The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has received a generous donation of HK$150 million from the Li Ka Shing Foundation. The donation will be supported by funding and in-kind contributions at CUHK to establish a development fund valued at $300 million in the Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) to support research and development in biomedical technology.

CU Medicine has launched the Passion for Perfection (P for P) Scheme with the primary goal of accelerating the process of translating laboratory discovery into patient care—often referred to as a “bench to bedside” process, resulting in medical advances and improved human health. The P for P scheme will also strengthen and protect innovations and intellectual property development, and facilitate entrepreneurship at CUHK, leading to the enhancement and improvement of healthcare in Hong Kong.

Specifically, two initiatives will be undertaken:

 Development of Prototypes of New Diagnostic or Therapeutic Approaches

A new funding scheme will be launched to support research on novel diagnostic tools that will enable patients to seek early medical treatment and significantly improve their chances of recovery. A sustainable innovation ecosystem will be in place to promote establishment of startups such that outstanding research outcomes can be translated and commercialised.

Enhancement of Infrastructure to Facilitate Clinical Validation of the New Approaches

Clinical evaluation in relevant patient cohorts is a key step to bring new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to routine clinical use. To expedite the “bench to bedside” process, a dedicated team will be established in the existing clinical trial centre, responsible for patient recruitment, clinical evaluation and timely reporting of patient progress, and monitoring of safety and emerging ethical issues.