I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow (Honorary) at CUHK Medicine, also one of the Young Scientists of the inaugural HKLF. The inaugural HKLF has given me valuable opportunities to learn from Shaw Laureates and build friendships with fellow scientists from all over the world. I believe networking and communication are key in driving science forward as people with different expertise come together and inspire one another. The inaugural HKLF has fuelled my growth from a PhD student to a Postdoctoral Fellow. This year, I am hoping to participate in the Forum again to continue with my journey of knowledge seeking and network building, and to help build the image of Hong Kong as a leading scientific hub in the world as a local scientist.

Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is typically characterised by long-term debilitating symptoms affecting multiple organs and systems. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of effective treatment strategies. Altered gut microbiome has been proposed as one of the plausible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PACS; extensive studies have emerged to bridge the gap between the persistent symptoms and the dysbiosis of gut microbiome. My previous clinical trials have indicated that gut microbiome modulation using probiotics, prebiotics, and faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) led to improvements in multiple symptoms related to PACS, including fatigue, memory loss, difficulty in concentration, gastrointestinal upset, and disturbances in sleep and mood. My research interests have been the key microbial alterations observed in PACS, as well as the use of microbiome-based therapeutics in managing PACS symptoms. In the future, these findings will shed light on the treatment of PACS and other chronic conditions in the post-COVID-19 era.