She Impacts@CityUHK｜Driving new breakthroughs in personalised cancer treatment by combining microsystems and AI
Professor Khoo Bee Luan, from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), along with her research team, was awarded the Gold Award for MetaPred at the 19th Korea International Women's Invention Exposition (KIWIE). Professor Khoo was the sole inventor from Hong Kong to receive an award at this year's event.
This international accolade underscores Professor Khoo’s steadfast commitment to translating precision medicine from the laboratory into practical clinical applications. Leading the Microsystems for Personalised Medicine (MPM) Laboratory at CityUHK and HK Tech 300 start-up MetaPred, she combines microsystems engineering with artificial intelligence (AI) to transform laboratory findings into practical clinical tools. In addition to winning Gold at KIWIE, the technologies were recognised at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, and Professor Khoo was previously named one of MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators Under 35” in the Asia Pacific region.
Developed by Professor Khoo and team members He Qiuyang, Zhu Mingze and Fong Ching-yin, the award-winning MetaPred addresses critical bottlenecks in clinical oncology. Traditionally, doctors screening targeted therapies for cancer patients have relied heavily on animal models or static cell cultures, a process that often involves lengthy empirical trial and error. MetaPred revolutionises this paradigm by utilising proprietary microfluidic biochips to precisely control micro-volumes of liquid through microscopic channels, recreating a highly realistic tumour microenvironment ex vivo. Combined with deep learning-driven image analysis, it functions as a patient-specific “miniaturised avatar” laboratory, enabling rapid, quantitative evaluations of anti-cancer drug responses, providing clinicians with faster and more precise medication guidelines for tailored treatment regimens.
“Our research aims to move away from traditional, lengthy and uncertain ‘trial and error’ models and create a truly customised medical experience that is personalised to each patient,” said Professor Khoo. Her research team’s technologies will help clinicians create a new era of precision medicine in clinical treatment and deliver more targeted and promising treatment options for cancer patients.
Beyond MetaPred, Professor Khoo has spearheaded the development of an innovative maternal-foetal healthcare system alongside PhD students Huang Ke, Zhang Linghan and Huang Xin, founding another CityUHK HK Tech 300 start-up, HerVitalSigns. Addressing the constraints of conventional cardiotocography (CTG) equipment, which is bulky, restricts maternal mobility and is prone to signal interference, the team engineered a conformal, stretchable wearable sensing system.
Powered by an advanced unsupervised AI engine, the platform wirelessly, continuously and non-invasively captures multi-channel abdominal electrophysiological signals, unmixing them in real time, providing comprehensive insights into maternal-foetal cardiac and uterine contraction dynamics. Key metrics include maternal heart rate, respiratory rate, foetal heart rate, and contraction frequency and propagation direction. By offering continuous, support belt-integrated, clinical-grade monitoring, HerVitalSigns shifts obstetrical care from reactive surveillance to proactive, intelligent decision support, ensuring safer labour and delivery.
Translating these advanced engineering concepts into actual clinical tools requires countless instances of rigorous, methodical experimentation. When asked about the most memorable moment of her academic career, Professor Khoo said that what fascinates her most is not the prestige of awards, but the quiet yet invaluable joy of witnessing a long-term research project finally achieve a breakthrough during late nights in the laboratory. “True milestones are the quiet breakthroughs in the odd hours of the night—perhaps a chip finally successfully holding its seal, or an AI model achieving high predictive accuracy,” she shared. “These small but crucial victories are the cornerstones of our future.”
This path of academic pursuit and innovation is also inseparable from the support of mentors and the CityUHK research ecosystem. Professor Khoo especially thanked Professor Sun Dong, the Founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and current Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, for recruiting her to CityUHK. CityUHK's commitment to high-risk engineering research, coupled with the continued support of its leadership, including Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise), and Professor Zhang Yong, Head of the Department, has allowed the laboratory's research to gradually transform from whiteboard concepts into projects with real clinical value.
Looking ahead, the profound convergence of advanced biomedical engineering and AI opens up boundless possibilities for personalised healthcare. Professor Khoo noted that the greatest driving force propelling her team forward is the opportunity to move clinical practice beyond empirical limitations, thereby enhancing the efficacy of personalised cancer therapies while safeguarding maternal and foetal health during delivery. Offering advice to young women and scholars aspiring to pursue scientific research, Professor Khoo said, “Stand your ground and make yourself heard.”
About the “She Impacts@CityUHK” Series
CityUHK is committed to attracting outstanding research talent from around the world and actively nurturing the next generation of scholars. Recently, CityUHK's Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) and Communications and Institutional Research Office jointly hosted the “Getting Noticed, Getting Networked” workshop. Esteemed guests, including Professor Dame Madeleine Atkins, Senior Fellow of the HKIAS and President-Emeritus of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, shared valuable experiences of female scholars in research communication, personal branding and professional development.
Championing the spirit of the workshop, this series will introduce outstanding women scholars from CityUHK, showcasing their important role in driving knowledge innovation and social progress through their research stories and academic insights.