HKUST President Prof. Nancy Ip Wins 2026 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea Prize

Prof. Nancy Ip, President and The Morningside Professor of Life Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been awarded the 2026 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences. The award ceremony took place on November 6 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, recognizing her pioneering contributions to neuroscience and Alzheimer's disease research. UNESCO highlighted her team's discoveries of novel biomarkers and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's, the development of an innovative blood-based diagnostic technology for earlier detection, and advances in gene therapy that open new avenues for prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

In her acceptance speech, Prof. Ip expressed heartfelt gratitude to her research team, collaborators, and colleagues, and thanked HKUST for its steadfast support. She emphasized that the recognition belongs to the many dedicated team members who contributed to these achievements and reflected their shared commitment to translating scientific discoveries into meaningful benefits for patients and society. Prof. Ip also stressed the importance of global scientific collaboration and nurturing future generations of researchers, stating, "Science is a collective endeavor. Every breakthrough is built on collaboration across disciplines, institutions and borders."

Prof. Ip has devoted over three decades to neurodegenerative disease research, publishing more than 350 scholarly papers and holding 144 patents. Her team established a large-scale Chinese Alzheimer's disease biobank to address the underrepresentation of Asian populations in research, identifying multiple genetic risk factors prevalent among Chinese individuals. They co-developed a highly accurate, minimally invasive blood-based diagnostic test that has been adopted by multiple healthcare institutions in Hong Kong and expanded into community settings. The team is also exploring novel gene therapy approaches for familial Alzheimer's disease using gene-editing technologies. The UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize, established to recognize outstanding scientific achievements that advance human health, is shared by three laureates who jointly receive US$300,000 and an Integración Tribal statuette. This news was distributed by Media OutReach Newswire.