Professor Nancy Y. Ip is the fifth President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Morningside Professor of Life Science. She took office in October 2022 and is the first female president of a publicly funded university in Hong Kong. HKUST's President's Office records that she received her PhD in pharmacology from Harvard University and then worked as a senior staff scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in New York. She joined HKUST in 1993 and has served as Vice-President for Research and Development, Dean of Science and head of biochemistry, giving her experience across research, faculty and institutional administration. Her research is in neuroscience, including the mechanisms underlying proper brain function and drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. The university records more than 330 scientific papers, over 45,200 SCI citations and more than 70 patents. She has been elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the World Academy of Sciences and the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and has received the National Natural Science Awards, the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award and recognition as one of Nature's 10 Science Stars of China. Beyond her laboratory work she helps shape research policy globally, including as a member of the leadership group of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative, and serves on local bodies such as the Chief Executive's Council of Advisers. She is also Council Chair and a founding member of the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians, promoting cooperation among academics in Hong Kong and the mainland.
Achievements
- 2022 · Became the fifth President of HKUST