Biography

 

Prof. Hein Tun is a public health veterinarian and microbiome scientist, currently an Associate Professor at the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK and a Lead Scientist at the Microbiota I-Center (MagIC). Prof. Tun has been a key member for several microbiome innovations that have significant potentials for clinical applications and commercialization. He has published more than 100 original research articles in high impact journals such as Gut, Gastroenterology, Lancet Microbe, Nature Communication, JAMA Pediatrics etc. Prof. Tun has also received several international research awards including the 2023 MolecularCloud Most Social Impact Teams Award and the Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2021.

 

 

Topic: Microbial wall street: hope for new medical frontiers and societal benefits

 

The world of biomedical innovation is on the cusp of a revolution, as scientists begin to unlock the power of human microbiome. A blend of human and microbial traits including the full array of microbes that live on and in the host and their genomes that contribute the broader genetic portrait suggests that the human body as a “superorganism”. Increasing scientific evidence enlightened us by defining the role of our gut microbiome in health and diseases, and highlights the potential for harnessing its power to develop new therapies and solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine. This, in turn, has resulted the establishment of the Microbiota-I Center (MagIC) under the InnoHK program of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong SAR government in order to develop novel classes of microbiome diagnostics and therapeutics that will accelerate Hong Kong into a world-class microbiome biotechnology hub. In my presentation, I will highlight our key technological innovations such as the development of a microbiome precision formula and an effective fecal microbiota transplantation technology as well as achievements in nurturing next-generation talents that lead to new frontiers in medicine and broader societal benefits.