Pioneering Musculoskeletal Research

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rocky S. Tuan (left) and Prof. Li Gang of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology have been named 2021 Fellows of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) for their outstanding achievements in the field of musculoskeletal research and contributions to ORS. Being the first scholars in Hong Kong to earn this prestigious honour, both of them felt most honoured.

Specializing in skeletal tissue engineering and regeneration, Professor Tuan has integrated smart biomaterial and bioengineering technologies with stem cells to develop translational applications for the repair and regeneration of human tissues. He has recently engineered the first-ever ‘microJoint’, a three dimensional joint-on-a-chip, to replicate a human joint using a microbioreactor platform, which will be used to study and screen for potential therapeutic agents for debilitating joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis.

Professor Tuan said, ‘I hope my experience in the orthopaedic research community can help foster and guide cross-regional and interdisciplinary collaborations, to cultivate knowledge and advance technological innovations in Hong Kong and worldwide for the improvement of human health.’

Professor Li has a longstanding research interest in the biology of stem cells, biological mechanisms of fracture healing and limb lengthening techniques, and their innovative clinical applications. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells and the key components for tissue regeneration in adulthood. The research team led by Professor Li focuses on the biology and application of MSCs in the repair of bone, cartilage and tendon, and studies on bone and cartilage regeneration, distraction osteogenesis and novel biomaterials.

Professor Li said, ‘I hope my research can benefit the community as a whole and bring hope to patients suffering from serious trauma and other difficult conditions.’