Vascular biologist Professor Huang Yu, Jeanie Hu Professor of Biomedical Sciences at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has become the first Chinese to receive the Peter Harris Distinguished Scientist Award 2024 from the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR).

The ISHR award recognises Professor Huang’s lifetime contributions to advancing cardiovascular science.

Professor Huang and his team study how vascular endothelial cells become dysfunctional in the onset and progression of conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and clogged arteries (atherosclerosis). Their work aims to understand the cellular and molecular events that cause endothelial cells to malfunction, discover new biomarkers that can detect vascular disorders early, and develop methods to reverse vascular dysfunction in animal models of cardio-metabolic diseases.

His recent work demonstrates novel mechanisms that underlie the impact of different blood flow patterns on endothelial function and dysfunction, advancing the understanding of cardiovascular disease development and potential therapies.

Professor Huang has co-authored more than 500 publications in SCI-indexed journals, including Nature, Science and Cell Metabolism, earning him over 34,500 citations. He is also Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at CityUHK.

Professor Huang has received several major awards for his outstanding contributions, including the Croucher Senior Research Fellow Award, Wuxi PharmaTech Life Science and Chemistry Award, and the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (first-class and second-class awards). He received the inaugural Hong Kong Research Grants Council - Senior Research Fellow Award in 2021.

Professor Huang has been elected a Fellow of ISHR, the International Union of Physiological Sciences Academy of Physiology, and the British Pharmacological Society. He serves as Vice-President of the Chinese Section of the ISHR and Vice-President of the Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences.

ISHR is an international organisation dedicated to advancing cardiovascular biology and medicine by promoting the discovery and dissemination of knowledge. The Peter Harris Distinguished Scientist Award, established in 1986, is conferred in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished scientific achievements in cardiovascular research.