Lab PI

LI, Zhong Alan (李中), PhD

Vice-Chancellor Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
Faculty of Engineering, CUHK

Associate Member
School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS)
Faculty of Medicine, CUHK

Member
Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM)
Faculty of Medicine, CUHK

Co-PI
Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Restorative Medicine (CNRM)
Hong Kong Science Park

Research Associate (by courtesy)
Peter Hung Pain Research Institute (PHPRI)
Faculty of Medicine, CUHK

Member
State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease
Faculty of Medicine, CUHK

Member
Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education
SBS, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK

Education

2012-2016 Ph.D. in Biomedical Ceramics (MAE, CoE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
2008-2012 B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering & Automation, South China University of Technology, China

Employment

2022- Vice-Chancellor Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2021 Research Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
2018-2020 Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
2016-2017 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, NTU Singapore (in collaboration with Singapore Eye Research Institute)

Awards & Honors

2022 CUHK Vice-Chancellor Early Career Professorship
2021 Student Trainee Registration Award for ORS 2021, Orthopedic Research Society (ORS)
2021 New Investigator Recognition Award Finalist, ORS
2020 3rd place in the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Annual Scientific Retreat Poster Contest
2019 Young Investigator Award, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM)
2019 Scientific Excellence Award, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Americas (TERMIS-AM) Student and Young Investigator Sections (SYIS)
2019 Travel Award, University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association (UPPDA) Annual Symposium
2019 3Rs Award, ORS
2017 Audience Favorite, Present Around The World (PATW) Asia Pacific Regional Final, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
2017 First Place in Present Around The World (PATW) Singapore Final, IET
2016 First Place in Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition (YPWLC) 2016, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)
2016 First Place in Young Persons’ Lecture Competition Singapore (YPLCS) 2016, The Institute of Materials (East Asia)
2015 Dragon 100 Young Chinese Leader, Dragon Foundation, HK, China
2011 Third Prize in the 4th National Energy-saving and Emission-reduction Contest in Technological Design for College Students, MOE China
2011 ETS TOEIC Scholarship, ETS (Educational Testing Service) U.S.

Grants

CUHK Strategic Partnership Award for Research Collaboration (SPARC) [PI; 1 Jun 2025 – 31 May 2026]: “Harnessing In Situ Organoidogenesis in Bioprinted Dynamic Hydrogels for Regeneration of Critical-Sized Bone Defects”, in collaboration with Prof. Khoon Lim, University of Sydney
ITC – GHP [PI; 01-Aug-2025 to 31-Jul-2027]: “Development and Representative Applications of Bone-on-a-chip for Evaluating Magnesium-based Implants”
Peter Hung Pain Research Institute [PI; 01-Oct-2024]: “Development of Joint Pain Medications Using Innervated Joint-on-a-Chip Systems”
ITC – MHKJFS [Co-I; 01-Oct-2024]: “Screening Molecular Markers of Knee Osteoarthritis and Developing Regenerative Medicine Using Joint-on-a-chip Systems”
Shun Hing Institute of Advanced Engineering (SHIAE) [PI; 1-Jul-2024]: “Development of Mitochondria-targeting, Single-atom Nanozyme for Accelerated Bone Regeneration”
RGC – Early Career Scheme [PI; 01-Jan-24]: ” Development of Osteochondral Tissue-on-a-chip for Modelling Joint Pathologies and Drug Testing”
NSFC – Young Scientists Fund [PI; 01-Jan-24]: “MicroJoint Organ-on-a-chip system for Investigating Infrapatellar Fat Pad-mediated Knee Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis and Progression and Associated Mechanisms”
InnoHK CNRM [Co-PI; 01-Mar-2022 to 28-Feb-2027: “MSC-derived Microvesicles for Delivery of Disease-Modifying Osteoarthritis Drugs”
InnoHK CNRM [Co-PI; 01-Mar-2022 to 28-Feb-2027: “Development of rapamycin-loaded exosomes to treat spinal cord injury”

