Programmes

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The PhD programme provides advanced research training for students who intend to conduct original, independent research in biomedical sciences and translational medicine. Students will work closely with their supervisors to address important biomedical questions, develop strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, and contribute to research with scientific and translational impact. The full-time PhD programme normally takes four years. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong academic background, research capability, and potential for independent scientific research.

The MPhil programme is a research-focused postgraduate degree designed to provide rigorous training in biomedical research. Students will gain hands-on experience in scientific research, develop core research skills, and work on a supervised research project. The programme is particularly suitable for students who wish to strengthen their research experience before pursuing a PhD or a research-related career. The full-time MPhil programme normally takes two years. Eligible MPhil students may apply for transfer to the PhD programme after completing the required coursework and successfully passing confirmation of candidature, subject to formal approval.

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

Research Areas

1. Basic Research: Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Target Discovery

Our research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying major chronic diseases and identifying new targets with diagnostic and therapeutic potential.

Key research areas include:

Lipid and Energy Metabolism — adipose tissue browning, energy expenditure, cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism
Glucose Metabolism and Diabetes — type 1 and type 2 diabetes, pancreatic islet function, and glucose homeostasis
Metabolic Diseases and Complications — diabetic cardiomyopathy, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, steatohepatitis, and liver fibrosis
Endocrine Regulation and Target Discovery — biological functions and mechanisms of metabolic factors such as FGF21, FGF23, GDF15 and FABP4, as well as the discovery of novel exercise-responsive factors

2. Translational Research: Drug Discovery and Diagnostic Technologies

We translate fundamental discoveries into biomedical technologies through an integrated pipeline spanning mechanism discovery, target identification, technology development, and therapeutic validation.

Major areas include:

Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnostics — discovery and validation of clinically relevant biomarkers and the development of sensitive diagnostic assays
Antibody and Peptide Therapeutics — development of monoclonal antibodies, metabolic hormones, peptide therapeutics and combination strategies
Organoid and Drug Evaluation Platforms — development of primary-cell and organoid models for drug screening, efficacy evaluation and mechanistic studies
AI-Driven Drug Discovery — integration of multi-omics, structural biology and clinical data for drug design, drug repurposing, target prediction and therapeutic evaluation

Scholarships

Eligible full-time research postgraduate students receive postgraduate scholarship in accordance with HKU regulations.

MPhil

The standard postgraduate scholarship is approximately HK$19,135 per month.

PhD

The standard postgraduate scholarship is approximately HK$19,135 per month, increasing to approximately HK$19,655 per month after successful confirmation of PhD candidature.

Competitive Scholarships for Outstanding PhD Applicants

Outstanding PhD applicants may also discuss with their prospective supervisors the possibility of applying for competitive scholarship schemes, including:

Scholarship amounts and eligibility requirements may be revised from time to time. Applicants should refer to the latest information published by the HKU Graduate School and relevant funding bodies.

Application & Admission Requirements

1. Academic Qualifications

MPhil applicants

Applicants should hold an honours bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution, or an equivalent qualification, with a strong academic record and demonstrated potential for research.

PhD applicants

Applicants should normally possess either:

an excellent honours bachelor’s degree; or
an honours bachelor’s degree together with a taught or research master’s degree,

and should demonstrate strong research capability and potential for advanced independent research.

2. English Language Requirements

Applicants whose previous degree does not satisfy the relevant HKU English-language exemption requirements should normally meet one of the following:

IELTS: overall score of 6.5 or above, with no individual component below 6.0
TOEFL iBT: overall score of 85 or above

3. Academic Performance

Applicants are expected to have a strong academic record at the undergraduate level and, where applicable, at the master’s level. Research experience, scientific potential and compatibility with the proposed research area will also be considered during the selection process.

4. How to Apply

Prospective students are encouraged to review our research areas and supervisor profiles before applying and to identify research topics that match their interests. If you are interested in joining our laboratory, please contact Dr. Wu (raxpwu@hku.hk) or Dr. Jin (jinlghk@hku.hk) for further information.

Applications should be submitted through the HKU Graduate School online application system.

For 2027/28 admission

Main Round: 1 September – 1 December 2026
1st Clearing Round: 2 December 2026 – 30 April 2027
2nd Clearing Round: 1 May – 31 August 2027

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply during the Main Round, as applications in later rounds will be considered only if places remain available.

Please visit the HKU Graduate School website for the latest application information.