- Innovation Award in 2015 at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Dr. Tom H. Cheung received his Ph.D. in
Biochemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006. He then
completed his postdoctoral training in Prof. Thomas Rando's laboratory at
Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2013, he joined the Division of Life
Science at HKUST, currently serving as the Associate Head (Research and Development) and Professor in the Division of Life
Science. He is also the Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute, the
Director of the HKUST-Nan Fung Life Sciences Joint Laboratory, the Director of
the HKUST-MGI Joint Research Center, the Associate Director of the Biosciences
Central Research Facility, and the Associate Director of the HKUST-Shanghai
Sixth People’s Hospital Joint Research Center for Brain Science. He is also the
Assistant Center Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. In
addition, Dr. Cheung is the co-founder of Fountain Therapeutics, a startup
company focusing on providing therapeutics for age-related diseases.
Currently
The Cheung laboratory main research area focuses on somatic stem cell biology. His laboratory is interested in understanding the molecular regulation of stem cell quiescence and activation, and how these signaling pathways play a role in tissue regeneration as well as stem cell aging. Using skeletal muscle stem cell as a model system, his research team is currently attempting to decipher the molecular pathways that are essential for muscle stem cell function and regulating stem cell aging. The long-term goal of his laboratory is to achieve a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of why tissue regeneration is impaired during aging and devise therapies for aged-associated diseases.