Kenote/Invited Talks

Nov 28, 2025, Invited Talk, HOPE (Human Organ Physiopathology Emulation System) Young Scientist Forum, online/Beijing
Nov 23, 2025, Invited Talk, Chinese Society of Micro-Nanotechnology (CSMNT) 2025 Annual Meeting, Changsha, China
Nov 16, 2025, Invited Talk, Organoids Standardization Conference (OSC), Guangzhou, China
Oct 24, 2025, Keynote Talk, 4th Asian Conference on Cartilage and Osteoarthritis (ACCO), Seoul, South Korea
Oct 17, 2025, Keynote Talk, TERMIS AP 2025, Wuhan, China
Oct 10. 2025, Invited Talk, Chinese Biomaterials Congress, Shaoxing, China
Aug 31, 2025, Keynote Talk, the 10^th International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, China (ChinaNANO 2025), Beijing, China
Jul 17, 2025, Invited Talk, the 2^nd BMEMat-Advanced Materials Joint Symposium & International Meeting on Biomedical Engineering (IMBME), Jinan, Shandong, China
Jul 2, 2025, Invited Talk, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Jun 27, 2025, Invited Talk, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
Jun 16, 2025, Invited Talk, The 33rd Annual European Orthopaedic Research Society (EORS) Meeting, Davos, Switzerland
May 19, 2025, Invited Talk, Brunel University London, London, UK
May 16, 2025, Invited Talk, University of Cambridge Biological Society (BioSoc), Cambridge, UK
Dec 9, 2024, Invited Talk, International Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME), Singapore
Nov 15, 2024, Keynote presentation, Seoul National University 2024 International Bioengineering Symposium, Seoul, South Korea
Sep 29, 2024, Invited talk, The 5th Lujiazui Organoid Symposium, Shanghai, China
Sep 7, 2024, Invited talk, 10^th Annual Meeting of Chinese Medical Doctor Association Nerve Repair Chapter, Jinan, Shandong, China
Apr 27, 2024, Invited talk, Guangdong Medical Doctor Association (GDMDA) Sports Medicine Medical Doctor Chapter Annual Meeting, Guangzhou, China
Apr 19-21, 2024, Invited talk, Organoids Standardization Conference (OSC) 2024, Shenzhen, China
Nov 10-12, 2023, Invited talk, 2023 International Symposium on Microphysiological Systems (MPS 2023), Nanjing, China
Oct 21-22, 2023, Invited talk, Southwest Organoid & OoC Technologies Conference, Chengdu, China
Apr 22-23, 2023, Invited talk, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Organoids Standardization Conference (OSC), Guangzhou, China

Membership & Service for Professional Societies

iMPSS (11/2024–)
WACBE (08/2024–)
ICMRS (06/2024–)
Career Development Committee member, ORS (01/2024–)
TERMIS (12/2019–)
BMES (10/2019–)
ORS (09/2018–)
CSBM (08/2015–)

Teaching

BMEG 1217 Bionic Human (Undergraduate course)
BMEG 2001 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (Undergraduate course)
BMEG 3430 Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (Undergraduate course)
BMEG 4530 Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (Undergraduate course; course coordinator)
BMEG 5530 Tissue Engineering (MSc course; course coordinator)
BMEG 5710 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (MSc course)
ENGG 5720 Basic Biomedical Science (MSc course; course coordinator)
ENGG 5601 Principles of Biomechanics & Biomaterials (Postgraduate course)
SBMS6001 Advances in Biomedical Sciences (Postgraduate course)

Journal Editorial Board / Youth Editor

Bioengineering (EB)
Journal of Polymer Materials (EB)
Biomedical Materials Science (EB)
International Journal of AI for Materials and Design (EB)
Journal of Orthopaedic Translation (EB)
International Journal of Bioprinting (EB)

VIEW (YE)
The Innovation (YE)
BMEMat (YE)
Interdisciplinary Medicine (YE)
Organoid Research (YE)

Journal Reviewer

Dr. Li reviews for more than 20 academic journals including Science Advances, Advanced Science, Advanced Functional Materials, Bioactive Materials, Acta Biomaterialia, Regenerative Biomaterials, Trends in Biotech, Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Stem Cells, STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, Journal of Orthopaedic Translation, Cell Reports Physical Sciences, Osteoarthrits and Cartilage, The Innovation Medicine, FASEB Journal, BMEMat, Molecular Pharmaceutics, Surface & Coatings Technology, etc.