e-Bulletin February 2025

Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI) Inaugural Symposium
Advancing Global Health Through Scientific Innovation

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI) successfully hosted its inaugural symposium on “Advancing Global Health Through Scientific Innovation” on January 7, 2025. The event attracted over 110 participants, including academics and researchers from both the public and private sectors worldwide.

The symposium commenced with an opening ceremony by Professor Chak-sing Lau, Dean of Medicine, HKU; Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, Co-Director of HKJCGHI, Daniel C K Yu Professorship in Virology, Chair Professor of Public Health Virology and Head of Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences from the School of Public Health,  LKS Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) and Associate Dean (Human Capital) of HKUMed; and Professor Florian Marks, Co-Director of HKJCGHI and Deputy Director General of Epidemiology, Public Health, Impact, and Clinical Development (EPIC), International Vaccine Institute (IVI).

In his welcoming address, Professor Chak-sing Lau highlighted the collaborative efforts between HKU, IVI, and the University of Cambridge (UCAM), generously supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, to advance global health initiatives. Drawing on lessons from COVID-19, SARS, and bird flu, Professor Leo Poon Lit-man emphasised the importance of pandemic preparedness, and the HKJCGHI’s dedication to impactful strategies across various domains. Furthermore, Professor Florian Marks reiterated the commitment of HKJCGHI to enhancing global awareness and capacity for pandemic preparedness through symposia such as this that bring together top experts in the field.

Led by esteemed scientists, the keynote speeches and panel discussions focused on urgent health challenges and pandemic preparedness. The topics included CEPI’s 100-Day Mission, advancements in vaccine development using AI, evolution and challenges of pneumococcal vaccines, insights into systems human immunology and immune health, and the importance of real-world effectiveness data in vaccine studies.

Notable keynote speakers included Scientific Advisory Board Members of HKJCGHI, namely Dr Jakob Cramer, Director of Clinical Development, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); Dr Rino Rappuoli, Scientific Director, Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena; Dr George Siber, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr John Tsang, Director, Yale Center for Systems & Engineering Immunology, Yale University. Dr Birkneh Tadesse, Associate Director General, EPIC unit from IVI, also shared insights on the epidemiology and research work on Mpox.

The symposium marked a significant milestone for HKJCGHI, bringing together leading experts to advance global health and pave the way for a healthier future.