Funded Projects

2020-Present Competitive External Grants

PC/PI

  • 1. RGC/STG 2026/27 (PC),Combating Aging-Associated Sarcopenia: From Knowledge Discovery to Intervention Testing, HK$ 27,694,000, 01/01/2027-31/12/2032.
  • 2. RGC/GRF 2026/27 (PI), Multiomics identification, characterization and functional elucidation of USS-High skeletal muscle stem cells in muscle regeneration, HK$ 1,296,152, 01/01/2027-31/12/2029.
  • 3. GDSTC 1+1+1 (2025/2026) (PI), Multiomics identification, characterization and functional elucidation of USS-High skeletal muscle stem cells in muscle regeneration, HK$ 500,000, 08/06/2026-07/06/2028.
  • 4. RGC/GRF 2025/26 (PI), Functional study of JunB in skeletal muscle regeneration -a tale of muscle stem cell-niche crosstalk, HK$ 1,381,520, 01/01/2026-31/12/2028.
  • 5. HMRF 2025/2026 (PI), A novel anti-inflammation treatment for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, HK$500,000, 10/07/2026-09/07/2029.
  • 6. RGC/GRF 2023/24 (PI), Mechanistic dissection of alternative promoter usage in skeletal muscle stem cells using Runx1 as a paradigm, HK$ 1,600,000, 01/01/2024-31/12/2026.
  • 7. RGC/GRF 2022/23 (PI), In vivo RNA structure probing unveils DHX36 binding-structure interplay in regulation of mRNA abundance, HK$ 1,600,000, 01/08/2023-31/07/2026.
  • 8. HMRF 2022/23 (PI), Stem cell senescence in skeletal muscle ageing: mechanism and treatment for sarcopenia, HK$1,496,150, 01/04/2023-31/03/2026.
  • 9. RGC/GRF 2022/23 (PI), Elucidating the novel regulatory function of RNA binding proteins in 3D genome organization, HK$ 1,425,114, 01/01/2023-31/12/2025.
  • 10.RGC/GRF 2021/22 (PI), YY1 deficiency in satellite cell exacerbates fibrosis in dystrophic muscle: elucidation of satellite cell/macrophage/fibro-adipogenic progenitor crosstalk in Duchenne muscular dystrophy mice, HK$ 1,525,732, 01/01/2022-31/12/2025.
  • 11.China/NSFC 2021/22 (PI), Dhx36在骨骼肌幹細胞中基因調控的機制研究, RMB$ 560,000, 01/01/2022-31/12/2025.
  • 12.FHB/HMRF 2021 (PI), Stem cell senescence in skeletal muscle ageing: mechanism and treatment for sarcopenia, HK$1,491,150.
  • 13.RGC/GRF 2020/2021 (PI), Functional characterization of Atf3 in skeletal muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration, HK$ 1,394,799, 01/01/2021-31/12/2023.
  • 14.FHB/HMRF 2020/2021 (PI), Elucidation of intrinsic and extrinsic alterations regulating skeletal muscle stem cell aging: mechanisms for sarcopenia, HK$ 1,496,150, 02/12/2021-01/06/2025.
  • 15.RGC/GRF 2020/2021 (PI), 3D genome rewiring during muscle stem cell linage development and aging, HK$ 1,194,637, 01/01/2021-30/06/2024.
  • 16.RGC/GRF 2019/2020 (PI), Elucidation of post-transcriptional regulatory functions of Dhx36 in skeletal muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration, HK$ 1,111,376, 01/01/2020-31/12/2022.

Co-PI

  • 17.China/MOST 2024/2025 (Co-PI),肌肉在代謝穩態維持及代謝性疾病發生發展中的作用機制研, RMB 3,840,000, 01/02/2025-31/01/2029.
  • 18.RGC/STG 2024/25 (Co-PI), Foundation Models-Empowered Ambient Intelligence Systems for Early Diagnosis, Personalized Intervention, and Complex Cross-Disease Interplay Analysis of Aging-Related Degenerative Diseases, HK$1,500,000, 01/01/2025-31/12/2029.
  • 19.China/MOST 2021/22 (Co-PI), 代謝微環境紊亂對骨骼肌疾病和穩態維持的功能及干預策略，RMB 3,840,000, 01/12/2022-30/11/2027.
  • 20.ITC/InnoHK 2021/22 (Co-PI), Epigenomics study of aging skeletal muscle stem cells: Biology and interventions for sarcopenia, HK$ 10,200,000, 01/05/2022-30/04/2026.
  • 21.RGC/TRS 2021/22 (Co-PI), Stem Cell-Niche Interactions in Tissue Maintenance and Engineering, HK$1,052,000, 01/01/2022-31/12/2026.
  • 22.RGC/CRF 2021/2022 (Co-PI), Dissecting the Therapeutic Mechanism of an Effective Combination Treatment Targeting Neuromuscular Junction Degeneration and Myosteatosis to Combat Sarcopenia, HK$1,000,000, 01/06/2022-31/05/2025.
  • 23.RGC/CRF 2019/2020 (Co-PI), Molecular regulation of quiescence and early activation in muscle stem cells, HK$ 2,000,000, 01/01/2020-31/12/2023.

