Recognised for his leading position in digital medicine, Professor Yu Xinge from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) was honoured with the 3rd Zhong Nanshan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award. This prestigious accolade recognises exceptional young scientists in medicine and life sciences.

Professor Yu’s research focuses on bio-integrated electronics, seeking to bridge the gap between technology and traditional healthcare. Through innovating new technologies and solutions, his wearable products can monitor health conditions and improve the treatment efficiency and accuracy for patients.

As the only awardee whose research focuses on digital medicine, Professor Yu feels encouraged about the future and development of the field. “The award is a great recognition of our work,” he said. “Not only does the engineering fields feel that digital medicine is a promising topic, but clinical professionals also agree that it is the next step of medicine.”

Professor Yu is the Associate Director of the Institute of Digital Medicine (IDM), a new initiative launched by CityUHK in April 2024. Collaborating with renowned institutions globally, IDM aims to develop technologies that support doctors and create affordable access to digital healthcare.

“CityUHK has provided me with great support for my research at the department, college and university levels,” said Professor Yu, adding that CityUHK’s trust and support in establishing the IDM had helped him grow.

Looking to the future, Professor Yu aims to continue inventing wearable technologies for the medical field. Another area is the translation of technology from research to practical use. He pledges to continue contributing his engineering efforts to solving challenges in the medical field.

Professor Yu is dedicated to innovating new ways to combine traditional healthcare and modern technology. In 2023, he was selected as a member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, recognising his leading position in digital health. In the same year, he was also awarded by the RGC Research Fellow Scheme for his project on skin-integrated technology. In 2020, Professor Yu was named one of the Innovators Under 35 China by the MIT Technology Review.

Established in 2020, the Zhong Nanshan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award goes annually to no more than 10 young scientists under 40 who have made outstanding contributions to medicine and life science.