Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation & Enterprise) and Yeung Kin Man Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has been elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in recognition of his significant contributions to innovation, societal welfare, and economic development.

“I am honoured to join a distinguished group of world-class innovators in NAI who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation through outstanding inventions,” says Professor Yang. “It’s also a recognition of CityUHK’s leadership in innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Professor Yang’s relentless pursuit of innovation has translated scientific discoveries into real-world applications. The technological innovations and inventions developed by him and his research team have not only improved public health and enhanced patient well-being but also established his position as a global leader in biomedical sciences.

Motivated to facilitate early disease detection and precision treatment for patients, Professor Yang and his research team focus on developing biochips and nanotechnology for diagnostics and therapeutic applications. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers, holds 61 patents, and has trained more than 80 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. With an h-index of 67 and over 16,000 citations, Professor Yang ranks among the world’s most impactful scientists in his field.

Professor Yang’s contributions extend beyond academia. He has co-founded several biotech companies, including Genetel, Prenetics, and Cellomics, to translate patented technologies invented in CityUHK into practical healthcare solutions. For example, Genetel’s HPV diagnostic kits have been used in hundreds of hospitals in China, providing early screening of cervical cancer for millions of women. Prenetics, a leader in DNA testing, was instrumental in COVID-19 testing efforts in Hong Kong and the UK, performing tens of millions of tests during the pandemic. Cellomics, meanwhile, has developed cancer detection products that are now used in over 50 hospitals and laboratories in China.

In addition, Professor Yang has been instrumental in establishing CityUHK’s position as a global leader in innovation. Under his leadership, CityUHK is granted an average of 70 U.S. patents annually and ranks among the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents, holding the top spot among Hong Kong institutions for the past eight years.

His influences in this regard are also evident in HK Tech 300, the flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme of CityUHK for aspiring entrepreneurs to launch start-ups leveraging on CityUHK’s research results. The programme has trained over 1,800 young entrepreneurs and incubated more than 700 start-ups, transforming CityUHK into a powerhouse for cutting-edge innovation.

Another initiative driven by him is the new CityUHK Academy of Innovation, which offers entrepreneurship training programmes at postdoctoral, PhD, MSc, and undergraduate levels, focusing on cultivating future innovation and technology talent and creating deep-tech start-ups.

“Being elected an NAI Fellow not only reflects my accomplishments in biomedical innovation, but also strengthens the determination of me and my team to further advance technology for the benefit of society,” says Professor Yang.

Professor Yang’s achievements over the years have earned him numerous accolades. He is the recipient of the KC Wong Foundation Award (2004), the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Award (2006), the Hong Kong Technological Achievement Grand Award (2007), the Wuxi AppTech Life Science and Chemistry Award (2016), and a Gold Medal at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (2019).