CityUHK Institute of Digital Medicine holds Annual General Meeting; Launches CityUHK–EHP Data Collaboration Laboratory
The Institute of Digital Medicine (IDM) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) held its Annual General Meeting on 10 December, marking a significant milestone in its achievements over the past year in advancing digital healthcare research, technology transformation and industry collaboration.
During the meeting, CityUHK hosted a presentation ceremony for the appointment of the IDM Advisory Committee and officially launched the "CityUHK–EHP Data Collaboration Laboratory", established in collaboration with the EH Plus Digital Technology Limited (“EHP”, a company owned by the Hospital Authority). These initiatives aim to further advance medical innovation and promote sustainable digital health solutions.
Professor Freddy Boey, President and University Distinguished Professor of CityUHK, expressed his gratitude to the industry and partners for their support for the University. “Digital medicine has a profound impact on the global healthcare landscape,” he stated. “The establishment of the IDM is a significant step forward, successfully integrating research and technology into the local community and translating them into practical applications in a remarkably short period of time.”
“Through interdisciplinary and cross-sector research and collaboration, CityUHK is demonstrating how to respond quickly to global challenges in Asia and beyond, setting an example for the world by providing applicable solutions,” he added.
Established in April 2024, the IDM aims to advance research in integrating life and health technologies, data science and artificial intelligence with medical science and public health. In collaboration with renowned universities and medical schools around the world, as well as clinical and industry partners and health tech investors, IDM utilises CityUHK’s research strengths in engineering, data science and life science to develop innovative technologies to support doctors and explore digital health solutions for the long-term benefit of patients.
At the Annual General Meeting, CityUHK hosted a presentation ceremony for the appointment of the IDM Advisory Committee (see the list). Reporting on the Institute's remarkable journey and achievements over the past year were Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, followed by Professor Yu Xinge, Associate Director of the IDM; Professor Deng Xin, Associate Director of the IDM; and Professor Yan Jun, Chief Scientist of the IDM.
To date, the IDM has partnered with over 20 renowned universities and medical schools, as well as clinical and industry partners, and health tech investors, around the world. It has launched more than a dozen symposiums and seminars, inviting over 50 experts from various countries, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Japan and Korea, to foster knowledge exchange. The IDM has also formed three core research clusters with 18 projects in progress, including “Biomarkers, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics”, “Health Data and Models”, and “Wearables, Sensors, and Imaging”.
In addition, the newly established “CityUHK–EHP Data Collaboration Laboratory” was officially launched during the event. This initiative allows authorised researchers to access relevant anonymised data from the Hospital Authority, marking a significant milestone for collaboration among government, industry, academia and research institutions.
“The future of the healthcare industry is shifting toward a patient- and disease-centred approach, driven by the application of big data, AI and other advanced technologies,” said Professor Yang in his closing remarks. “This emphasises proactive health management, making healthcare services more accessible and personalised. Such approaches provide greater opportunities for our young talent in future research and entrepreneurship.”
“The IDM will continue its efforts to collaborate with global partners to create a healthier community and deliver long-term benefits for human health and well-being,” he added.
Appointees to the IDM Advisory Committee during the Annual General Meeting:
- Professor Juhee Cho, Chair of the Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation at the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea
- Professor Fan Chunhai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Executive Director of the Institute of Translational Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- Professor George Gao Fu, Professor and Director at the CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
- Ms Gong Yingying, Founder and Executive Director of Yidu Tech
- Mr Gilbert Li, Chief Financial Officer and Board Secretary of Pharmaron
- Dr Jin Dong, Chief Expert Medical Artificial Intelligence of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, China
- Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Fellow of the Royal Society, Director of iHealthtech at the National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Dr Leung Pak-yin, SBS, JP, Former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, CityUHK Council Member
- Professor Ma Wei-Ying, Director of Hong Kong Institute of AI for Science, Chief of AI at CityUHK
- Mr Narayan Venkataraman, Deputy Director of Data Science and Intelligence at Changi General Hospital, Singapore
- Mr Wang Guoxin, Former Chief Scientist of JD Health
- Mr Ray Yang, Partners of Marathon Venture Partners*
- Ms Yang Qing, General Manager of Baidu Intelligent Cloud Healthcare Products Department
*Current members of the IDM Advisory Committee; others are new appointees.