Award-winning molecular biologist Dennis Lo Yuk-ming has been approved to become the next head of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Members of the university’s governing council unanimously voted on Friday morning for Lo to be given the institution’s top post — which is currently held by Rocky Tuan Song-chi — on a five-year tenure starting Jan 8, 2025.

“I am deeply honored to serve as the ninth vice-chancellor and president of CUHK,” Lo, currently the associate dean in charge of research at CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine, said at a news conference after the members had cast their votes.

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He expressed his appreciation of the council's support and trust, and said he hopes to build upon the foundation laid by his predecessors, further enhancing the university’s research and innovation capabilities to amplify CUHK's academic contributions on the international stage.

He also vowed to lead CUHK to cultivate generations of well-rounded “CUHKers” with integrity and capability, who can serve both the country and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

He said he is looking forward to collaborating closely with the council and the management team to elevate the university to new heights.

Having served as head of CUHK since 2018, Tuan resigned earlier this year and will step down next January.

John Chai Yat-chiu, who chairs CUHK’s governing council, said that Lo was selected as the best candidate for the post. He said he believes that CUHK will see significant development in academics, research and innovation entrepreneurship under Lo's leadership.

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Chai also praised Lo’s esteemed achievements in academia and his rich administrative experience at CUHK, adding that he trusts Lo will elevate CUHK's research capabilities and lead the university to make a greater contribution to building Hong Kong into an international hub for innovation and technology.

Lo was nominated by the council as the sole candidate in the leadership race. He engaged with CUHK students, faculty and alumni the day before the voting to gather feedback and exchange views.

Some students said they have confidence in Lo’s academic prowess, but expressed a desire to have more opportunities to interact with him in the future.

Lo has earned global esteem thanks to his discovery of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood and his development of a revolutionary noninvasive prenatal testing method. The method has been used in over 60 countries and regions across the globe and has helped Lo to become a laureate of many top global awards including the Lasker Award, the top US biomedical prize.

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Lo has long been tipped to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Lo joined CUHK in 1997 and has served as the associate dean (Research) at the Faculty of Medicine since 2002. He is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the UK’s Royal Society and a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Lo received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge and obtained his Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Oxford.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com