HKUST President Nancy Ip Wins UNESCO Life Sciences Prize, First Hong Kong Scientist to Hold Both UNESCO Honors
Nancy Ip, President and Morningside Professor of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been awarded the 2026 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, in recognition of her pioneering contributions to neuroscience and Alzheimer's disease research. The award ceremony was held on November 6 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, and HKUST announced the honor on November 7.
In announcing the award, UNESCO recognized Ip as an internationally renowned neuroscientist whose research has significantly advanced the understanding of brain function and neurodegenerative diseases. It highlighted her team's discoveries of novel biomarkers and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, the development of an innovative blood-based diagnostic technology that enables earlier detection and monitoring of the disease, and her pioneering advances in gene therapy research.
Ip first received the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award in 2004, becoming the first Chinese scientist in the life sciences and the first scientist from Hong Kong to receive that honor. The new prize makes her the first Hong Kong scientist to have received both prestigious UNESCO awards. Receiving the award in Paris, Ip said the recognition “belongs not only to me, but also to the many talented and dedicated team members, collaborators and colleagues who have contributed to these achievements,” adding that Alzheimer's disease is “not just a scientific and medical challenge” but “a deeply human one” affecting patients and their families.
Ip has devoted more than three decades to neurodegenerative disease research, publishing over 350 scholarly papers and holding 144 patents. Recognizing that Alzheimer's research has historically relied heavily on data from Western populations, her team established a large-scale Chinese Alzheimer's disease biobank integrating clinical data, neuroimaging and multi-omics datasets, and identified multiple genetic risk factors prevalent among Chinese individuals. The team also co-developed a highly accurate, minimally invasive blood-based diagnostic test that aids early detection and identification of mild cognitive impairment; the technology has been adopted by multiple healthcare institutions in Hong Kong and expanded into community settings.
Ip is President of HKUST and concurrently serves as Director of the State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders and Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, assuming the presidency in 2022. She is an elected member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has twice received China's State Natural Science Award.
The UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences was established by UNESCO to recognize outstanding scientific achievements that advance human health and improve quality of life. This year's prize is shared by three laureates, who jointly receive US$300,000 and an Integración Tribal statuette created by Equatorial Guinean artist Leandro Mbomio Nsue.
(Source: HKUST)
Source: HKUST
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：叶玉如在巴黎领取2026年联合国教科文组织—赤道几内亚生命科学研究国际奖。香港科技大学官方照片。
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