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  • Alumni Online Data UpdateGiving To HKBU
Hong Kong Baptist University Alumni Affairs Office
Award Recipients

Dr. Cathy Lui Nga-ping, PhD

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Dr. Cathy Lui is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of OPER Technology Limited. A dedicated biomedical scientist with a brilliant academic record, Cathy received an award from the Japan Neuroscience Society during the third year of her undergraduate studies, becoming the youngest awardee in the process.

After graduating from the Department of Biology at HKBU, Cathy decided to specialise in neuroscience and she went on to obtain a PhD from her alma mater. With a post-doctoral fellowship granted by the American Parkinson Disease Association, she continued her research into the biomedical applications of nanomaterials at Northwestern University, US.

Cathy has subsequently extended her research into the molecular and physiological pathogenesis of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, and she has been investigating the use of novel treatments for these disorders. Cathy and her team have also developed a ground-breaking technology called Autologous Neural Stem Cell Harvest, which has the potential to cure neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It is the first technology in the world that can safely harvest neural stem cells from patients, and it can provide an alternative source of stem cells to the patients themselves for autologous cell replacement therapy.

The technology won the Gold Medal in the Surgery Category and the Award for High Scientific and Technological Level of the Invention at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in 2016. The research has also drawn widespread public interest and it has been highlighted in several international magazines, including New Scientist.

As both an academic researcher and an entrepreneur, Cathy has earnestly dedicated her career to offering hope to patients with incurable diseases by commercialising her patented scientific research. Under her leadership, her biotechnology startup has achieved remarkable results, and it has received more than 36 local and international awards, including the first runner-up prize in the Entrepreneurial Category at the 5th China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. She was also a finalist at the GSK Neuro 2020 Symposium. Cathy was listed as one of the top ten innovators under the age of 35 in the Asia Pacific region by the MIT Technology Review. She was also named as the Greater Bay Area Outstanding Young Women Entrepreneur and Young Achiever of the Year at the Women of Influence Awards, which were organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Cathy is a Committee Member of the HKBU Biology Alumni Association and a Senior Research Associate of HKBU. Since her undergraduate days, she has enjoyed every moment of her time at HKBU. Instead of continuing her postgraduate studies at other universities, Cathy chose to continue her academic journey at HKBU and she is proud to say that she is a “Made at HKBU” scientist.

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