HKBU at GSDC: Global Pulse on One Health

Professor Christy Cheung transformed the Well-being Zone into a live data lab, collecting real-time biometrics from visitors to study mindfulness.

Together with Mr Aron Cheung (student of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Physical Education and Recreation Management programme and a former member of Karatedo Team of Hong Kong, China), Professor Cheung explained how these intimate biological whispers collected through a digital well-being app are driving insights on the personalisation of mental well-being.

Professor Yannis Pitsiladis had visitors leaning in as he demonstrated how a simple cheek swab could identify elite-athlete biomarkers through saliva-based genetic testing.

During his talk, he revealed how his research studies are unravelling the genetic basis of athletic performance - insights that could help address global physical inactivity trends. His analysis of exceptional athlete phenotypes is paving the way for personalised exercise interventions, while demonstrating how genomic science can transform public health approaches to improve well-being and longevity worldwide.

Professor Tian Liang revealed his vision for medicine’s future with an AI-driven diagnostic and treatment-support platform.

This cloud-native platform leverages cutting-edge deep learning technology, to help match user-reported syndromes with personalised Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) intervention suggestions. He further captivated the visitors with his sharing on how his research and the use of AI are revolutionising traditional Chinese medicine, employing deep learning to scientifically match herbs with individual symptom profiles for precision patient care.

Hearts raced and minds stilled as visitors embodied HKBU’s "Exercise is Medicine" philosophy firsthand through a unique fusion of martial arts (e.g. Tai Chi, Baduanjin and Mindfulness Karate). Like a whispered lesson to every cell, their movements revealed healing in action. In that sweat and silence, science and movements became one medicine.

Horizon Talks - Research Charting Tomorrow's Health and Well-being

“AI is not just a tool in healthcare – it’s a game-changer", said Professor Martin Wong, highlighting AI’s role in promoting health equity. Professor Wong delivered a keynote address entitled “AI and health: Transdisciplinary research and social innovation”. Citing HKBU’s top-50 global ranking in AI, he unveiled how HKBU is leading with both heart and science, fusing traditional Chinese medicine, AI, functional metabolomics, and digital health to reimagine care and well-being. 

Like master weavers at the loom of health science, Professor Lyu Aiping’s panel, including Professor Michael Heinrich (University College London) and Professor Christy Cheung, revealed how systems medicine interlaces social-environmental threads with biological data at the discussion “Social and environmental impacts on health and well-being: Systems medicine in the 21st century”. Their interdisciplinary approach crafts new fabrics of care, demonstrating how data science and holistic healthcare combine to address contemporary well-being challenges.

Amidst an ageing world, Dr Mu Jingwen, Director of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning at HKBU, joined Ms Mei Mei Lim, APAC President of THE, in a compelling dialogue on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. The presentation opened with an overview of how SDG 3 is measured in the THE 2025 Impact Rankings, followed by a comparison of average scores between Hong Kong and the wider Asia region, highlighting key regional performance trends. To assess Hong Kong’s progress on SDG 3, the discussion also offered a thought-provoking reflection on the flow and distribution of health and medical academic talent within the city.

HKBU invited Sulitest’s co-founder, Mr Jean-Christophe Carteron, to share a transformative truth: student well-being is the unseen foundation of academic excellence. Drawing on insights from 45,000+ TASK by Sulitest responses, Jean-Christophe revealed how universities can take concrete action and foster well-being at every level. This was a call to action to build campuses where every student grows, connects and flourishes.

One Heartbeat for Health - The Pulse of Collaboration

HKBU’s dedication to evidence-based TCM extends beyond publications. In partnership with Elsevier, we released “Evolving Legacy: Decoding the Scientific Trajectory of Chinese Medicine”, a report based on bibliometric analyses of TCM network-pharmacology studies.

HKBU representatives Professor Chris Chan and Dr Mu Jingwen shared the stage with Dr Basak Candemir, Business Development Director, Analytical and Data Services (Elsevier), to reveal that TCM network-pharmacology studies and randomised controlled trials have more than doubled the global research average and now command citation rates almost 5% above the global average. This underscores HKBU’s strength in leveraging research in TCM to drive next-level advancements in addressing health issues that affect humanity. 

Visitors came from around the world and stopped at our stand, their faces showing interest as we told them about how health science was improving lives. During these brief conversations, we made important connections. Every handshake could lead to future partnerships, and every idea we shared helped connect people from different backgrounds and cultures.