CoI/Collaborator

  • 24.RGC/TRS 2026/2027 (CoI), Next-Generation Orthopaedic Implants: R&D and Clinical Translation with Multi-functional Properties of Fixation, Regeneration, and AI-based Therapy Monitoring, HK$ 56,969,000, 01/01/2027-30/12/2032.
  • 25.RGC/GRF 2025/2026 (CoI), Exploring MED27 gene pathogenicity in a neurodevelopmental disorder with cerebellar atrophy, HK$ 1,381,520, 01/01/2026-31/12/2028.
  • 26.RGC/GRF 2020/2021 (CoI), Investigating the functional significance of three-dimensional structures of topologically associating domains, HK$ 1,195,542, 01/01/2021-31/12/2022.
  • 27.RGC/GRF 2020/2021 (CoI), Studying the functional mechanism of endothelial YY1 in postischemic angiogenesis, HK$ 1,195,542, 01/01/2021-31/12/2023.
  • 28.RGC/AoE 2020/2021 (Collaborator), Aging, Skeletal Degeneration and Regeneration, HK$48,704,000, 01/05/2021-30/04/2029.
  • 29.RGC/GRF 2019/2020 (CoI), Large scale interaction analysis of RNA binding proteins/LncRNAs to identify lncRNA nuclear localization mechanisms, HK$ 1,115,175, 01/01/2020-30/06/2023.

2009-2019 Competitive External Grants

PI

  • 1. RGC/GRF 2019 (PI), Mechanistic investigation of Linc-p27 function in skeletal muscle satellite cell and muscle regeneration, HK$ 970,697.
  • 2. China/NSFC 2019 (PI), 长链非编码RNA Linc-Cdkn1b对骨骼肌干细胞及肌肉再生的的调控及其分子机制究, RMB$ 600,000.
  • 3. RGC/GRF 2018 (PI), Functional dissection of lncRNA SAM in skeletal muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration, HK$1,232,466.
  • 4. RGC/Procore Joint Research Scheme 2018 (PI), Investigate the role of satellite cell derived M-CSF in regulating macrophage function during skeletal muscle regeneration, HK$ 86,400.
  • 5. RGC/GRF 2017 (PI), Mechanistic exploration of super-enhancer associated seRNA function in skeletal muscle cells, HK$ 922,171.
  • 6. RGC/GRF 2016 (PI), Functional characterization of YY1 in skeletal muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration, HK$ 1,182,869.
  • 7. RGC/GRF 2015 (PI), Functional characterization of Malat1 in skeletal muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration, HK$ 1,086,500.
  • 8. RGC/GRF 2014 (PI), Functional Characterization of a Large Intergenic Non-coding RNA (lincRNA) in Muscle Stem Cells and Muscle Regeneration, HK$ 1,039,239.
  • 9. FHB/HMRF 2014 (PI), Functional Characterization of PCDH10 in Endometrioid Endometrial Adenocarcinoma, HK$ 882,866.
  • 10.RGC/GRF 2011 (PI), The role of Transcripts of Ultra-conserved Regions (T-UCRs) in Skeletal Myogenesis, HK$ 1,200,000.
  • 11.RGC/GRF 2010 (PI), The role of miR-29 in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, HK$ 890,852.

Co-PI

  • 12.RGC/CRF 2015 (Co-PI), Elucidation of the role of Pax7 in muscle stem cells, HK$ 2,000,000.

CoI

  • 13.RGC/GRF 2019 (CoI), Genome-wide computational identification and in vivo CRISPR screen of Key Transcription Factors (TFs) and TF hotspots governing muscle satellite cell lineage progression, HK$ 1,136,632.
  • 14.RGC/GRF 2017 (CoI), Is there a link between systemic muscle mass, muscle strength, serum and muscle expression of myokines and LBX1 with bone mineral density and bone quality in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis? HK$ 593,675.
  • 15.RGC/GRF 2016 (CoI), Identification and functional characterization of super enhancer associated RNAs (seRNAs) in skeletal myogenesis using integrated genomic approach, HK$ 1,228,445.
  • 16.RGC/GRF 2016 (CoI), Role of a newly identified long noncoding RNA in sarcopenia, HK$ 1,009,452.
  • 17.RGC/GRF 2015 (CoI), Integrating large intergenic noncoding RNAs into Pax7 mediated regulatory circuitry in muscle satellite cells, HK$ 623,277.
  • 18.RGC/GRF 2014 (CoI), Genome-wide identification and characterization of functional long noncoding RNAs in skeletal muscle stem cells using integrated high-throughput sequencing and regulatory network analysis, HK$ 1,039,239.
  • 19.RGC/GRF 2012 (CoI), The role of STAT3 in muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration, HK$ 1,036,000.
  • 20.RGC/GRF 2012 (CoI), Genome-wide identification of transcription factor-microRNA regulatory circuitries in skeletal muscle differentiation using chromatin immunopreciptation coupled with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-Seq), HK$ 137,300.