer’s disease (as Co-I, led by Roy Chun-laam NG)
Human and Medical Research Fund (HMRF)
$1,245,348
Jul 2019 - Jun 2021
Consultancy Services as PI or Co-I:
Pilot site trials of sustainable measures at seawalls within Victoria Harbour - Tsuen Wan promenade (as Co-PI, led by Janet Chan)
Development Bureau
$1,084,417
Dec 2019 - Feb 2023
Development of options for a fisheries monitoring programme in Hong Kong (as Co-I, led by Paul K. S. Lam until 31 March 2021; as PI from 1 April 2021)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$4,883,680
Aug 2019 - Dec 2021
Second pilot trial of eco-shoreline at the Taishan Receptor Site (as Co-PI, led by Janet Chan)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$1,400,000
Jul 2018 - Apr 2021
Site trials of eco-shoreline on seawalls at Sai Kung, Lung Kwu Tan and Ma Liu Shui (as Co-PI, led by Janet Chan)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$2,702,500
Feb 2018 - Dec 2021
Completed Projects
Assessment of water quality of Tai Shui Hang River near WENT landfill (as PI)
Environmental Protection Department
$596,000
Jan - Nov 2019 (Competed)
Species identification and data analysis of epibenthic communities in Hong Kong marine waters (as PI)
Environmental Protection Department
$218,000
Jul 2018 - Jun 2019 (Completed)
The 9th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology (10-14 June 2019) (as PI)
Environment and Conservation Fund
$403,920 (Environment and Conservation Fund)
$100,000 (Croucher Foundation, Hong Kong)
Jan - Dec 2019 (Completed)
Tung Chung New Town Extension (East) – Design and Construction (led by AECOM Asia Company Limited) (as Co-PI)
AECOM Asia Company Limited
$230,000
Oct 2016 - Sep 2018 (Completed)
Flipping the classroom to revitalize the biostatistics course: Enhancing teaching and learning effectiveness through e-learning (as PI with Drs. Edward Lau, Janet Chan and Mana Yung)
Teaching Development Grants of HKU
$248,768
Sep 2017 - Aug 2018 (Completed)
Conceptual scheme for full-scale implementation of eco-shoreline at Taishan Receptor Site (as PI with Mr. Vincent Lai, Dr. Edward Lau and Dr. Mana Yung)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$150,000
May 2017 - Apr 2018 (Completed)
Assessing the marine biodiversity and ecology of Tolo Harbour and Channel, with particular reference to coastal marine environments of Ting Kok and Shuen Wan Hoi – Phase II (as Deputy PI, led by Prof. Gray A Williams)
Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF Project 2016-79)
$4,233,490
Apr 2017 - Sep 2018 (Completed)
Study of biodiversity and ecology of the marine environment adjacent to Castle Peak and Black Point Power Stations (as PI with Vincent Lai)
CLP Power Hong Kong Limited
$1,818,830
Mar 2017 - May 2018 (Completed)
Pilot trial of eco-shoreline at the Taishan Receptor Site (as PI with Vincent Lai)
Civil Engineering and Development Department
$980,000
Oct 2016 - Feb 2018 (Completed)
Fishing Surveys at (1) Hoi Ha Wan, Tung Ping Chau, Yan Chau Tong Marine Parks and Cape D’Aguilar Marine Reserve, and (2) Shar Chau & Lung Kwu Chau, Brothers, Southwest Lantau and Soko Islands Marine Parks (as Co-I, led by Vincent La)
Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department
$1,350,000
Sep 2016 - Aug 2018 (Completed)