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- 1990 Canada Gairdner International Award
Intro
Founding President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences. Director of Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies and Master of the Residential College of International Campus, Zhejiang
University, China. In 1990, he received the Canada Gairdner International Award for “contributions to the identification of the gene for cystic fibrosis.”
Education and Work Experience
1979, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
2002 - 2014, Vice Chancellor (and President), University of Hong Kong
2014-Present, Director, Qiushi Academy of Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University
2015-Present, President, The Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong
Honors and Awards
1990, Canada Gairdner International Award
1992, The Cresson Medal, Franklin Institute
2002, Killam Prize, Canada Council
Major Academic Achievements
Prof. Lap-Chee Tsui is world renowned for his research work in human genetics and genomics, notably the identification of the gene for Cystic Fibrosis in 1989 and, later, other human genetic diseases while conducting a comprehensive characterization of human chromosome 7. Over the years, he and his team have discovered that the DNA sequence with the mutation was part of the instructions for making a special protein called CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator), a part of the cell membrane in certain special epithelial (surface) cells that generate mucus. Thanks to Tsui’s research, scientists have a much better idea of how the disease works. We can now easily predict when a couple will produce a child with cystic fibrosis. With increased understanding, scientists may also be able to devise improved treatments for children born with the disease.