Step towards a cure:
Prof Nancy Ip and her research team found some proteins in the body affect brain cell communication - a discovery she hopes will boost drug screening for neurological diseases.
Help wanted:
Prof Ip said many talented people are interested in scientific research, but need more job opportunities to convince them to devote themselves to its pursuit.
Getting minds on the mend
February 15, 2012
Prof Nancy Ip of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology has won a top national award for her research work in neuroscience.
She won the second class natural science prize of the 2011 State Science & Technology Award. It was for her discovery of proteins that affect brain cell communication.
Speaking to news.gov.hk, she said the breakthrough is a step forward in finding a cure for neurodegenerative disorders.
The work leading to the discovery was challenging but important as more people will suffer neurological disorders as the population ages unless cures are found, Prof Ip said, adding she wants to continue her work to help the community fight the problem.
Brain breakthrough
Prof Ip and her research team identified proteins which affect brain cell communication. Brain cells communicate via synapses. Scientists believe the size, structure and amount of synapses are critical in learning and memory formation.
“In one group, if the proteins are overactive, they would negatively regulate the transmission of signals between brain cells. So in that instance, we would like to suppress the activity of these proteins.
“The second type of proteins we have identified - if the activity is enhanced - would improve communication between brain cells and enhance learning and memory skills.”
Prof Ip said her interest in neuroscience started when she was studying in the US.
“At that time I worked in the area of neuropharmacology and we tried to understand what could be the underlying mechanisms for certain neurological disorders.”
It is a very complex field, she said, adding there is no cure for many neurological disorders at present. However, if scientists can better understand how the brain works, they can determine what causes neurological disorders, she said.
“It is believed that changes at the synapses trigger neurodegenerative diseases. So in the early stages of a neurodegenerative disease, dysfunction at the synapse interferes with the communication between brain cells, and that in turn leads to the degeneration of the brain cells.”
With the ageing population, more and more people are suffering neurodegenerative disorders, Prof Ip said, adding she hopes her discovery will boost drug screening for these diseases.
“We are going to have an increasing number of people diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorders and so we need to start research now. We need to find all the clues as to how these diseases happened, what went wrong and how we can intervene and provide effective treatments."
Huge honour
As the university's Dean of Science, Prof Ip and her research team worked for six years to make the breakthrough, which won her the State Science & Technology Award.
“Getting the award is a big honour. The team worked hard for many years on this project, so the award is an indication that our standing in the field is well recognised.”
She said Hong Kong has a pool of talent interested in scientific research, however they are worried about career prospects.
“Job opportunities for graduates is something we can do more on, so we can provide more incentives for local talent to do research as their career. If we can somehow attract multinational bio-tech companies to come and set up their research and development centre in Hong Kong, that can be one way to provide job opportunities for graduates.”
Prof Ip suggested the Government provide more financial assistance so scientists can buy the latest equipment and develop new skills and techniques.
“Research is a long journey and you have to do things step by step and not take short-cuts. It is like solving a puzzle, so you do your part bit by bit, as having short-cuts is going to give you an incomplete picture in the end.
“Science is fun and we are not afraid of failures because we know in the end, collectively all the science being done by different labs, it will contribute to solving a big puzzle.”
