Nancy Yuk-Yu Ip, president of a Hong Kong university, has received the 2026 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences.
Sun Dong, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, congratulated Ip on social media. He said she was the sixth Chinese scientist to receive the prize since it was established in 2008.
Sun said Ip’s team had worked in neuroscience and Alzheimer’s research for more than 30 years. He said Ip had identified new biomarkers and genetic risk factors, and developed a blood test that could help diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier and monitor its progression.
Ip directs a research centre focused on neurodegenerative disease that received InnoHK funding in 2020 to support its establishment and Alzheimer’s research. Sun said the government would continue supporting universities and research institutions in turning research results into practical benefits for the public.