LKCMedicine and CUHK GCNI deepen partnership to advance brain health

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Nanyang Technological University, and the Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute (GCNI) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 26 February 2026 at the Sim Hoay Cheok – Sim Foundation Library at LKCMedicine. The MOU was inked by Professor Joseph Sung, Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences) and Dean of LKCMedicine, and Professor Ho Ko, representative from CUHK and Director of GCNI. This ceremony marks an important milestone in strengthening academic ties and expanding research collaborations between the two institutions in neurosciences, focusing on Dementia and Parkinson’s disease research.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof Joseph Sung, noted the common health issues that both Singapore and Hong Kong share, and the complementary strengths of LKCMedicine and GCNI that will enable research in age-related neurological conditions to be accelerated.

“The ageing populations in Singapore and Hong Kong pose a significant societal challenge, demanding collaborative efforts in research into healthy longevity. With a growing number of elderly individuals facing age-related & incurable neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, there is an urgent need for innovative research and effective treatments to be developed. I am happy that colleagues from my former institution and my current institution have joined forces to tackle this important global health issue.”

The strategic partnership between LKCMedicine and GCNI seeks to synergise and harness the combined expertise and resources from both institutions to address the complexities of ageing and neurodegeneration. This collaboration will enable the exchange of ideas, researchers and students in priority areas such as vascular dysfunction, dementia, microglial metabolism, neuroimmune mechanisms and gut-brain interactions, as well as the establishment of biologics platforms to support therapeutics development. The partnership also includes the co‑development of online educational activities targeted at training early career scientists from both sides.

Under the agreement, LKCMedicine and CUHK GCNI will commit SGD 1 million and USD1 million respectively to support the five-year collaboration. The project is led by LKCMedicine’s Neuroscience & Mental Health Programme Director Professor Lim Kah Leong and Associate Professor Christine Cheung,  and by Professor Ho Ko and Assistant Professor Jacque Ip from CUHK GCNI.

The signing ceremony was a highlight of the two‑day Neuroscience Partners Symposium (25–26 February) that brought together international and local experts in neurodegeneration, cognitive neuroscience, neurovascular & gut‑brain biology and emerging AI‑driven analytics.